RoadVitals

2018 Coachmen Freedom Express

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Jun 18, 2020
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Jan 12, 2018
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Coachmen Freedom Express, most frequently naming the body & structure and suspension categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 3 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Body & structure150.0%
  • Suspension150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
18V051000

EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:INTEGRATED JACK/LEVELER/STABILIZER

Jan 12, 2018
1,349 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018 Rockwood and Flagstaff, and Coachmen Freedom Express recreational trailers and 2017-2018 Palomino and XLR ToyHauler and Coachmen Viking recreational trailers equipped with a Smart-Jack model power tongue jack. The laminated plastic touch pad on the jack may crack or separate allowing water to enter, potentially causing the jack to operate unintentionally.
The risk: If the tongue jack retracts or extends unexpectedly, there could be an increased risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and a Forest River or a Lippert dealer will replace the power tongue jack, free of charge. The recall began on February 20, 2018. Rockwood and Flagstaff Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-642-5164; XLR ToyHauler owners can call 1-574-642-0432; Viking owners can call 1-269-467-4600; Freedom Express owners can call 1-574-825-8205; Palomino owners can call 1-269-432-3246. Lippert Customer service can be reached at 1-574-538-4514 or by email at [email protected]. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-0610.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 51-0610View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Body & structure
Filed Jun 18, 2020

OUR 2018 COACHMEN FREEDOM EXPRESS 287BHDS WITH LIPPERT (LCI) FRAME EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE STEEL FRAME WHILE MAKING A TURN IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. THE HANGER FOR THE LEAF SPRING SUSPENSION BROKE OFF THE FRAME. LARGE CRACKS WERE ALSO VISIBLE BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE BROKEN SUSPENSION HANGER. *TR

NHTSA ID
11329631
Incident
Jun 7, 2020
Mileage
5,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Dec 20, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 COACHMEN FREEDOM EXPRESS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE RV WAS VERY UNSTABLE. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS MISALIGNED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. *TT CONSUMER WITHDRAWS THE COMPLAINT. CARFAX CANNOT PROCESS THIS REQUEST. *JB

NHTSA ID
11162637
Incident
Dec 1, 2018
Mileage
1,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

CV1-4

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT

Provide an update that would prevent possible message corruption that could take place on the RVC network.

510692

EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

Per the service bulletin from Dometic ?The nuisance issue enunciates by either blowing the protective fuse, opening the circuit breaker in the furnace circuit, or rendering the furnace inoperative. Our testing has shown that in ALL instances the furnace fails in a safe manner.?

510780

EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

Per the service bulletin from Dometic ?Dometic Corporation has identified a visual cosmetic defect that has occurred on our Dometic DM2652 refrigerators up in the freezer compartment. This does NOT occur on all units, but may be present on units with serial numbers starting with MB between 805xxxxx and 820XXXXX. The visual cosmetic defect in no way affects the performance, operation, safety, or function of the refrigerator and does not represent a non-compliance issue to one or more of the FMVSS standards or result in a risk of personal injury, death, vehicle crash, or property damage.?

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Coachmen Freedom Express by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2024010—
2023000—
2022030—
2021210—
2020100—
2019310—
2018Viewing210—
2017320—
2016220—
2015310—
2014430—
2013630—
2012110—
2011520—
2010010—
2009010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.