2017 Forest River Rockwood 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 2017 Forest River Rockwood, 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
- Body & structure222.2%
- Other / unspecified222.2%
- Suspension222.2%
- Tires & wheels222.2%
- Brakes111.1%
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
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 FOREST RIVER ROCKWOOD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER METAL BRACKETS WERE BENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE WATER TANK MAY FALL OFF THE TRAILER. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. A FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED. *DT*DT *TR
SLIDE OUT MECHANISM IN RIGHT REAR WHEEL PASSENGER SIDE IS INSTALLED/BUILT/DESIGNED SO THAT PART OF IT'S MECHANISM MADE OF 1/4" STEEL STICKS INTO THE TIRE OF THE VEHICLE. IT HAS CUT INTO THE TIRE AS SEEN IN PHOTOS (ATTACHED) THE TIRE HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED HOWEVER IT CONTINUALLY BEING CUT/DAMAGED BY THIS METAL. THIS TRAVEL TRAILER CANNOT BE USED UNDER IT CURRENT CONDITION DUE TO POTENTIAL DANGER INVOLVED, NOT TO MENTION RUINING AN OTHERWISE NEW TIRE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THIS. I BELIEVE, HAD I NOT NOTICED THIS, CATASTROPHIC FAILURE UNDER USE COULD CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE TRAVELING HOME FROM CAMPING ON I-4, THE LEFT REAR TRAILER TIRE BLEW. AFTER SAFELY GETTING TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, I DISCOVERED THE RIGHT SIDE TIRE WAS ALSO BLOWN ON THE SAME AXLE. I HAD TO PUT TWO NEW TIRES ON MY CAMPER. WHILE DRIVING TO THE TIRE STORE TO REPLACE THE FRONT TWO TIRES, A THIRD TIRE ON THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE BLEW. THE TIRES IN QUESTION ARE CASTLE ROCK ( MADE IN CHINA ) ST225/75R15 LOAD RANGE D-DOT JULT IMT 0216. I HAD EXACTLY 65 PSI IN THOSE TIRES PRIOR TO GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY.
SLIDE OUT MECHANISM IN RIGHT REAR WHEEL PASSENGER SIDE IS INSTALLED/BUILT/DESIGNED SO THAT PART OF IT'S MECHANISM MADE OF 1/4" STEEL STICKS INTO THE TIRE OF THE VEHICLE. IT HAS CUT INTO THE TIRE AS SEEN IN PHOTOS (ATTACHED) THE TIRE HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED HOWEVER IT CONTINUALLY BEING CUT/DAMAGED BY THIS METAL. THIS TRAVEL TRAILER CANNOT BE USED UNDER IT CURRENT CONDITION DUE TO POTENTIAL DANGER INVOLVED, NOT TO MENTION RUINING AN OTHERWISE NEW TIRE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THIS. I BELIEVE, HAD I NOT NOTICED THIS, CATASTROPHIC FAILURE UNDER USE COULD CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
All four locations on my vehicle have FAILED Maryland State Inspection because the weld point between the axle and the mounting bracket have BROKEN. There is no justification for Dexter Axle to sell products with such potentially serious manufacturing defects.
SLIDE OUT MECHANISM IN RIGHT REAR WHEEL PASSENGER SIDE IS INSTALLED/BUILT/DESIGNED SO THAT PART OF IT'S MECHANISM MADE OF 1/4" STEEL STICKS INTO THE TIRE OF THE VEHICLE. IT HAS CUT INTO THE TIRE AS SEEN IN PHOTOS (ATTACHED) THE TIRE HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED HOWEVER IT CONTINUALLY BEING CUT/DAMAGED BY THIS METAL. THIS TRAVEL TRAILER CANNOT BE USED UNDER IT CURRENT CONDITION DUE TO POTENTIAL DANGER INVOLVED, NOT TO MENTION RUINING AN OTHERWISE NEW TIRE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THIS. I BELIEVE, HAD I NOT NOTICED THIS, CATASTROPHIC FAILURE UNDER USE COULD CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2017 Forest River Rockwood RV equipped with Castle Rock Tires, Tire Line: Radial ST226, Tire Size: 225/75/R15, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the front and rear driver's side tires experienced blowouts. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The tires were replaced with a spare tire and a replacement tire. The tires were original tires. Additionally, the contact stated while driving to the residence, the rear passenger's side tire experienced a blowout. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and noticed that the front passenger's side tire was also damaged. The contact's husband was in the process of purchasing two replacement tires from the tire shop. The front and rear passenger's side tires were not replaced. The tires were original tires. The manufacturer was not contacted. The RV failure mileage was approximately 2,500. The tires failure mileage was approximately 2,500.
Despite never being used, and always stored with a tire cover and proper inflation, this ~4 year old spare tire spontaneously developed a tread bulge. The bulge decreased in size, but still remained visible, after deflation and removal from the wheel. An air bubble exists between the inner liner and the casing.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
A SPRING IN THE DEXTER ELECTRIC BRAKE ASSEMBLY FAILED, CAUSING BRAKE COMPONENTS TO FALL INTO THE BRAKE DRUM WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THIS LED TO BRAKE FAILURE, COMPONENT DESTRUCTION, AND OVERHEATING OF THE WHEEL. BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED ON A TRAILER, WE DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL WE REACHED OUR DESTINATION. WE HAD PUT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 MILES ON THIS NEW VEHICLE WHEN IT HAPPENED. (THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR REPORTS ON VARIOUS RV OWNER INTERNET DISCUSSION GROUPS.)
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 .