RoadVitals

2022 Forest River Salem

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.
12
+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.
7
Latest Oct 10, 2025
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 12 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2022 Forest River Salem, most frequently naming the other / unspecified, body & structure and electrical categories. 7 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 6 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

  • Other / unspecified743.8%
  • Body & structure318.8%
  • Electrical318.8%
  • Tires & wheels212.5%
  • Suspension16.3%

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

7 campaigns cover this model year

View all 7

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
25V682000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

Oct 10, 2025
20,305 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Forest River Aurora, Coachmen Catalina, 2026 Coachmen Viking, Coachmen Clipper, 2016-2026 Wildwood, and Salem recreational trailers. The distribution panel wire may be connected to the battery without over current protection.
The risk: Unprotected wiring can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy: Dealers will relocate the distribution panel wire to the correct side of the breaker, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2025. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-4995. Forest River's number for this recall is 205-1987.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 51-1987View on NHTSA.gov
22V729000

EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER:PLUMBING:POTABLE WATER:STORAGE TANK

Sep 30, 2022
5,168 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Salem, Wildwood, and Ozark travel trailers. The fresh water tank may dislodge from the vehicle and fall to the ground when full or overfilled.
The risk: A tank falling to the ground while in transit can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect the fresh water tank for straps. and install straps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2022. Owners may contact at Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 72-1559.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 72-1559View on NHTSA.gov
22V562000

EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER; STRUCTURE:BODY

Aug 2, 2022
609 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Salem and Wildwood fifth wheel travel trailers. The awning rail may not be attached to a backer in the sidewall, which can allow the awning to detach while the vehicle is in motion.
The risk: An awning that detaches increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect for backers and reattach the awning if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 69-1538.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 69-1538View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

View all 12
Electrical
Filed Jul 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Forest River Salem RV. The contact stated that shortly after purchasing the vehicle, the power cord connecting the RV to the shore power outlet only powered a selected number of items, including the microwave. The contact stated that the battery system was unable to maintain power to the refrigerator or the freezer. Additionally, while attempting to disconnect or turn off the battery power to the refrigerator, the television shut off, despite being on a separate circuit. Upon further inspection, the contact discovered that the labels and markings on the fuse box were incorrect. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA ID
11750857
Incident
Jul 1, 2026
Body & structureElectrical
Filed Mar 29, 2026

I am filing a safety complaint regarding a 2022 Forest River Salem Cruise Lite travel trailer, purchased July 21, 2022. At the time of sale, the unit had an open federal safety recall (NHTSA Recall 22V-243) involving a fire/explosion hazard. The recall was not remedied prior to sale. The vehicle was presented for service multiple times, and the recall was not identified or addressed until May 2025. At that time, the manufacturer directed that the recall repair be completed; however, the issue has not been resolved. The manufacturer’s owner portal continues to show the recall as open, despite NHTSA’s system not showing an unrepaired recall for this VIN. The vehicle has been out of service for an extended period and is currently unusable. Request: Investigation into failure to remedy a safety recall within a reasonable time, potential reporting discrepancies regarding recall status, and the sale of a vehicle with an open safety recall.

NHTSA ID
11727803
Incident
May 13, 2025
Tires & wheels
Filed Oct 6, 2023

Tire size: 225/75/R15 We were getting on the highway, but didn't even make it off of the on ramp after having just visually inspecting and checking the tire pressure prior. On the way to where we were leaving we actually had another one of these castle rock tires blow out, so we were planning to stop and get four new tires as there was obviously even less milage on the castle rocks when the first blow out occurred, but didn't we make it that far. Both blow outs caused considerable damage to the unit and there was no apparent cause for them happening.

NHTSA ID
11548559
Incident
Jun 30, 2023
Body & structureOther / unspecifiedSuspension
Filed Aug 17, 2023

Front window just cracked like a flaw in the manufacture process nothing struck it. Axles are really close together like one maybe put on backwards. I have photos but won’t let me upload

NHTSA ID
11539170
Incident
May 1, 2023
Tires & wheels
Filed Mar 27, 2023

225/75/15

NHTSA ID
11514113
Incident
Mar 26, 2023
Filed Dec 27, 2022

The fresh water and waste water holding tanks are not sufficiently supported in the trailer. We have had the black water tank replaced by the dealer because it shifted and fell out of the supports. The fresh water tank is now also showing signs of "sagging" where is should be supported. When inspecting the issue, it was noted that the tanks are only held in place by two support rails running between the main frame, much like a ladder rack or bed frame. The tanks are inserts between these rails and supported by a 2 inch lip on either side of the tank with no central support across the 7 foot span of the tank. This leaves a significant portion of the tank unsupported and subject to bouncing or shifting under normal travel down the highway. The tanks are designed to hold 30 gallons of water in this manner. Forest River has acknowledged that there was a safety recall for this issue on previous year's models but has denied any issue with my particular model year. They have advised that I should simply run a support between the front and back support bars to lift the center of the tank, as this is what they did with the recall previously.

NHTSA ID
11499039
Incident
Dec 20, 2022
Other / unspecified
Filed Nov 21, 2022

FOREST RIVER SALEM LITE. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CANOPY COVER DOES NOT COVER THE STEPS.

NHTSA ID
11494403
Incident
Nov 21, 2022
Other / unspecified
Filed Oct 31, 2022

The contact owns a 2022 Forest River Salem Laminated Towables Trailer equipped with a Furrion oven, Model Number: F1S17L03A-BL. The contact stated that the stove was leaking gas and failed to ignite as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the regulator control valve was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.

NHTSA ID
11491615
Incident
Oct 31, 2022

Manufacturer communications

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

061843

Reference document in the event a dealer needs to inspect an "in wall slide mechanism".

691708

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Fridge mini-breaker location.

511680

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:REFRIGERATOR

According to a Furrion TSB "TB-220919": Irregular cooling performance has been reported on the identified refrigerators. The refrigerator compressor has been found to stop working and requires a “hard reset” by disconnecting power to reset cooling operation. On occasion, disconnecting power does not reset operation and the refrigerator requires service replacement of the control boards. This TSB may not be applicable for some vehicles.

511599

EQUIPMENT

The "CASA GREY" stiles' paper face may peel from the cabinet stile.

511597

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

General Thermostat wiring trouble shooting guides.

511435

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Generic instructions for Xantrex - Freedom X Inverter Configuration "Adjusting Feature Settings in Configuration Model".

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 Salem by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027010—
2026060—
2025480—
20244100—
2023250—
2022Viewing1270—
20214100—
20201270—
20195110—
2018690—
2017590—
2016980—
2015850—
2014140—
2013220—
2012310—
2011230—
2010120—
2009010—
2008330—
2007020—
2006020—
2005020—
2004330—
2003830—
2002110—
2001210—
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.