The problem
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 Solera, and Coachmen Prism vehicles, built on Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter chassis. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
The risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix
Forest River will notify owners, and either Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Interim notices were sent on June 23, 2016. A second notice will be sent when remedy parts are available. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-877-496-3691 or may call the Sprinter/Takata hotline at 1-877-496-3691. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-04262016-0182.
Contacts
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
What to do
- Check your VIN. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls - it shows whether this recall applies to your vehicle and whether the repair has been done.
- Call a dealer. Any authorized Coachmen, Forest River dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 16V267000.
- Ask about parts and a loaner. If parts aren't available yet, ask what to do in the meantime.
- Keep your paperwork. If you paid for this repair before the recall, you may be able to get reimbursed - here's how.