2014 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 2014 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
- Exterior lighting266.7%
- Electrical133.3%
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
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE LIGHTS ON THE MOTORHOME ARE VERY INEFFECTIVE. I HAVE TOLD FOREST RIVER SEVERAL TIMES THAT THEY DON'T LIGHT UP THE FRONT OF THE RV FAR ENOUGH FOR SAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS IN THE DARK. EVEN ON NON-LIT COUNTRY ROADS. PLEASE DO SOMETHING AS THESE LIGHTS AFFECT MODELS 2014-PRESENT. *DT
ON THE MORNING OF 11/20/17 I AWOKE TO THE SOUND OF ELECTRICAL ARCING. I TURNED THE MAIN BREAKER OFF, GOT A FLASH LIGHT AND A SCREW DRIVER AND TOOK PANEL COVER OFF. THEN I TURNED THE MAIN BREAKER BACK ON AND SAW THAT THE 3RD BREAKER FROM THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WAS ARCING IN THE BOX WHICH I THEN TOOK MY PHONE AND SNAPPED A VIDEO OF THE ARCING. AFTER I PULLED OUT THE BREAKER I COULD SEE WHERE THE TOP OF IT WAS BROKEN.BUT THE FACT WAS I COULD NOW SEE THAT THE BREAKER THAT I REMOVED WAS INTENTIONALLY BROKEN AT THE FACTORY TO INSTALL IT ON THAT SIDE OF THE PANEL BOX WHERE THE TABS OF THE PANEL WERE MADE TO KEEP THAT BREAKER FROM BEING USED. NOT ONLY WAS PART OF THE SHELL TO THE BREAKER BROKEN BUT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CLIP IN THE BREAKER THAT KEEPS PRESSURE ON THE SOCKET OF THE BREAKER ONTO THE TAB OF THE PANEL. THE ALTERING OF THE BREAKER COMPROMISED THE CONNECTION TO THE PANEL WHICH I BELIEVE AFTER TIME GAVE IT THE CHANCE TO START ARCING. ANOTHER GUY ON THE FORUM FROM INDIANA THAT HAS A BERKSHIRE COACH, BUT IT'S A 2015 PULLED OUT HIS BREAKER FOR THE SAME CIRCUITS, IT WAS BROKEN OUT JUST LIKE MINE WAS ALTHOUGH HIS STILL HAD THE SPRING TO KEEP PRESSURE ON THE TABS OF THE PANEL.SO NOW I ASK MYSELF HERE'S 2 BERKSHIRE COACHES BUILT A YEAR APART WITH THE SAME EXACT BROKEN BREAKER? THERE IS A RECALL17V-799 FOR 16 - 18 BERKSHIRES FOR THIS EXACT PRACTICE. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO GO MUCH FURTHER AS MY COACH IS A 2014 , AND THE OTHER GENTLEMEN'S IS A 2015. SEEMS LIKE IT WAS FOREST RIVERS COMMON PRACTICE TO USE INCORRECT BREAKERS IN BERKSHIRES. I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS RECALL EXPANDED TO 2012 AND MAYBE EVEN SOME OF THEIR OTHER MODELS LIKE CHARLSTONS AND LEGACYS AS WELL BEFORE A FIRE TAKES SOMEONES LIFE. I DO HAVE A VIDEO OF THE BREAKER IN THE PANEL ARCING ON THAT MORNING BUT CANNOT SEEM TO LOAD IT ON HERE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW IT SEND ME AN EMAIL AND I WILL FORWARD IT TO YOU.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON THE MORNING OF 11/20/17 I AWOKE TO THE SOUND OF ELECTRICAL ARCING. I TURNED THE MAIN BREAKER OFF, GOT A FLASH LIGHT AND A SCREW DRIVER AND TOOK PANEL COVER OFF. THEN I TURNED THE MAIN BREAKER BACK ON AND SAW THAT THE 3RD BREAKER FROM THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WAS ARCING IN THE BOX WHICH I THEN TOOK MY PHONE AND SNAPPED A VIDEO OF THE ARCING. AFTER I PULLED OUT THE BREAKER I COULD SEE WHERE THE TOP OF IT WAS BROKEN.BUT THE FACT WAS I COULD NOW SEE THAT THE BREAKER THAT I REMOVED WAS INTENTIONALLY BROKEN AT THE FACTORY TO INSTALL IT ON THAT SIDE OF THE PANEL BOX WHERE THE TABS OF THE PANEL WERE MADE TO KEEP THAT BREAKER FROM BEING USED. NOT ONLY WAS PART OF THE SHELL TO THE BREAKER BROKEN BUT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CLIP IN THE BREAKER THAT KEEPS PRESSURE ON THE SOCKET OF THE BREAKER ONTO THE TAB OF THE PANEL. THE ALTERING OF THE BREAKER COMPROMISED THE CONNECTION TO THE PANEL WHICH I BELIEVE AFTER TIME GAVE IT THE CHANCE TO START ARCING. ANOTHER GUY ON THE FORUM FROM INDIANA THAT HAS A BERKSHIRE COACH, BUT IT'S A 2015 PULLED OUT HIS BREAKER FOR THE SAME CIRCUITS, IT WAS BROKEN OUT JUST LIKE MINE WAS ALTHOUGH HIS STILL HAD THE SPRING TO KEEP PRESSURE ON THE TABS OF THE PANEL.SO NOW I ASK MYSELF HERE'S 2 BERKSHIRE COACHES BUILT A YEAR APART WITH THE SAME EXACT BROKEN BREAKER? THERE IS A RECALL17V-799 FOR 16 - 18 BERKSHIRES FOR THIS EXACT PRACTICE. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO GO MUCH FURTHER AS MY COACH IS A 2014 , AND THE OTHER GENTLEMEN'S IS A 2015. SEEMS LIKE IT WAS FOREST RIVERS COMMON PRACTICE TO USE INCORRECT BREAKERS IN BERKSHIRES. I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS RECALL EXPANDED TO 2012 AND MAYBE EVEN SOME OF THEIR OTHER MODELS LIKE CHARLSTONS AND LEGACYS AS WELL BEFORE A FIRE TAKES SOMEONES LIFE. I DO HAVE A VIDEO OF THE BREAKER IN THE PANEL ARCING ON THAT MORNING BUT CANNOT SEEM TO LOAD IT ON HERE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW IT SEND ME AN EMAIL AND I WILL FORWARD IT TO YOU.
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 .