RoadVitals

2016 Forest River R-Pod

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 Aug 10, 2022
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.
1
Latest Jun 9, 2015
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 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 Forest River R-Pod, most frequently naming the body & structure and tires & wheels categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 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 & structure150.0%
  • 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

1 campaign 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
15V359000

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

Jun 9, 2015
1,497 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2016 Evo, Salem, Sandstorm, Shockwave, Stealth, Wildwood, Cherokee Grey Wolf, Wildcat Maxx, Vibe, R-Pod, and Surveyor trailers. In the affected trailers, the studs that are used to attach the wheels to the axle hubs may break.
The risk: If the wheel studs break, the wheel could detach from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected wheel hub, free of charge. The recall began on June 25, 2015. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-909-873-3777. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-05142015-0037.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 51-05142015-0037View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Body & structure
Filed Aug 10, 2022

A structural design failure has occurred on the short wall on the slide out side of the model 179 camper. The support installation at the time of manufacturer is insufficient. The company has offered to send additional supports for the owner to install. This is of no help once the failure has occurred. The company is aware of the problem and design failure and have discontinued this model. I have included photos of the damage caused both inside and out.

NHTSA ID
11478641
Incident
Mar 1, 2022
Filed Dec 21, 2020

THE STRAP THAT HOLDS THE SEWER DRAIN PIPE BROKE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED FOR MODEL YEARS 2018 THROUGH 2020. I BELIEVE THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED. LUCKILY FOR ME, THIS HAPPENED CLOSE TO HOME SO IT DID NOT CAUSE DRAIN PIPE DAMAGE AND I WAS ABLE TO GET A TEMPORARY FIX TO MAKE IT THE REST OF THE WAY HOME.

NHTSA ID
11384455
Incident
Nov 7, 2020
Tires & wheels
Filed Jul 26, 2016

UNEXPECTED TIRE FAILURE; BLOWOUT OCCURRED THROUGH THE TREAD OF THE TIRE, INSTEAD OF SIDEWALL; SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE, INCLUDING A LOST FENDER, BENT FRAMING, AND LOSS OF FLOORING MATERIAL. FENDER HAS BEEN REPLACED, FRAMING AND FLOORING MATERIAL HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE BRAND NAME OF TIRE IS NOT LISTED AS AN OPTION WITHIN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE (CASTLE ROCK ST). THESE TIRES WHICH WERE PURCHASED ON THE 2016 FORESTRIVER SALEM HEMISHPHERE LITE HAVE BEEN REPLACED DUE TO ALARMING REVIEWS, BEING REFERRED TO AS "CHINABOMBS", AND THE MANUFACTURING DATE BEING WITHIN THE LAST MONTHS OF 2014. WEIGHT RATINGS AND SPEED RATING BARELY MEET THE DOT STANDARD FOR THE GVWR OF 14, 020LBS. THE MANUFACTURE FOR "CASTLE ROCK ST" CAN NOT BE LOCATED ON THE INTERNET ONLY WHOLESALE DEALERS.

NHTSA ID
10888820
Incident
Jun 29, 2016
Mileage
1,500 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

800854

EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

The manufacturing plant installed the winterization valve on the pressure side (vehicle side) of the water pump. The winterization valve should have been connected to the intake/suction side of the water pump. If the waterlines and water using components are not appropriately winterized from freezing, the components and waterlines may crack, break, etc. potentially voiding the component manufactures warranty.

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 R-Pod by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027010—
2026010—
2025040—
2024120—
2023010—
2022330—
2021800—
2020830—
2019920—
20181010—
2017300—
2016Viewing310—
2015300—
2012100—
2011310—
2010110—
2009010—

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.