RoadVitals

2020 Forest River Forester

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
0
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Latest Aug 14, 2020
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2020 Forest River Forester. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 14 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING; SEATS

Aug 14, 2020
412 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Forest River Forester, Sunseeker, Dynamax Isata and Coachmen Galleria and Prism motorhomes built on Sprinter Van chassis equipped with swivel seats. The wiring harnesses for the front seats may have been routed incorrectly and could become jammed and damaged in the swivel seat frames.
The risk: If the wiring harness is damaged, the side air bag within the seat may deploy inadvertently or not deploy as designed in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and Sprinter dealers will inspect the wire harness routing for both front seats and will repair the wiring and add clips or cable ties as needed, free of charge. This recall began September 21, 2020. Owners may contact Daimler Vans customer service at 1-877-762-8267. Daimler Vans number for their recall is VS3DREHSIK. Forest's number for this recall is 51-1206.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 51-1206View on NHTSA.gov

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS; STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

Jun 19, 2020
522 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Coachmen Galleria, Dynamax Isata, and Forest River Battisti Coach, Forester, and Sunseeker motorhomes, built on 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis. The rear part of the front fender liner may contact and chafe the brake hose, possibly resulting in a loss of brake fluid.
The risk: Loss of brake fluid can extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner Sprinter dealers will inspect and replace the brake hoses, as necessary. Additionally, the fender liners will be modified. All services will be performed free of charge. This recall began July 8, 2020. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3BRADVER. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1177.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 51-1177View on NHTSA.gov

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Jun 16, 2020
392 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Coachmen Galleria and PRISM, Forest River Forester, Battisti and Sunseeker and Dynamax Isata recreational vehicles built on Sprinter chassis with automatic transmission. The operator's manual does not correctly specify certain conditions under which the automatic parking function ("Auto-P") operates.
The risk: If the driver relies on the Auto-P function as described in the Operator's Manual, vehicle rollaway or movement may occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and Mercedes-Benz dealers will provide the correct description of the Auto-P function for the Operator's Manual, free of charge. The recall began June 25, 2020. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-800-348-7440 or Sprinter service at 1-877-762-8267. The booklet with correct information is also available online through Mercedes-Benz, free of charge.
Forest River, Inc.View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

511869

SERVICE BRAKES

According to GM Recall 24V702: "The brake lines in these cutaway vehicles may not meet the recommended clearance to the GM-provided body mounts. If brake lines contact the body mounts, the brake line may experience wear or damage that could lead to a brake fluid leak. A brake fluid leak can result in reduced stopping performance or inoperative service brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.

511869

According to General Motors Recall 24V702: "The brake lines in these cutaway vehicles may not meet the recommended clearance to the GM-provided body mounts. If brake lines contact the body mounts, the brake line may experience wear or damage that could lead to a brake fluid leak. A brake fluid leak can result in reduced stopping performance or inoperative service brakes, increasing the risk of a crash."

511606

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; VISIBILITY

As per recall 23V100. Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain Sprinter (907 platform) vehicles, the fuse layout of the interior blower motor might not meet the requirements for prolonged operation at the highest blower setting. Influenced by certain premises, such as ambient and assembly space temperatures as well as usage, this could lead to an increase of the transitional resistance between fuse and fuse holder and thus, to a limit-exceeding heat development in the area of the fuse holder. Consequently, a risk of fire during operation and a risk of injury cannot be ruled out.

511570

PARKING BRAKE; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

According to the Interim Recall Notice Received by Mercedes-Benz concerning 22V796: "Mercedes-Benz AG has determined that on certain Sprinter vehicles, a component of the park lock system might wear extraordinarily due to specific driver parking practices and impair safe parking of the vehicle. If the vehicle is not properly secured in accordance with parking instructions in the operator's manual (including usage of the parking brake), it cannot be ruled out that the vehicle might roll away from its parked position under certain circumstances. Thus, the risk of an accident could increase. The driver will not receive a warning due to the nature of the failure mechanism. It is important that the driver ensures that the manual parking brake is engaged to adequately secure the vehicle against rolling away. Additionally, the parking level "P" is only to be inserted when the vehicle is completely stationary. The customer can find precise information on the parking process and on correct vehicle securing in their operator manual. Owners who notice any issues with the automatic transmission park lock function may contact their nearest Mercedes-Benz service partner immediately and have an appointment arranged for the vehicle to be inspected."

511568

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

According to Mercedes-Benz Recall 22V360: “The communication module's SIM card could become disabled and prevent a connection with a mobile phone network. In this case, the digital owner's manual as well as the automatic eCall function would not be available, which could preclude or delay the arrival of emergency responders. This could increase the risk of an injury following an emergency event.”

511508

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This is a Mercedes-Benz Recall that Forest River is passing through. Forest River is not conducting any campaign separately other than notifying our owners and dealers of the Mercedes-Benz Campaign 21V055. USA: 178 Vehicles MBAG has determined that on certain Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles, the software design of the communication module may fail to communicate the correct vehicle's location for the emergency call system ("eCall") in the event of a crash. Depending on the crash scenario, a temporary drop in the on-board electrical voltage system may occur. If this occurs, the wrong location may be transmitted during an eCall. As a result, the arrival of emergency responders could be delayed, which could increase the risk of injury.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Forest River Forester by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026010
2025120
2024120
2023140
2022230
2021250
2020Viewing030
2019120
2018131
2017220
2016730
2015610
2014330
2013041
2012111
2011010
2010010
2006110
2005110
2004320
2003020
2002010
2001110
2000010
1999010
1998010
1997010

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.