2013 Forest River Flagstaff 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 2013 Forest River Flagstaff, 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
- Other / unspecified337.5%
- Suspension225.0%
- Tires & wheels225.0%
- Body & structure112.5%
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
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
TOWING TRAILER ON HIGHWAY. SPEED WAS 60 MPH. TRAILER HAS EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF SWAYING. PULLED OF HIGHWAY AND INSPECTED THE TIRES TO FIND FOOTBALL SIZED BUBBLE IN ONE OF THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES. THIS COULD HAVE BLOWN OUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLES. THE TIRES ARE KENDA KARRIER LOAD STAR ST205/75R14
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FOREST RIVER FLAGSTAFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STABILIZING JACK FAILED AND ONLY CLOSED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TEN TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. MA 10/16/15
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FOREST RIVER FLAGSTAFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A TIRE BLEW OUT AND IT WAS UNKNOWN ON THE TIRE FAILURE LOCATION. THE CONTACT STATED A WEEK AFTER THE SPARE WAS INSTALLED, THE TIRE EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE TIRE. CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V554000 (SUSPENSION, TIRES) HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF RECALL AND THEY WOULD NEED TO USE THEIR INSURANCE TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
ON 6/19/13 WE LEFT FROM BURLINGTON, WI - CLINTON, NY WITH OUR TRAILER. ON OUR DRIVE BACK TO WI, WE HAD STOPPED AT A TRUCK STOP IN INDIANA AROUND 10:30 PM ON 6/28 TO GET FUEL & SNACKS FROM THE TRAILER. ONCE WE ARRIVED HOME WE REALIZED THAT THE OUTSIDE LATCH DOOR THAT COVERED THE OUTDOOR REFRIGERATOR HAD BEEN RIPPED OFF, THE REFRIGERATOR DOOR ITSELF HAD BEEN RIPPED OFF, & BOTH SETS OF STEPS WERE BENT BY THE DOORS COMING OFF & HOLES & DENTS DOWN THE BOTTOM/LOWER SIDE OF THE CAMPER. THE TIRES ON THE CAMPER HAD WORN THROUGH THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE CAMPER & THERE WAS LESS THAN 1? OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TIRES & TRAILER BOTTOM. WE CONTACTED SCENIC RV & WERE TOLD TO BRING THE TRAILER BACK. THE MANGER CONTACTED US MON. MORNING & STATED THAT THERE WAS CLEARLY A PROBLEM WITH THE AXLE & THE CLEARANCE ON THE TRAILER. WE BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE BOUNCING OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAILER & WITH ALL OF THE VIBRATION, IT CAUSED THE LATCH DOOR TO BOUNCE OUT OF THE LOCK CATCH ( ?DEEP) & FLY OFF. WE CONTACTED FOREST RIVER & THEY TOLD US THAT THERE WERE NO MANUFACTURING ISSUES & THE AXLES WERE CORRECT FOR THAT TRAILER. AFTER A LOT OF CORRESPONDENCE TO THE DEALERSHIP, FOREST RIVER & DEXTER AXLE WE FOUND OUT THAT THE AXLES SPEC?D FOR THE TRAILER WERE NOT THE AXLES THAT WERE INSTALLED ON OUR TRAILER. WE TALKED WITH A WOMAN IN THE WARRANTY DEPT. & AFTER I READ HER THE SERIAL NUMBERS FROM THE AXLES, SHE STATED THAT THOSE WERE NOT THE AXLES SPEC?D FOR OUR TRAILER. I HAVE ALSO FOUND MORE FOREST RIVER TRAILER OWNERS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. SOME OF THEM HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE AXLES REPLACED WHILE OTHERS HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE DEALERSHIPS INSTALL & DEXTER LIFT KIT UNDER THE TRAILER TO RAISE IT UP. THERE ARE MULTIPLE STORIES ON THE FOREST RIVER FORUM THAT DETAIL THIS ISSUE. WE WERE LUCKY THAT WE WERE TRAVELING LATE AT NIGHT WHEN THOSE DOORS FLEW OFF; SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FOREST RIVER FLAGSTAFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A TIRE BLEW OUT AND IT WAS UNKNOWN ON THE TIRE FAILURE LOCATION. THE CONTACT STATED A WEEK AFTER THE SPARE WAS INSTALLED, THE TIRE EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE TIRE. CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V554000 (SUSPENSION, TIRES) HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF RECALL AND THEY WOULD NEED TO USE THEIR INSURANCE TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FOREST RIVER FLAG STAFF FIFTH WHEEL WITH LIONS HEAD TRAIL EXPRESS TIRES (N/A), SIZE:225-75-15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE AND TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 11/12/13*CN THE TIRE COMPANY INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE NOT CORRECT FOR THE LOAD RANGE. THE CONSUMER REPLACED ALL OF THE TIRES. UPDATED 11/19/13
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
AXLE IS TOO CLOSE TO TRAILER BODY CAUSING TIRE RUB AND ALSO DAMAGE TO BODY OF TRAILER. *JS
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 .