Model year

2016 Forest River Forester

Other, diesel, 4x2, built in Germany. Owner complaints on file from Oct 24, 2016 to May 12, 2022.

Recall campaigns covering this model year32,065 vehicles or units across those campaigns
Owner complaints77.0 times the median 2016 other
Severity index0.02016 others average 9.6
First 24 months1Complaints in its first two years
Complaints over time

Complaints about the 2016 Forest River Forester peaked in 2021, with 2 filed

Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.

00.511.52201620172018201920202021220222023202420252026
Source: NHTSA ODI complaints file. The lighter column runs through October.
Components

43% of complaints about the 2016 Forest River Forester name structure

Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.

Structure
3
Electrical system
2
Brakes
2
Lighting
1
Source: NHTSA ODI complaints file. A complaint can name more than one component; it is counted under the first.
Recalls

3 recall campaigns cover the 2016 Forest River Forester

Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.

Recall campaigns for the 2016 Forest River Forester
CampaignFiledSubjectComponentVehiclesRemedy
18V-444Jul 3, 2018Liquid may leak into the driver's power window switch and cause corrosion, resulting in high electrical resistanceVisibility and wipers53Part replacement
16V-465Jun 27, 2016Water may leak into the electrical module that controls the vehicle taillights, brake lights, turn signal lights, clearance lights and marker…Lighting1,999Repair or modification
16V-336May 23, 2016These vehicles are equipped with a shower door that may not meet the flammability standardsEquipment13Part replacement
Source: NHTSA ODI recalls file.
Owner complaints

What owners reported about the 2016 Forest River Forester

The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.

7 complaints on file, page 1 of 1.

  1. Filed May 12, 2022Failure May 9, 2022El Dorado Hills, CABody

    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 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.

    NHTSA complaint 11464345
  2. Filed Apr 17, 2021Failure Apr 3, 202131,000 milesValrico, FLService brakes

    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!,

    NHTSA complaint 11408588
  3. Filed Mar 18, 2021Failure Jul 1, 201960,000 milesOakdale, MNElectrical system

    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.

    NHTSA complaint 11403729
  4. Filed Apr 17, 2019Failure Apr 14, 201922,000 milesValrico, FLService brakes

    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.

    NHTSA complaint 11196973
  5. Filed Jun 8, 2018Failure May 13, 2018LAS Vegas, NVElectrical system, Exterior lighting

    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

    NHTSA complaint 11100543
  6. Filed Oct 17, 2017Failure Sep 29, 201713,000 milesMinnetonka, MNBody

    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.

    NHTSA complaint 11034024
  7. Filed Oct 24, 2016Failure May 1, 20163,000 milesBethel Park, PABody

    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.

    NHTSA complaint 10918551
Source: NHTSA ODI complaints file.
Investigations

NHTSA has not opened an investigation on this model year

Source: NHTSA ODI investigations file.
Service bulletins

2 manufacturer communications cover this model year

Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall.

  • 15-205-16R Jan 30, 2019 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
    This bulletin announces new reprogramming file availability and the software installation procedure to address additional operational concerns received from the field and listed below involving ?Gen 2? F10 Navigation and Display Audio units with 7? display.
  • 510660 Apr 23, 2018 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
    According to the attached letter from Daimler AG/Mercedes-Benz; ?Daimler AG (DAG), the manufacturer of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles, has determined that the glass cover of the exhaust gas temperature sensor (upstream of turbocharger B16/11) on certai…
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications files.