RoadVitals

2023 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.
2
Latest May 14, 2024
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.
5
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 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2023 Forest River Salem, most frequently naming the body & structure and other / unspecified categories. 5 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 7 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

  • Body & structure150.0%
  • Other / unspecified150.0%

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

5 campaigns cover this model year

View all 5

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
24V066000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Feb 2, 2024
107 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Salem and Wildwood fifth wheel travel trailers. The Federal Placard may have incorrect tire size information. As such, these trailers fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 120, "Wheels and Rims - Other Than Passenger Cars."
The risk: Incorrect tire size information could result in the wrong tires being installed on the trailer, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will mail new federal placards, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 69-1731.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 69-1731View on NHTSA.gov
23V359000

EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER:LPG SYSTEMS:FURNACE

May 19, 2023
6 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2023 Salem, and Wildwood Travel Trailers. The brass fitting connected to the furnace pipe may have been manufactured without thread sealant.
The risk: Missing thread sealant can cause a propane gas leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect the brass elbow and apply thread sealant as necessary, free of charge. All affected trailers are still within dealer inventory and therefore no owner notification letters will be mailed. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 69-1642.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 69-1642View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Body & structure
Filed May 14, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 35–65 MPH and towing a 2023 Forest River Salem Cruise Lite, the roof on the RV caved in. There was mold detected on the inner walls. The RV was swaying from left to right. The contact stated that the foundation had separated. The active air dam warning light was illuminated. The RV was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was structural damage and that the ceiling panels needed to be replaced. The RV was repaired, and the dealer recommended sending the RV to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID
11588632
Incident
Jan 19, 2024
Other / unspecified
Filed Jul 6, 2023

Only one day old, 3000 series Solera Lippert (serial number2021125707-RA ) awning material tore away from camper and support arms fell down. Awning was glued to light bar and did not have any other support. The power arms fell within range of hitting a person if they were there at the time. No one was injured in our case but very dangerous none the less.

NHTSA ID
11530735
Incident
Jul 1, 2023

Manufacturer communications

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

511950

This is a product service bulletin from Global Link concerning counterfeit keys for entry doors being sold on certain websites. Forest River is reporting as we are sharing with the dealer body.

511775

This is a generic document used as an aid to help dealers diagnose the slide height adjustment.

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.

061633

EQUIPMENT; STRUCTURE

The slide floor and exterior walls may not be sealed.

691612

STRUCTURE

Certain Salem and Wildwood floorplans may have decking that had gotten wet and after install. It froze and caused ice to form in the fibers and may lead to a crunching/cracking sound when walking on it. This document is to help a dealer repair or replace the concern.

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—
2023Viewing250—
20221270—
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.