2014 Forest River Wildwood problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Wheels (4) · Tires:sidewall (1) · Structure:body (1)
Safety recalls (4)
Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery 2018-08-21 · campaign 18V550000 · 5,847 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the trailer brakes cannot engage if the trailer detaches from tow vehicle, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
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.
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.
Equipment:other:labels 2014-10-07 · campaign 14V625000 · 205 vehicles
Defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Salem and Wildwood T174BH recreational vehicles manufactured September 18, 2013, to August 29, 2014. The affected vehicles may have an incorrect Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) on the certification and tire information labels. As such, the vehicles do not conform to Part 567, "Certification."
Risk: If the trailer is loaded to the specifications listed on the label, tire failure may result, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Forest River will notify owners, and will provide corrected labels to the owners, free of charge. The recall began on November 11, 2014. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-800-353-7383. Forest River's number for this recall is 2014-PLT6.
Equipment 2013-05-17 · campaign 13V203000 · 9,526 vehicles
Defect: Forest River is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Forest River models Blue Ridge, Cardinal, Cherokee, Columbus, EVO, Georgetown, Flagstaff, Forester, Lexington, Puma, Rockwood, Sabre, Salem, Sandpiper, Sandstorm, Sierra, Stealth, Sunseeker, Wildcat, Wildwood, Work and Play and XLR; Coachmen models Brookstone, Catalina, Chaparral, Concord, Encounter, Freedom Express, Freelander, Leprechaun, Mirada, Pursuit, and Sportcoach; Prime Time models Avenger, Crusader, Lacrosse, Saniber, and Tracer; P
Risk: If the motor assembly screws shear, it is possible that the awning can unfurl unexpectedly, either while the vehicle is at rest or while in transit, increasing the risk of personal injury or a vehicle crash.
Fix: Forest River will notify owners and Dometic staff will replace the affected motors with motors of a different design. The safety recall began on July 29, 2013. Owners may contact Forest River at 1-574-389-4600 or Dometic at 1-888-447-0003 for more information. Owners are being instructed not to drive their vehicle until repairs can be performed.
Service bulletins (1)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Equipment 2020-08-05 · 511213 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this is a document that describes how to take the required photos to assess the slideroom mechanism for adjustment and function.
What owners report
2019-10-30 · Structure:body · 1,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2014 forest river wildwood. the contact stated that the support frame that held the fresh water tank on the trailer detached. the contact noticed that water was leaking out. when coming to a stop or when the trailer struck a hole or speed bump, the water tank placed pressure on the vehicle's frame, which caused it to drop dow…”
2017-04-06 · Service Brakes“tl* the contact owns a 2014 forest river wildwood x-lite. while towing the trailer, the brakes failed to respond. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brakes needed to be replaced. the trailer was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin and failure mileage were not available. update…”
2016-10-06 · Tires:sidewall“tl* the contact owns a 2014 forest river wildwood travel trailer equipped with ridgeway sport s/t tires (na), size: 225/7515. upon inspection of the trailer, the contact noticed that the sidewall was dry rotted. the contact stated that the tires were previously replaced for the same defect. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin …”
2016-08-11 · Wheels · 300 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2014 forest river wildwood being hauled by a 2011 ford f-250. the contact stated that the trailer swayed back and forth excessively. the vehicle was inspected by a mechanic who indicated that the 14 inch tires needed to be replaced with 15 inch tires. the tires were replaced, but the failure recurred. the contact made several…”
2016-05-02 · Wheels · 1,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2014 forest river wildwood. the contact stated that the axle was worn which resulted in the excessive tire wear. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was confirmed that the axles needed to be replaced. the vehicle had its tires replaced however the failure persisted. the manufacturer was not notified of t…”
2014-08-15 · Wheels · 1,700 mi“tire side wall failing and abnormal wear on both inside and outside treads of all tires. tire specifics vail sport st 205/75d15 dot 69 vt 0313. *tr…”
2014-07-26 · Wheels · 1,500 mi“had a low tire on my travel trailer so i exited the highway. i got out and inspected the tire and it was almost flat so i changed it with my spare and when i pulled it off the inside of tire had rubbed all the inside tread of the tire and i inspected all the tires and they to were doing the same thing just not as bad. forest river needs to fix this…”
2014-07-18 · Parking Brake · 2,100 mi · 💥 crash“tl* the contact owns a 2014 forest river wildwood that was being towed on a 2004 gmc yukon. the contact stated while merging onto an interstate, the trailer began swaying abnormally. the contact was braking to a stop but the trailer continued to sway despite having the parking brake secured. the contact then crashed into a fence. there were no inju…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.