2017 Forest River Cherokee Owner Complaints

Leaf spring fractured and failed twice on the same side of RV following NTHSA mandated recall repair 16V579, and safety modification kit part# 425750. This time the leaf spring failure caused the tire to rub the wheel well and create enough friction to start the interior wheel well carpeting and a garment bag on there to ignite and smolder filling the interior cabin with smoke. Contacted manufacturer Forest River regarding this issue and to obtain information including torque settings and recall kit spacer dimensions on their installed recall modification kit. After not hearing back from Andrew at Forest River- Cherokee customer service for a week regarding (claim reference # [XXX]) I contacted him again and he claimed to have no resolution/answers for me. Following that telephone conversation , It has been well over 2 weeks and he has not responded back to my request regarding the NHTSA safety recall kit issues. If my personal safety is at risk while pulling this travel trailer I would like to know about it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11628807

Incident

Oct 30, 2024

Driving through construction zone on 70 at 70/71 interchange and tire exploded. 2nd one to explode on same side of the camper. First was a while ago but damaged tire was the same condition as this one.

NHTSA ID

11480355

Incident

Aug 14, 2022

All the bolts holding camper on frame were loose & 2 we're missing... Screws around slide out loose. Causing the side to split.

NHTSA ID

11459623

Incident

Feb 1, 2019

The contact owns a 2017 Forest River Cherokee Toy Hauler. The contact stated that he was informed by an independent mechanic that the box on the rooftop of the RV frame had detached and slipped to the passenger’s side of the RV. The contact also stated that the sliding door inside the RV had pierced the ceiling of the RV. The dealer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The RV was taken to a second dealer United RV Center (5100 Airport Fwy, Haltom City, TX 76117) who diagnosed that the substructure of the RV was not cut and aligned properly which caused the box on the rooftop to slip due to vibration while driving the RV. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the RV was out of warranty. The RV was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11428087

Incident

Apr 8, 2021

I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ARRANGE FOR MY DEALER TO FIX THIS PROBLEM SINCE 11/16/20. I ALSO CALLED 01/02/21,ON 3/05/21 I PERSONALLY STOP IN . EACH TIME WAS TOLD THEY WOULD ORDER PART. I CONTACTED A MANAGER ON 05/04 - WE HAVE BEEN TEXTING - STILL NO ACTION. RECALL:16V579

NHTSA ID

11415146

Incident

Nov 16, 2020

Mileage

2,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT, SMOOTH ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE TRAILER AXLE SUDDENLY BROKE FREE, CAUSING THE TRAILER TO FLIP ONTO ITS SIDE. THE TRAILER APPEARS TO BE A TOTAL LOSS. THE TOWING VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED SLIGHTLY. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THE RIDE SIDE LEAF SPRING BROKE, CAUSING THE AXLE TO BREAK FREE. THE AXLE TUBE BENT AND BROKE COMPLETELY NEAR THE LEFT SIDE LEAF SPRING. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF AN ISSUE PRIOR TO THIS. THE TRAILER WAS RIDING LEVEL AND NOT PULLING OR JERKING THE TOWING VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE SPONTANEOUS, CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

11403106

Incident

Mar 13, 2021

Mileage

20,000 mi

SITTING IN HOUSE AND HEARD A LOUD POP. GO OUTSIDE AND TRAVEL TRAILER IS LEANING. THE TIRE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE TRAILER HAS BLOWN SITTING STILL 5 DAYS FROM WHEN THE TIRE ON THE OTHER SIDE BLEW GOING DOWN THE ROAD. NOT SAFE

NHTSA ID

11209194

Incident

May 22, 2019

Mileage

70,600 mi

TIRE BLOW OUT AND TRAILER DAMAGE WHILE DRIVING ON US 239 GOING SOUTH IN LIVE OAK, FL

NHTSA ID

11209190

Incident

May 17, 2019

Mileage

7,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 FOREST RIVER ARCTIC WOLF 285DRL4 CHEROKEE RV (NA). THE CONTACT OBSERVED MELTED PLASTIC AND WATER LEAKING FROM THE RV WITHOUT WARNING. THE WATER HEATER MELTED THE WATER HOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL CHEYENNE CAMPING CENTER, LOCATED AT 2960 N PLAINVIEW RD, WALCOTT, IA, 52773. THE RV WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BECAUSE THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO WAIT TO HEAR FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TWICE AT 574-825-7000 AND LEFT MESSAGES, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25.

