2004 Forest River Wildcat problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Tires (3) · Suspension (2) · Structure (2)
Safety recalls (1)
Equipment 2017-11-22 · campaign 17V756000 · 365,885 vehicles
Defect: 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 2013-20
Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
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.
What owners report
2014-07-28 · Wheels“this 2004 forest river wildcat 26fbs travel trailer suffered from a failure of the trailer frame, specifically with the hanger brackets that serve as the attachment point for torsion axles to the trailer itself. the damage initially went unnoticed, but upon arrival at home i noticed that the rear-most tires of the trailer were not making contact wi…”
2013-07-25 · Tires · 1,500 mi“i purchased four new goodyear marathon trailer tires (225/75/15 load range d) for my fifth wheel camper june 2012. two of the four tires blew apart in the first 1500 miles. there is something very wrong with these tires. they should not be blowing apart with almost no use and without any impact damage from road hazards. i have read multiple com…”
2010-04-16 · Structure:frame And Members“i own a 2004 fifth wheel trailer. i have noticed the web of the frame cracking over the shackle mounts for some time and have been keeping a close eye on it. i have just noticed now that the frame is broken up near the hitch and can no longer be towed with out repair. i have not, in my opinion, abused this trailer or used it outside it's intende…”
2008-12-18 · Suspension“i am an owner of a 2004 wildcat, 28? fifth wheel. during a trip i noticed one of the tires was worn to the cord on the inside edge, while still having tread on the outside. if this had not been noticed, i?m sure that within the next 100 miles i would have been changing a tire on the side of the road with rubber from the tire everywhere. the tire wa…”
2008-12-05 · Equipment:recreational Vehicle/Trailer“tl*the contact owns a 2004 forest river forester. the contact received a recall notice regarding the dometic refrigerator. he was not satisfied with the remedy to repair the failure because it consisted of placing a heat shield over the failed equipment in case a fire occurs. he felt that the entire refrigerator unit should be replaced because t…”
2008-09-29 · Suspension“front and rear axles on 2004 wildcat trailer have an issue with rust. *nj …”
2008-08-04 · Structure“tl*the contact owns a 2004 forest river travel trailer. while accelerating at 35 mph, the trailer fishtailed. both axles separated from the trailer. the welding shop stated that there were supposed to be four bolts holding them together, but three had sheared and the steel used was not the appropriate thickness to support a vehicle of its capaci…”
2007-03-26 · Structure“tl*- the contact owns a 2007 forest river wildcat, 27 rl se, 5th wheel trailer. the rv was purchased in december 2006 and since then he observed that the actual weight was more than the weight listed on the sticker. the pick up truck was unable to tow the rv. the cab scales were accurate, and also indicated that the sticker weight was inco…”
2006-10-10 · Tires · 6,000 mi“we were hauler our 28' wildcat travel trailer on our way to reno. about 40 miles south of lone pine we had a blow out on the right front trailer tire. the one next to it was separated also. when the tire blew it took out the fender skirt and all the insulation and skin directly above the tire. i had to put on the spare tire and traveled to lone p…”
2006-09-30 · Tires“tire blew on 2004 forest river wildcat 28bh fifth wheel. 2nd of 3 tires in 2 months. destroyed under carriage of fifth wheel above wheel which is where the water heater is located and water pipes going too it. as usual dealer again said it was road damage and nothing he could do carlisle tires). *nm…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.