RoadVitals

2021 Forest River Forester

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

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.
2
+1 complaint in 30 days
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.
5
Latest Apr 21, 2023
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 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Forest River Forester, most frequently naming the seat belts and tires & wheels categories. 5 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 25 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Seat belts150.0%
  • Tires & wheels150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

5 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

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Apr 21, 2023
1,027 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Coachmen Galleria, Beyond, Forester, Sunseeker, and 2021-2024 Nova motorhomes, equipped with certain Cummins Onan QG 2800i, and Onan QG 2800i EVAP generator sets. The fuel hose between the inline fuel filter and the Injection Pump Module (IPM) may have inadequate clamp force, possibly resulting in a gasoline leak.
The risk: A gas leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy: Cummins Dealers will inspect and replace the fuel hose and clamps, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2023. Owners may contact Cummins at: (800) CUMMINS OR (800) 286-6467. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-206-7600, or Coachmen Class B customer service at 1-574-825-8602. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1626.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 51-1626View on NHTSA.gov

EQUIPMENT

Apr 13, 2023
2,616 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021 Forester 2401BSD, FR3 F3A32DSF, Georgetown GTA36K7, 2022-2023 East to West Entrada, 2023 East to West Alta, Coachmen Apex, Brookstone, Chaparral and Chaparral Lite, Forest River Crusader, Sanibel, Shasta Phoenix, Coachmen Spirit, and East to West Tandara vehicles. The solar panel mounting hardware may become loose and pull through the slot in the panel.
The risk: Loose hardware can cause the solar panels to detach from the vehicle during transit, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will install additional hardware to the existing panel and install a secondary holding bracket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 5, 2023. Owners may contact East to West Alta, Entrada and Tandara customer service at 1-574-264-6664; Coachmen Apex and Spirit customer service at 1-574-825-8205; Coachmen Brookstone, Chaparral, Chaparral Lite, and Shasta Phoenix customer service at 1-574-825-7101; Crusader and Sanibel customer service at 1-574-862-1025; and Georgetown Forester and FR3 customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1607.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 51-1607View 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

Recent owner complaints

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

Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 10, 2026

I purchased and paid for two NEW front tires for my RV from Mac’s Tire & Complete Auto in Tucson, Arizona. After the tires were installed, I drove the RV approximately 2,000 miles. During this trip, the front tires began deteriorating and coming apart on the inside. Because the damage was on the inner side of the tires, it was difficult to see during normal visual inspection. I stopped at a Firestone location in Casa Grande, Arizona, where the tires were inspected. I was informed that the two front tires that had been installed and sold to me as new were actually approximately 13 and 14 years old based on their DOT manufacturing date codes. I had driven approximately 2,000 miles at highway speeds with my family in the RV without knowing that these extremely old tires were installed on the front steering axle. The condition of the tires created a serious risk of a blowout, loss of steering control, crash, serious injury, or death. I am reporting this incident because I believe these tires presented a serious highway safety hazard. GOOD YEAR WRANGLER HT Load range E DOT 2413 and DOT 2912

NHTSA ID
11756076
Incident
May 24, 2026
Seat belts
Filed Jul 13, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 FOREST RIVER FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOUNTING BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT PILLAR DETACHED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO USE THE SEAT BELT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE VIA EMAIL. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT TO REPAIR THE RV AT HIS OWN EXPENSE OR TO HAVE THE RV TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. THE RV WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 870.

NHTSA ID
11339187
Incident
Jul 11, 2020
Mileage
870 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

512020

According to Ford Recall 25V793: "According to Ford’s records, the remedy software for Safety Recall 20S73 may not have been installed correctly during a prior dealership visit. Because the correct software may not have been installed on your vehicle, the underlying condition specified in Safety Recall 20S73 may still exist. On your vehicle, it may be possible that the engine cover insulation does not fully extend to the perimeter of the factory engine cover. This may result in elevated temperatures at certain areas of the engine cover surface in the passenger compartment on both driver and passenger sides. Direct and continuous contact with exposed skin at these locations may increase the risk of skin irritation and/or a minor burn.

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.

341646

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; TIRES

The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), on some Ford E450 chassis may experience intermittent loss of signal at one of the wheels and display a fault on the information center of the dashboard. This fault should clear itself through normal operation of the vehicle. However, should the concern repeat, this document is produced as a dealer aid for customer satisfaction is wanted.

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.”

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
2021Viewing250
2020030
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.