- The problem
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2016 Forest River Forester, 2014-2016 Forest River Sunseeker and Coachmen Leprechaun, 2014 Coachmen Concord, and 2014-2017 Coachmen Freelander vehicles, built on Chevrolet chassis and equipped with power windows. Liquid may leak into the driver's power window switch and cause corrosion, resulting in high electrical resistance.
- The risk
- High electrical resistance can increase the risk of a fire.
- The fix
- Forest River has notified owners, and Chevrolet dealers will replace the driver side window switch, free of charge. The recall began July 24, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Forest River Forester and Sunseeker at 1-574-206-7600, Coachmen Concord, Freelander, and Leprechaun customer service at 1-574-825-8602. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-0781.
Vehicle safety record
2016 Forest River Forester Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 7 complaints about the 2016 Forest River Forester with NHTSA, most often about the body, doors & structure (3) and the brakes (2). It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in July 2018 for the power window devices and controls. For comparison, the 2015 has 0 and the 2017 has 0.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Forester year, for its age
#230 most complained-about 2016 vehicle
- Complaints
- 7
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2016 Forest River Forester problems
Share of all 7 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2016 Forest River Forester recalls 3
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- 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."
- The 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.
- The fix
- 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.
- The problem
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Forester and Sunseeker recreational vehicles manufactured from February 29, 2016, through April 20, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with a shower door that may not meet the flammability standards. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 302, "Flammability of Interior Materials."
- The risk
- Failure to meet the flammability standard of FMVSS 302 could enhance the spread of a flame in the event of a fire, increasing the risk serious injury.
- The fix
- Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shower doors, free of charge. The recall began on July 11, 2016. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 34-05052016-0184.
What owners say
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7 complaints about the 2016 Forest River Forester
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
The Maxxair fan is a component that sits on the roof of the RV. Looking at the install instructions, the unit is installed by attaching the flange to the roof. What failed was that the 'top' portion of the fan, where the motor and and the cover attachments are, flew off at speed, on the highway. Fortunately, I pulled over right away, and found the unit still attached by the power wires. The safety issue would be if a 15"x15"x8" unit weighing about 20 lbs went airborne in traffic, causing an incident for...
Read the full complaint
whoever was behind the RV where this happened. IMHO this is a manufacturing defect by Maxxair. These 4 screws should never have worked out, causing the issue. These fans are commonly installed by most major RV mfgrs. We're OK. We have to replace the fan. No one was hurt this time.
The brakes are not good. You have to pump the brake pedal to get them to work. I just had to stop to prevent hitting someone in the rear. I did not have time to pump brake. I literally had to take it to the floor to stop. This was reported to you previously and we never heard a thing!,
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 forest river forester. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear camper slide out structure slid out erroneously on the driver side causing the camping structure to extend from the rv while in motion. The rv was taken to the dealer rv world located at 14025 w freeway dr, hugo, mn 55038 who diagnosed that the camping slide out motor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The motor was replaced however, the failure recurred. The rv had been serviced for the same failure on 3 separate occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 forest river forester. While driving approximately 35 mph and attempting to stop, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard when it was depressed. The contact had to pump the brake pedal until the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that the rv presented the failure for approximately one year and four months. The rv was taken to fields motorcars (4141 n florida ave, lakeland, fl 33805) where they changed the brake fluid and bled the brake lines; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 22,000.
Lost all tail lights 4 has been fix or and recall done 2 times. Now right side tail light does not work for turn or brake and it been in a shop for a month no one knows why
White plastic component fell out of the rv coach entry door lock mechanism causing door lock to jam. Most of the lock mechanisms are metal but this small piece is plastic and there is no mechanism to keep it from falling out. After I re-inserted it and operated the mechanism a few more times, it fell out again. I was required to replace the lock mechanism at cost of $125.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 forest river forester. While driving the motor home at various speeds, the vehicle began to beep which indicated that the jacks on the motorhome were lowering down. The contact had to pull over and lift the jacks back up. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the jacks needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vin was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
Forest River Forester: every year compared
All Forester years2016 Forest River Forester vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Forest River Forester | 7 | 3 | F | |
| 2016 Forest River Amera-Lite | 4 | 2 | - | Compare |
| 2016 Forest River Berkshire | 4 | 7 | F | Compare |
| 2016 Forest River Cherokee | 3 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 2016 Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf | 2 | 2 | F | Compare |
| 2016 Forest River Evo | 2 | 2 | F | Compare |
| 2016 Forest River Cardinal | 2 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2016 Forest River Coachmen | 2 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2016 Forest River Blue Ridge | 2 | 1 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2016 Forest River Forester
Does the 2016 Forest River Forester have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2016 Forest River Forester: power window devices and controls (July 2018); tail lights (June 2016); recreational vehicle / trailer (May 2016). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Forest River Forester?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the body, doors & structure (3), brakes (2), electrical system (2).
How many complaints has the 2016 Forest River Forester had?
7 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on October 24, 2016 and the latest on May 12, 2022. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2016 Forest River Forester a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 24 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Forest River Forester year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Forest River Forester years have the most complaints?
2016 (7), 2004 (3), 2014 (3). See every Forest River Forester year compared.
What should I do if my 2016 Forest River Forester has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data