2021 Forest River Salem 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 2021 Forest River Salem, 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 & structure133.3%
- Other / unspecified133.3%
- 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.
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
The contact owns a 2021 Forest River Salem. The contact stated while stationary, the bolts attaching the front live-in slide to the body fractured, resulting in the slide detaching from the body. The trailer was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000. The consumer provided photos of the trailer.
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
The contact owns a 2021 Forest River Salem. The contact stated that the strap hooks in the trailer were screwed to the floor but not the frame; therefore, no items of substantial weight were able be strapped in the trailer which would be used for hauling large items. The contact also stated that the hooks were advertised to hold up to 2300 pounds which he deemed impossible, since the hooks were not strapped to the trailer's frame. The contact had called the manufacturer on numerous occasions and sent several emails; however, the contact had yet to receive a response. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The contact had not experienced a failure.
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
* On the way back home from the dealer in PA for a water-tank recall service, the right leaf spring on the trailer broke on the highway and caused the trailer on fire. The less than 3-years old trailer was totaled. Police and I took photos of the damaged trailer and spring. I also kept the broken spring for inspection. * It could be a FATAL incident. We were luckily stopped for gas otherwise the fire could be breaking out when we were driving on highway! * The spring was permanently broken and was confirmed by the police and towing/service center. * The trailer was inspected by police/fire department and Rossnagle's Service Center (police called). * There were NOT any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. We didn't feel any abnormal behavior of the trailer until we stopped for gas when we saw the smoke start to come out. I don't know how long the trailer body had been sit in the moving tire before the fire started.
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 .