- The problem
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Forest River Aurora, Coachmen Catalina, 2026 Coachmen Viking, Coachmen Clipper, 2016-2026 Wildwood, and Salem recreational trailers. The distribution panel wire may be connected to the battery without over current protection.
- The risk
- Unprotected wiring can increase the risk of a fire.
- The fix
- Dealers will relocate the distribution panel wire to the correct side of the breaker, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2025. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-4995. Forest River's number for this recall is 205-1987.
Vehicle safety record
2018 Forest River Salem Problems, complaints & recalls
No owner complaints about the 2018 Forest River Salem have been filed with NHTSA. It is covered by 9 recalls, the latest in October 2025 for the wiring.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Salem year, for its age
- Complaints
- 0
- Recalls
- 9
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
2018 Forest River Salem recalls 9
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 2018-2021 Wildwood, Salem, and 2020 Sonoma travel trailers. The break-away safety switch may not be wired to constant power, which can cause the trailer brakes to not activate in the event of a trailer separation from the tow vehicle.
- The risk
- If the brakes of the trailer do not engage, it can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will rewire the breakaway switch, free of charge. The recall began October 13, 2020. Owners may contact Forest customer service at 1-909-873-3777. Forest River's number for this recall is 67A-1230.
- The problem
- 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 fix
- 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.
- The problem
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Forest River Wildwood, and 2016-2019 Forest River Salem recreational trailers. The outside auxiliary shower faucet cover may cover the water heater exhaust panel when opened.
- The risk
- The covered water heater exhaust panel could increase the risk of injury.
- The fix
- Forest River has notified owners, and dealers will install a replacement outside shower, free of charge. The recall began on July 24, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 44-0762.
- The problem
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018 Forest River Salem recreational trailers, model SMT282QBXL-OR. The Federal Placards on these vehicles may incorrectly state the tire pressure as 54 PSI, however, the correct tire pressure is 65 PSI. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims." These vehicles also fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
- The risk
- Incorrect tire pressure information can cause the operator to under inflate the tires, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Forest River has notified owners and provided a tire placard with the correct tire pressure information, free of charge. The recall began April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-503-831-5413. Forest River's number for this recall is 22-0693.
- The problem
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018 Salem and Wildwood recreational trailers. The Federal Placard on these vehicles incorrectly states that the trailers are equipped with ST215/75R15 Load Range D tires, however, the installed tires are size ST205/75R15 Load Range D. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims," and these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
- The risk
- If the incorrect label causes the operator to install tires of the wrong size, vehicle handling may be affected, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Forest River will notify owners and provide corrected Federal Placards, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2017. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-848-1335. Forest River's number for this recall is 05-0595.
- The problem
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2003-2018 Forest River Berkshire, Charleston, Rockport, Cedar Creek, Cherokee, Riverstone, Salem, Sandpiper, Sierra, Vengeance, Wildcat, Wildwood, XLR Boost, Cargo Mate, Continental Cargo, motorhomes, recreational trailers, toyhaulers, cargo trailers and restroom trailers and 2009-2018 Coachmen Mirada, Pursuit, Concord, Leprechaun, Freelander, Orion and Prism motorhomes, 2009-2017 Coachmen Apex and Catalina recreational trailers, and 2013-2017 Shasta Oasis and Revere recreational trailers, equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or excessive force may be needed to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf
- The risk
- In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
- The fix
- Forest River will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began on December 27, 2017. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-800-348-7440, or Kidde customer service toll free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-0544.
- The problem
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018 Salem and Wildwood recreational trailers. The Federal Placards on these vehicles may state an incorrect weight of the trailer. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
- The risk
- An incorrect weight on the label may affect how the operator loads the vehicle, impacting the handling and increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected Federal Placard with correct weight and cargo carrying capacity, free of charge. The recall began August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-4058. Forest River's number for this recall is 63-07312017-0485.
- The problem
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Salem, Wildwood, XLR, Sanibel, Wildcat, Vengeance, Chaparral Lite and Columbus recreational trailers. The Federal Placard may inaccurately list the tire and rim combinations that are installed on the trailers. Additionally, the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) and the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) information may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims," and 49 CFR part 567, "Certification."
- The risk
- The incorrect information may cause the operator to install an incorrect replacement rim or tire, overinflate the tire, or overload the vehicle, all scenarios that may increase the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Forest River will notify owners and will provide a corrected Federal Placard, free of charge. The recall began on May 17, 2017. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-800-348-7440. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-04242017-0393.
What owners say
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No complaints about the 2018 Forest River Salem yet
No owner has filed a complaint about this vehicle with NHTSA. If yours has a problem, share it here and report it to NHTSA.
Forest River Salem: every year compared
All Salem years2018 Forest River Salem vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Forest River Salem | 0 | 9 | F | |
| 2018 Forest River Cherokee | 14 | 8 | F | Compare |
| 2018 Forest River Flagstaff | 5 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2018 Forest River Georgetown | 4 | 5 | C | Compare |
| 2018 Forest River Cedar Creek | 4 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2018 Forest River Freedom Express | 3 | 0 | - | Compare |
| 2018 Forest River Arctic Wolf | 3 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2018 Forest River FR3 | 3 | 2 | B | Compare |
| 2018 Forest River Columbus | 2 | 1 | D | 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 2018 Forest River Salem
Does the 2018 Forest River Salem have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 9 recalls for the 2018 Forest River Salem: wiring (October 2025); trailer hitches (September 2020); 12v / 24v / 48v battery (August 2018); recreational vehicle / trailer (June 2018) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
How many complaints has the 2018 Forest River Salem had?
None have been filed with NHTSA so far.
Is the 2018 Forest River Salem a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 20 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Forest River Salem 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 Salem years have the most complaints?
2008 (3), 2001 (2), 2011 (2). See every Forest River Salem year compared.
What should I do if my 2018 Forest River Salem 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