2015 Forest River Forester 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 2015 Forest River Forester, 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
- Electrical233.3%
- Exterior lighting233.3%
- Interior & seats116.7%
- Visibility116.7%
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
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER TO THE ENGINE. ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. FUSE 46 IN THE BATTERY JUNCTION BOX WAS BLOWN. CAUSE WAS DURING COACH BUILD AND FRAME EXTENSION, WIRE IN TAPE OUT TO CANISTER VENT SOLENOID CONNECTION CHAFED AGAINST THE EDGE OF THE FRAME RAIL WEARING THROUGH INSULATION CAUSING SHORT TO GROUND AND OPEN FUSE. THIS FUSE CONTROLS COMMUNICATIONS TO THE PCM SO THE SHORT CAUSE THE ENGINE TO COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN. THE DAY PRIOR WE WERE TRAVELING ON NARROW, WINDING AND CHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS WITH NO SHOULDER SPACE--HAD IT FAILED THEN, THE OUTCOME WOULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER.
RV STARTED TRIPPING INSIDE BREAKER. UPON INSPECTION THE NEUTRAL WIRE GOING INTO THE GENERATOR TRANSFER BOX WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER THE BED WAS FOUND TO BE BURNT THRU THE INSULATOR AND INTO THE HOT LEAD WHICH CREATED A DIRECT SHORT. THIS IS THE MAIN WIRE FROM THE OUTSIDE SOURCE GOING DIRECTLY INTO THE RV. PROBLEM IS WITH THE TWIST CONNECTORS USED TO CONNECT SINGLE STRAND ELECTRIC WIRE TO MULTI STRAND WIRE. UPON INSPECTION OF OTHER WIRES INSIDE THE BOX USING THE SAME SINGLE STRAND WIRE TO MULTI STRAND WIRE AND TWIST CONNECTOR LOOSE CONNECTIONS OR POOR CONNECTIONS WERE FOUND WHICH CAUSES WIRES TO HEAT UP AND CATCH FIRE. THE BURNT WIRES AND CONNECTORS AND PICTURES ARE IN MY POSSESSION IF NEEDED. THE RV WAS NOT RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION DUE TO THE SIX WEEK WAITING PERIOD, SEPTEMBER 13TH, BEFORE IT COULD BE EVEN LOOKED AT AND INSPECTED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
NHTSA RECALL: 16V465 THE REAR LIGHTS WE OUT IN DECEMBER 2016, INDOOR OUTDOOR RV REPLACED THE REAR LIGHTING MODULE. LATER IN DECEMBER THE SAFETY RECALL CAME OUT ON THIS LIGHTING MODULE. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE STILL NOT AVAILABLE. WE WAITED OVER YEAR FOR THESE PARTS AT THE INDOOR OUTDOOR RV DEALER IN LEWISVILLE TEXAS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FOREST RIVER FORESTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V465000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,575.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FOREST RIVER FORESTER CLASS A MOTOR HOME. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE DOORS FAILED TO REMAIN CLOSED AND THE STEPS WOULD FALL OUT. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE LOCKS WERE REPLACED THREE TIMES; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
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
I WAS DRIVING AT TEXAS HIGHWAY SPEEDS (85MPH) WHEN I HEARD A SNAP. MY PASSENGER TOLD ME THAT THE WINDSHIELD ON HER SIDE HAD JUST CRACKED. THERE WAS NO CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND I DID NOT NOTICE ANY IMPACTS PRIOR TO THE WINDSHIELD CRACKING. I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION TO TAKE THE ATTACHED PICTURES. LATER, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A CHIP IN THE WINDSHIELD RIGHT UNDER THE PASSENGERS WINDSHIELD WIPER WHERE THE BLADE INTERSECTS THE WINDSHIELD HEATER. THERE IS NO WAY A ROCK COULD HAVE HIT THE WINDSHIELD IN THAT SPOT AS IT WAS COVERED BY THE WIPER BLADE AND THE CRACK IS EXACTLY AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE BLADE AND HEATER ELEMENT. I BELIEVE THE CRACK TO BE DUE TO THERMAL STRESS INDUCED BY THE WINDSHIELD WIPER HEATERS AND WIND PRESSURE FROM DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SUBARU INSPECTED THE WINDSHIELD BUT REFUSED TO REPLACE IT BECAUSE OF THE SMALL CHIP.
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 .