The problem
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021 Forester 2401BSD, FR3 F3A32DSF, Georgetown GTA36K7, 2022-2023 East to West Entrada, 2023 East to West Alta, Coachmen Apex, Brookstone, Chaparral and Chaparral Lite, Forest River Crusader, Sanibel, Shasta Phoenix, Coachmen Spirit, and East to West Tandara vehicles. The solar panel mounting hardware may become loose and pull through the slot in the panel.
The risk
Loose hardware can cause the solar panels to detach from the vehicle during transit, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Dealers will install additional hardware to the existing panel and install a secondary holding bracket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 5, 2023. Owners may contact East to West Alta, Entrada and Tandara customer service at 1-574-264-6664; Coachmen Apex and Spirit customer service at 1-574-825-8205; Coachmen Brookstone, Chaparral, Chaparral Lite, and Shasta Phoenix customer service at 1-574-825-7101; Crusader and Sanibel customer service at 1-574-862-1025; and Georgetown Forester and FR3 customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1607.
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.nhtsa.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, East TO West, Forest River dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 23V262000.
- 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.