2003 Forest River Sunseeker 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 2003 Forest River Sunseeker, 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
- Fuel system240.0%
- Driver assistance120.0%
- Electrical120.0%
- Engine120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE FUELING, GASOLINE STARTED TO LEAK FROM THE AREA ABOVE THE SEWER TANK. THE GASOLINE RAN OVER THE TANK AND ONTO THE FUELING DOCK. FUELING WAS STOPPED WITH THE TANK ABOUT 1/2 FULL. THE LEAK STOPPED SHORTLY AFTER FUELING STOPPED. NO LEAK WAS DETECTED FROM THE AREA AROUND THE FUEL TANK. THIS PROBLEM IS SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEM REPORTED IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER 926943, SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 10463500 REPORTED JUN 28, 2012.
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FILL RV WITH UNLEADED GASOLINE, THE GAS LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND AND CAUSED A SPILL OF APPROXIMATELY 2 GALLONS OF GAS. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE TOOK THE MOTORHOME TO A MECHANIC AND HE DISCOVERED THAT THE FILTER HOSE LEAKED GAS FROM HOLES IN IT. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. HE HAS NEVER SEEN A LEAK LIKE THIS ONE, EVEN ON 40-50 YEAR OLD VEHICLES. THE MECHANIC WAS NOT ABLE TO REPAIR, BECAUSE A HOLDING TANK MUST BE REMOVED TO ACCESS THE HOSE AND THE REPAIR WAS TOO EXTENSIVE FOR MY FAMILY WHILE TRAVELING. THE MECHANIC DROVE THE RV TO A GAS STATION AND FILLED IT WITH GAS, SO WE COULD TRAVEL HOME, APPROXIMATELY 140 MILES. THE MECHANIC ASSURED ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE, BECAUSE THE EXHAUST WAS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE GAS WOULD NOT LEAK AFTER IT REACHED THE FUEL TANK. I WILL FIND A LOCAL MECHANIC OR RV REPAIR SHOP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND REPLACE THE FUEL HOSE. THE MECHANIC ESTIMATED THAT THE NEW HOSE WOULD COST ABOUT $30.00, BUT REMOVING THE HOLDING TANK TO ACCESS THE HOSE WOULD REQUIRE EXTENSIVE MAINTENANCE. THE MECHANIC CHARGED $108.00 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. IF THE MANUFACTURER HADN'T ROUTED THE HOSE BEHIND THE TANK, THE MECHANIC WOULD HAVE REPAIRED IT IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WE HAVE OWNED THIS MOTORHOME SINCE WE BOUGHT IT, OVER THE YEARS RANDOMLY THE THE ENGINE WOULD JUST SHUT OFF. WE COULD BE GOING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CHECK SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON WITH A RED BATTERY LIGHT AND ENGINE SHUTS OF. WE COULD BE GOING 35 AND IT HAPPENS. WE CAN DRIVE FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES AND NOTHING HAPPENS AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. WE HAVE HAD BATTERY CHECK AND EVEN REPLACED, WE HAVE HAD THE ALTERNATOR CHECK AND EVEN WIRES AND CABLES. RECENTLY IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE. ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 65 MPH AND THEN AGAIN ON A BACK ROAD WHILE CAMPING. VERY DANGEROUS, IF WE ARE PULLING A CAR OR OUR BOAT THE DANGER IS GREATER. NO ONE SEAMS TO HAVE A ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THINKING THIS IS PART OF THE GCM IGNITION PROBLEM. OUR MOTOR HOME IS A CLASS "C" WITH THE GMC TRUCK FRONT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
WE HAVE OWNED THIS MOTORHOME SINCE WE BOUGHT IT, OVER THE YEARS RANDOMLY THE THE ENGINE WOULD JUST SHUT OFF. WE COULD BE GOING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CHECK SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON WITH A RED BATTERY LIGHT AND ENGINE SHUTS OF. WE COULD BE GOING 35 AND IT HAPPENS. WE CAN DRIVE FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES AND NOTHING HAPPENS AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. WE HAVE HAD BATTERY CHECK AND EVEN REPLACED, WE HAVE HAD THE ALTERNATOR CHECK AND EVEN WIRES AND CABLES. RECENTLY IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE. ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 65 MPH AND THEN AGAIN ON A BACK ROAD WHILE CAMPING. VERY DANGEROUS, IF WE ARE PULLING A CAR OR OUR BOAT THE DANGER IS GREATER. NO ONE SEAMS TO HAVE A ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THINKING THIS IS PART OF THE GCM IGNITION PROBLEM. OUR MOTOR HOME IS A CLASS "C" WITH THE GMC TRUCK FRONT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
WE HAVE OWNED THIS MOTORHOME SINCE WE BOUGHT IT, OVER THE YEARS RANDOMLY THE THE ENGINE WOULD JUST SHUT OFF. WE COULD BE GOING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CHECK SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON WITH A RED BATTERY LIGHT AND ENGINE SHUTS OF. WE COULD BE GOING 35 AND IT HAPPENS. WE CAN DRIVE FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES AND NOTHING HAPPENS AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. WE HAVE HAD BATTERY CHECK AND EVEN REPLACED, WE HAVE HAD THE ALTERNATOR CHECK AND EVEN WIRES AND CABLES. RECENTLY IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE. ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 65 MPH AND THEN AGAIN ON A BACK ROAD WHILE CAMPING. VERY DANGEROUS, IF WE ARE PULLING A CAR OR OUR BOAT THE DANGER IS GREATER. NO ONE SEAMS TO HAVE A ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THINKING THIS IS PART OF THE GCM IGNITION PROBLEM. OUR MOTOR HOME IS A CLASS "C" WITH THE GMC TRUCK FRONT. *TR
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 .