NHTSA ID

10995070

Incident

Jun 2, 2017

Mileage

25 mi

THIS GREY WOLF 29TE 2017 TRAILER IS 36.5' LONG AND IT RIDES LOW AND BOTTOMS OUT A LOT. I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF SPOTS WHERE THE CHAINS DRAGGED ON THE FRONT AND THE BACK END BOTTOMED OUT. WHEN IT IS SITTING LEVEL, THERE IS ONLY 13"-14" OF CLEARANCE FROM THE FRAME TO THE GROUND. IT IS A BIG ENOUGH OF A PROBLEM THAT IT ACTUALLY BROKE THE BRACKET ON THE BACK END OF THE TRAILER (SEE ATTACHED PICTURE). TO ME, THE AXLES APPEARS TO BE UNDERSIZED FOR THE TRAILER. THIS IS MOST PROBABLY WHY THE TRAILER RIDES VERY LOW AND BOTTOMS OUT A LOT. LOOKING AT THE INFO ON THE PLACARD (IMAGE ATTACHED), THE GVWR IS 7,837LBS, BUT EACH AXLE IS ONLY RATED FOR 3,500 LB. BASED ON THESE NUMBERS, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE MANUFACTURER USED AN UNDERSIZED AXLE FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER, AND IF YOU SAW THE TRAILER, I THINK THAT YOU WOULD AGREE. LOOKING AT THE AXLE, SPRINGS, AND FRAME WHILE THE TRAILER IS HOOKED UP FOR TOWING, THE FRAME IS JUST AN INCH OR TWO ABOVE THE AXLE. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS ONLY 2.5 INCHES OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TIRE AND THE WHEEL WELL. AND THIS IS WITH THE TRAILER DRY (NO WATER, EMPTY BLACK AND GREY TANKS, ETC). I AM USING A RAM 1500 TO TOW IT AND AM SETUP WITH THE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION HITCH AND THE TRAILER IS LEVEL WHEN I TOW IT.

NHTSA ID

10984906

Incident

May 6, 2017

Mileage

700 mi

WE PURCHASE A BRAND NEW 2017 FOREST RIVER CHEROKEE 235B 5TH WHEEL. AFTER NOTICING MAJOR DAMAGE IN THE WHEEL WELL WE BROUGHT IT INTO A SHOP. TURNS OUT THERE IS A MAJOR CLEARANCE ISSUE AND THE 5TH WHEEL WILL NOT TOW LEVEL. THERE IS 2' BETWEEN THE TIRE AND WHEEL-WELL, PLUMBING SITS 10" FROM THE GROUND & HAS BEEN ALMOST RIPPED OFF WHEN TOWING. FOREST RIVER WAST US TO TOW THIS UNSAFE UNIT TO AN "AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP" NEARLY 100 MILES AWAY SO THEY CAN HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THE SKID BARS ARE COMPLETELY BENT DUE TO THE 5TH WHEEL RIDING LOW AND LEVEL WHEN TOWING. THE 2 REAR TIRES CAN NOT WITHSTAND THE WEIGHT BEING PUT ON THEM. IF THIS WERE TO BE TOWED THOSE 15" TIRES COULD VERY EASILY BLOW OUT. FOREST RIVER ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS DUE TO THEM BEING BAD WITHIN A MONTH OF PURCHASING THIS UNIT.

NHTSA ID

10887797

Incident

Jun 24, 2016

Mileage

70 mi