RoadVitals

2026 Forest River Bus Collins School Bus

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

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.
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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.
4
Latest Jan 23, 2026
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.
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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.
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Overview

Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 Forest River Bus Collins School Bus. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 1 manufacturer communication is on file.

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

Safety recalls

4 campaigns cover this model year

View all 4

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
26V041000

STRUCTURE:BODY

Jan 23, 2026
213 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River Bus, LLC (Forest River Bus) is recalling certain 2026 Collins Bus school buses. The body panel joint adhesive may have been applied to the incorrect location, causing the panels to separate. As such these vehicle fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 221, "School Bus Body Joint Strength."
The risk: Separated body panels can reduce structural integrity, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect and apply adhesive as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 18, 2026. Owners may contact Forest River Bus customer service at 1-620-888-3310. Forest River Bus's number for this recall is 551-2021.
Forest River Bus, LLCManufacturer number 551-2021View on NHTSA.gov
25V779000

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY:WHEELCHAIR RESTRAINTS/SECUREMENT:LATCH/ANCHOR:

Nov 13, 2025
165 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River Bus, LLC (Forest River Bus) is recalling certain 2026-2027 Collins School Bus and 2025-2026 Trans Tech School Bus vehicles equipped with certain QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
The risk: An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 10, 2025. Owners may contact Forest River Bus customer service at 1-800-348-7440. Forest River Buses number for this recall is 51-2008.
Forest River Bus, LLCManufacturer number 51-2008View on NHTSA.gov
25V361000

STRUCTURE:EMERGENCY:ESCAPE/EGRESS/EXIT:LATCHING/RELEASE SYSTEM

May 30, 2025
2,759 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River Bus, LLC (Forest River Bus) is recalling certain 2023-2027 Collins Bus school buses. The lock on the emergency exit door may fail to unlock. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 217, "Bus Emergency Exits and Window Retention and Release."
The risk: An emergency exit that remains locked can prevent or delay passengers from evacuating during an emergency, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the barrel latch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2025. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-620-888-3361. Forest River Bus's number for this recall is 551-1931.
Forest River Bus, LLCManufacturer number 551-1931View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Manufacturer communications

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

512009B

According to Ford Recall 25V726: "On your vehicle, it may be possible to experience a noisy, partially inoperable, or completely inoperable Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) blower motor. An inoperable or partially inoperable HVAC blower motor may affect windshield defrost and defogging capability, which can decrease visibility under certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash."

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

Forest River Bus Collins School Bus by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027020—
2026Viewing040—
2025020—
2024010—
2023010—

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.