RoadVitals

2018 Forest River FR3

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.
3
Latest Oct 12, 2021
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.
2
Latest Oct 31, 2018
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.
1
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 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Forest River FR3, most frequently naming the body & structure, electrical and suspension categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 1 manufacturer communication is 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

  • Body & structure133.3%
  • Electrical133.3%
  • Suspension133.3%

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

2 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
18V768000

VISIBILITY

Oct 31, 2018
4,790 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Forest River Georgetown and FR3 motorhomes, 2018-2019 Berkshire motorhomes and 2018 Charleston motorhomes. The motorized windshield roller shade at the driver's seating position may unroll without warning while driving.
The risk: If the windshield roller shade unrolls while driving, it could block the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a fastener to ensure the motor will not allow the shade to roll down during while driving. The recall began November 28, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-206-7605. Forest River's number for the recall is 68-0822.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 68-0822View on NHTSA.gov
18V234000

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH; STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

Apr 12, 2018
597 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Forest River FR3 and Georgetown recreational vehicles. The entry door latch may not engage fully, allowing the door to open unexpectedly while moving.
The risk: If the entry door opens unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners and dealers will install shims between the entry door frame and the wall frame, two additional screws will be added through the entry door frame to secure the door frame to the sidewall frame and will verify that the entry door latch pawl is properly contacting the striker bolt, if required the dealer will adjust the striker bolt, at no charge to the owner. The recall began on May 9, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 68-0700.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 68-0700View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE20021ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

Trimark 060-1650 Door Latch Failures

Opened Nov 23, 2020
Closed Dec 13, 2024

On November 23, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE20021 to investigate allegations of inoperative Trimark THP 060-1650 door lock/latches originally equipped on model years (MY) 2015-2017 Class A and Class C motorhomes.ODI received forty-six Vehicle Owner’s Questionnaires (VOQs) describing consumers being locked in or out of their vehicles.The door latch, containing a die-cast zinc plunger, was produced by Equality during calendar years 2014-2016. The die-cast may become porous and brittle over time and can break without warning, causing the vehicle owner to be unable to open the recreational vehicle door equipped with the latch.If the motorhome does not have any other doors such as some Class A models, occupants could be trapped inside, needing to climb out using the emergency exits. If locked out, owners would be unable to easily get in and retrieve children and pets. ODI analyzed the data provided by Trimark in response to its January 27, 2021 information request letter.Although an elevated failure rate was evident on a specific combination of plunger bolt, door lock/latch assembly and door, the data showed that most failures occurred within the first two years of service on the affected 2015-2017 vehicles.This data suggests that component failures generally would have already occurred.Further, ODI data reflects a downward trend in complaints after calendar year 2018 and for post- MY 2016 vehicles.This downward trend may be attributed Trimark's actions in 2016 such as changes in the manufacturing process of its zinc plunger component for the relevant population and its 2016 decision to switch to a steel plunger. In view of the nature of early-life failure, and failure rate trending downward for model years 2017 and newer, this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is closed.  The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

EQUIPMENT

Recent owner complaints

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

Body & structure
Filed Oct 12, 2021

The vehicle sidewall has separated from the frame. Approx 4 feet of the passenger frontside, from the front to the door. This has caused a gap between the floorboard and sidewall. It has also caused the entrance steps to move out of alignment. While driving down a highway, we heard two loud pops. Upon arriving at our campsite, we noticed the damage to the motorhome. An online search revealed this to be a common problem with Forest River motorhomes as they use self tapping screws to attach the sidewall to the frame.

NHTSA ID
11436481
Incident
Sep 27, 2021
Filed Aug 30, 2020

FRONT ENTRY DOOR LOCK FAILED AND IT COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. LOCK HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE DOOR TO OPEN. VEHICLE WAS PARKED. I HAD TO EXIT FROM THE PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW. NO ISSUES WITH THE DOOR PRIOR TO THE FAILURE.*DT*DT CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL.*JB

NHTSA ID
11352178
Incident
Aug 21, 2020
Mileage
36,000 mi
ElectricalSuspension
Filed Aug 19, 2017

OVERHANG TOO MUCH FOR SUSPENSION AND SHOCKS PLACED ON VEHICLE. VEHICLE BOTTOMS OUT WHEN NOT LOADED, OR PULLING ANYTHING, WHEN UTILIZING COMMON SIMPLE DRIVEWAYS (COMMON ANGLES FOUND IN HOMES, SHOPPING CENTERS AND RELATED). THE DEFECT CAUSES THE HITCH TO BE DRAGGED CAUSING SPARKS AND IT DAMAGES THE SEVEN WAY PLUG AND HOUSING RENDERING THEM USELESS. THE BOTTOMING OUT IMPACTS THE FRAME CAUSING UNKNOWN DAMAGE TO THE SUSPENSION, FUEL TANK MOUNTING, FRAME, AND UNKNOWN OTHER CRITICAL COMPONENTS BASED ON THE DEFECTIVE DESIGN.

NHTSA ID
11016350
Incident
Aug 19, 2017
Mileage
6,500 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

680488

STRUCTURE

There is a potential sealant issue that needs to be addressed on your vehicle. The potential for this issue will allow water infiltration into the vehicle roof.

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 FR3 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2025010—
2024120—
2023030—
2022230—
2021530—
2020040—
2019040—
2018Viewing321—
2017120—
2016121—
2015210—
2014210—

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.