RoadVitals

2017 Forest River Surveyor

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 Sep 30, 2019
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.
3
Latest Oct 18, 2016
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 2017 Forest River Surveyor, most frequently naming the body & structure and suspension categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year.

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%
  • Suspension150.0%

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

3 campaigns cover this model year

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
16V751000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Oct 18, 2016
149 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Surveyor recreational vehicles, model ORSVT247BHDS, manufactured August 10, 2016, to September 13, 2016. The Federal Placard installed on the vehicles indicate an incorrect tire and rim combination. The Federal Placard states that the trailer is equipped with ST225/75R15D tires with 65 PSI and a rim designation of 15X6.0JJ, when actually they have ST205/75R14C tires with 50 PSI and a rim designation of 14X5.5JJ. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The risk: The operator may over-inflate the tire based on the information printed on the Federal Placard. Overinflating a tire may lead to pre-mature tire degradation, a tire blowout, or reduced handling, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners and dealers and will provide a corrected Federal Placard, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2016. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-642-3119 extension 205. Forest River's number for this recall is 37-10132016-0256.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 37-10132016-0256View on NHTSA.gov
16V655000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS; TIRES

Sep 13, 2016
39 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2017 Surveyor recreational trailers, model SVT226RLDS, manufactured October 9, 2015, to March 16, 2016. These vehicles may be equipped with tires and rims that do not match the information listed on the Federal Placard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The risk: The operator may over-inflate the tires based on the information printed on the Federal Placard, possibly resulting in sudden tire failure, causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners will provide them with a corrected Federal Placard, free of charge. The recall began on September 30, 2016. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-642-3119 extension 205. Forest River's number for this recall is 37-09082016-0242.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 37-09082016-0242View on NHTSA.gov
16V547000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Jul 22, 2016
72 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Surveyor recreational trailers, model SVT226RLDS, manufactured October 9, 2015, to June 9, 2016. The affected vehicles have a Federal Placard that incorrectly classifies the vehicle as a school bus. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
The risk: If the vehicle is misclassified on the label, it can cause the vehicle to be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will replace the incorrect Federal Placard with a corrected placard, free of charge. The recall began on September 12, 2016. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-800-348-7440. Forest River's number for this recall is 37-07142016-0224.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 37-07142016-0224View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Body & structure
Filed Sep 30, 2019

THE SPRING HANGERS SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME. IT LOOKS LIKE THE FRAME RUSTED OR WAS NOT BUILT STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE LOAD. THERE ARE HOLES IN THE FRAME. THE FRAME IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD. I DON'T KNOW THE DATE IT HAPPENED, BUT NOTICED MY TIRES SIGNIFICANTLY WEARING ON THE OUTSIDE. I WENT TO CHANGE THE TIRE AND SAW THE SPRING HANGER HAD SEPARATED. I WAS 200 MILES FROM HOME AT HICKORY RUN STATE PARK WHEN I NOTICED THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO FIND A MOBILE WELDER TO DO A TEMP FIX AND THEN TOW TO A SHOP FOR A MORE PERMANENT FIX, INCLUDING ADDING (WELDING) A STRONG STEEL PIECE TO THE FACTORY I BEAM FRAME,

NHTSA ID
11258970
Incident
Sep 12, 2019
Mileage
8,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Nov 26, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 FOREST RIVER SURVEYOR, MODEL: 247-BHDS BEING TOWED BY A 2011 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPRING HANGERS FRACTURED FROM THE FRAME OF THE RV, WHICH AFFECTED THE SUSPENSION OF THE TRAVEL TRAILER. THE DEALER (DREAM CHASERS RV OF BURLINGTON, 1946 PARK LN, BURLINGTON, WA 98233, 360-755-3218) INDICATED THAT THE TRAVEL TRAILER WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND DID NOT PROVIDE ANY GUIDELINES FROM THE MANUFACTURER OR THE FRAME DESIGNER, LIPPERT. THE TRAVEL TRAILER WAS TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED WELDING FACILITY THAT REPLACED THE LEAF SPRINGS AND SPRING HANGERS. THE WELDERS STATED THAT THEY HAD TO REDESIGN THE SUSPENSION OF THE TRAILER WITH A REINFORCEMENT FRAME DUE TO THE FRAME NOT BEING PROPERLY INSTALLED FROM THE FACTORY. THE TRAVEL TRAILER WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST.

NHTSA ID
11153942
Incident
Aug 16, 2018

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Forest River Surveyor by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027010—
2024000—
2023000—
2022020—
2021110—
2020440—
2019410—
2018450—
2017Viewing230—
2016060—
2015210—
2014110—
2013120—
2012120—
2011020—
2010010—
2006010—
2005010—
2004210—
2003020—
2002010—
2001010—
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.