2015 Forest River Forester

Defect. Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Forester motorhomes manufactured June 10, 2014, to May 25, 2016, Sunseeker motorhomes manufactured April 4, 2014, to May 25, 2016, 2015-2016 Solera motorhomes manufactured February 28, 2014, to September 17, 2015, and 2016 Isata motorhomes manufactured October 30, 2015, to May 26, 2016. Water may leak into the electrical module that controls the vehicle taillights, brake lights, turn signal lights, clearance lights and marker lights, making the lights inoperative. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Risk. If the rear brake lights fail to illuminate, following motorists may not realize that the vehicle in front of them is stopping. Inoperative taillights, clearance lights and marker lights will make the vehicle less visible to others. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles, free of charge. An interim notice was sent to owners on August 16, 2016. The recall began on December 8, 2016. Forester, Solera, and Sunseeker owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Isata customers should call 1-574-262-3474. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-06012016-0206.

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER TO THE ENGINE. ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. FUSE 46 IN THE BATTERY JUNCTION BOX WAS BLOWN. CAUSE WAS DURING COACH BUILD AND FRAME EXTENSION, WIRE IN TAPE OUT TO CANISTER VENT SOLENOID CONNECTION CHAFED AGAINST THE EDGE OF THE FRAME RAIL WEARING THROUGH INSULATION CAUSING SHORT TO GROUND AND OPEN FUSE. THIS FUSE CONTROLS COMMUNICATIONS TO THE PCM SO THE SHORT CAUSE THE ENGINE TO COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN. THE DAY PRIOR WE WERE TRAVELING ON NARROW, WINDING AND CHALLENGING ROAD CONDITIONS WITH NO SHOULDER SPACE--HAD IT FAILED THEN, THE OUTCOME WOULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER.

NHTSA RECALL: 16V465 THE REAR LIGHTS WE OUT IN DECEMBER 2016, INDOOR OUTDOOR RV REPLACED THE REAR LIGHTING MODULE. LATER IN DECEMBER THE SAFETY RECALL CAME OUT ON THIS LIGHTING MODULE. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE STILL NOT AVAILABLE. WE WAITED OVER YEAR FOR THESE PARTS AT THE INDOOR OUTDOOR RV DEALER IN LEWISVILLE TEXAS.

I WAS DRIVING AT TEXAS HIGHWAY SPEEDS (85MPH) WHEN I HEARD A SNAP. MY PASSENGER TOLD ME THAT THE WINDSHIELD ON HER SIDE HAD JUST CRACKED. THERE WAS NO CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND I DID NOT NOTICE ANY IMPACTS PRIOR TO THE WINDSHIELD CRACKING. I STOPPED AT A GAS STATION TO TAKE THE ATTACHED PICTURES. LATER, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A CHIP IN THE WINDSHIELD RIGHT UNDER THE PASSENGERS WINDSHIELD WIPER WHERE THE BLADE INTERSECTS THE WINDSHIELD HEATER. THERE IS NO WAY A ROCK COULD HAVE HIT THE WINDSHIELD IN THAT SPOT AS IT WAS COVERED BY THE WIPER BLADE AND THE CRACK IS EXACTLY AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE BLADE AND HEATER ELEMENT. I BELIEVE THE CRACK TO BE DUE TO THERMAL STRESS INDUCED BY THE WINDSHIELD WIPER HEATERS AND WIND PRESSURE FROM DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SUBARU INSPECTED THE WINDSHIELD BUT REFUSED TO REPLACE IT BECAUSE OF THE SMALL CHIP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FOREST RIVER FORESTER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V465000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,575.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FOREST RIVER FORESTER CLASS A MOTOR HOME. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE DOORS FAILED TO REMAIN CLOSED AND THE STEPS WOULD FALL OUT. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE LOCKS WERE REPLACED THREE TIMES; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

RV STARTED TRIPPING INSIDE BREAKER. UPON INSPECTION THE NEUTRAL WIRE GOING INTO THE GENERATOR TRANSFER BOX WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER THE BED WAS FOUND TO BE BURNT THRU THE INSULATOR AND INTO THE HOT LEAD WHICH CREATED A DIRECT SHORT. THIS IS THE MAIN WIRE FROM THE OUTSIDE SOURCE GOING DIRECTLY INTO THE RV. PROBLEM IS WITH THE TWIST CONNECTORS USED TO CONNECT SINGLE STRAND ELECTRIC WIRE TO MULTI STRAND WIRE. UPON INSPECTION OF OTHER WIRES INSIDE THE BOX USING THE SAME SINGLE STRAND WIRE TO MULTI STRAND WIRE AND TWIST CONNECTOR LOOSE CONNECTIONS OR POOR CONNECTIONS WERE FOUND WHICH CAUSES WIRES TO HEAT UP AND CATCH FIRE. THE BURNT WIRES AND CONNECTORS AND PICTURES ARE IN MY POSSESSION IF NEEDED. THE RV WAS NOT RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION DUE TO THE SIX WEEK WAITING PERIOD, SEPTEMBER 13TH, BEFORE IT COULD BE EVEN LOOKED AT AND INSPECTED.