RoadVitals

2018 Forest River Vibe

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 Jul 29, 2022
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.
2
Latest Aug 21, 2018
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.
1

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Forest River Vibe, most frequently naming the body & structure, suspension and tires & wheels categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 1 manufacturer communication is 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 & structure133.3%
  • Suspension133.3%
  • Tires & wheels133.3%

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

2 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
18V550000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

Aug 21, 2018
5,847 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Forest River Salem, Wildcat Maxx, Wildwood, Vibe, and Rainier recreational trailers. The break-away safety switch may not have been wired to a constant power source, and, as a result, the switch may be inadvertently disconnected from the trailer house battery causing the brakes to not engage if the trailer detaches from the tow vehicle.
The risk: If the trailer brakes cannot engage if the trailer detaches from tow vehicle, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a new wiring harness to reroute the wiring, free of charge. The recall began September 25, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-503-831-5410. Forest River's number for this recall is 22/30-0824.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 22/30-0824View on NHTSA.gov
17V573000

EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER:LPG SYSTEMS

Sep 15, 2017
1,725 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Vibe, and 2016-2018 Rainier recreational trailers. The liquid propane (LP) line may have insufficient clearance above the axle shackle.
The risk: Without adequate clearance, the LP line may be damaged, resulting in a propane leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will replace the LP line with a longer one, routing it away from the axle hangers, free of charge. The recall began October 10, 2017. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-541-644-8063. Forest River's number for this recall is 64-0516.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 64-0516View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Body & structureTires & wheels
Filed Jul 29, 2022

The contact owns a 2018 Forest River Vibe equipped with Castle Rock Tires, Tire Line: Radial ST226, Tire Size: 225/75/R15, DOT Number: JULT1MT. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, she heard a loud abnormal sound coming from underneath the RV. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact noticed that the rear passenger's side tire was flat. The failure mileage was 9,000. The contact replaced the tire with a spare tire. The contact drove to a RV camp and parked the vehicle. The contact purchased two new tires and replaced both rear tires. The contact then mounted the spare tire on the RV. Additionally, the contact stated while driving to her residence two miles away, the RV was shuddering. The RV was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the tread belts had snapped on the front passenger's side tire. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000. Upon releasing the tire, the tire caved in. The tire was replaced. The contact also stated that the spare tire that had been mounted on the RV exploded while driving. However, the contact had only driven 20 miles with the spare tire prior to mounting it on the RV. The contact stated that the tire failure damaged the under carriage of the RV and created a hole underneath. The failure also damaged the drain pipes. The RV was repaired. There was no further information provided. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The RV failure mileage was 9,000. The tire failure mileage was 9,000.

NHTSA ID
11476566
Incident
Jun 29, 2021
Mileage
9,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Dec 4, 2019
Fire reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FOREST RIVER VIBE. WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT AND HER HUSBAND WERE ALERTED BY ANOTHER MOTORIST THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THEIR VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND PULLED THE TRAILER OVER AND DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AXLE WAS IN FLAMES. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH WATER. HOWEVER, AS THEY BEGAN TO PULL OFF THE EXIT, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT LINKED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V624000 (SUSPENSION) WITH THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED TO CALL FOREST RIVER. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *DT*JB *JS

NHTSA ID
11286944
Incident
Nov 11, 2019

Manufacturer communications

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

510780

EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

Per the service bulletin from Dometic ?Dometic Corporation has identified a visual cosmetic defect that has occurred on our Dometic DM2652 refrigerators up in the freezer compartment. This does NOT occur on all units, but may be present on units with serial numbers starting with MB between 805xxxxx and 820XXXXX. The visual cosmetic defect in no way affects the performance, operation, safety, or function of the refrigerator and does not represent a non-compliance issue to one or more of the FMVSS standards or result in a risk of personal injury, death, vehicle crash, or property damage.?

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 Vibe by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2025010—
2024010—
2023000—
2022030—
2021120—
2020320—
2019520—
2018Viewing220—
2017240—
2016540—
2015220—
2014010—

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.