2009 Forest River Berkshire Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 Forest River Berkshire, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine150.0%
- Visibility150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
(REPORT PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED 18 APRIL BUT MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY BEEN DELETED). AT ABOUT 31,600 MILES ON MY RV (2009 FOREST RIVER BERKSHIRE MOUNTED ON A FREIGHTLINER CHASSIS WITH CUMMINS 350HP ENGINE), THE ENGINE SUDDENLY OVERHEATED. DURING REPAIR AT A FREIGHTLINER FACILITY, THREE OF FOUR RETAINING BOLTS WERE DISCOVERED BROKEN ON THE FAN HUB MOUNTED ON THE BACK OF THE ENGINE; THE FOURTH HAD BACKED OUT SEVERAL THREADS AND THE FAN TILTED INTO THE SHROUD AND SEIZED IN PLACE. FREIGHTLINER REPAIR TECHNICIAN STATED THEIR FACILITY HAD MADE SEVERAL REPAIRS ON CUMMINS/FREIGHTLINER CHASSIS RVS; THE FAILURE OCCURS WITH SOME FREQUENCY; THE BOLTS AND DESIGN OF FAN HUB APPEAR TO BE INADEQUATE FOR LOADS APPLIED BY THE SERPENTINE ACCESSORY BELT; AND THAT FAILURE OF ALL FOUR BOLTS COULD SHATTER THE FAN BLADES WHEN IT SEIZES IN THE SHROUD RESULTING IN SHRAPNEL DAMAGE TO THE RADIATOR AND SEVERED ELECTRICAL AND FLUID LINES. FURTHER CONSEQUENCES COULD INCLUDE A NEED TO QUICKLY EXIT TRAFFIC FLOW TO AVOID BECOMING A COLLISION HAZARD. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE FAN HUB, FAN, RADIATOR AND OTHER ACCESSORIES ARE ADDED BY FREIGHTLINER TO THE CUMMINS ENGINE DURING CHASSIS MANUFACTURE. REPAIR REQUIRES CONSIDERABLE AND EXPENSIVE REMOVAL OF ENGINE ACCESSORIES. USE OF THIS CUMMINS/FREIGHTLINER CHASSIS CONFIGURATION BY OTHER COACH MANUFACTURERS IS UNKNOWN. TECHNICIAN ON MY REPAIR DRILLED AND TAPPED A FIFTH BOLT TO STRENGTHEN THE FAN HUB. ONLINE FORUM INQUIRY AND INTEREST FROM OTHER OWNERS SUGGESTS SIMILAR EXPERIENCES. ONE OTHER OWNER LEARNED THAT FREIGHTLINER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, THAT THEY HAVE NO RECALL BUT THEY HAVE A FIVE BOLT FAN HUB FOR PURCHASE THAT EVIDENTLY ADDRESSES A LOAD FAILURE PROBLEM WITH THE FOUR BOLT DESIGN. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW FOGGY AND HINDERS THE DRIVERS ABILITY TO SEE OUT. MANUFACTURE HAS NOT OFFERED TO REPLACE WINDOW.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .