The Used Car Index

2021 Forest River Salem problems

NHTSA lists 4 complaints for the 2021 Forest River Salem, 0 of them mention a crash and 1 mention a fire. 0 complaints mention an injury, with 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-09.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as FOREST RIVER SALEM.

At a glance

Complaints
4
With crash
0
With fire
1
With injury (complaints)
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0
Recalls
10
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
99,190
Investigations
0
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
7

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. No sales source is available for this record.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
EQUIPMENT125.0%
STRUCTURE125.0%
SUSPENSION125.0%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER125.0%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
STRUCTUREBODY1

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags

These labels are model-generated, not NHTSA data.

Failure modes
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
mechanical failure250.0%0.85
structural or corrosion250.0%0.69
Severities
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
moderate250.0%0.66
high125.0%0.67
low125.0%0.41

Model: typesafe/jev-1.13-20260917; schema version: tag-v1. 4 tagged complaints of 4 complaints (100.0%).

Confidence is the model's own probability for the label it chose (0 to 1), not accuracy.

Model-generated labels on tagged complaints only. Model years 2013 and newer are tagged in full; 2012 in part (see tagged_share); earlier model years have no tags. NHTSA's own flags remain separate in the complaints block.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

10 recalls.

25V682000

Date: 2025-10-10. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Forest River Aurora, Coachmen Catalina, 2026 Coachmen Viking, Coachmen Clipper, 2016-2026 Wildwood, and Salem recreational trailers. The distribution panel wire may be connected to the battery without over current protection.

Consequence: Unprotected wiring can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will relocate the distribution panel wire to the correct side of the breaker, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2025. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-4995. Forest River's number for this recall is 205-1987.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

22V729000

Date: 2022-09-30. Systems: EQUIPMENT.

Defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Salem, Wildwood, and Ozark travel trailers. The fresh water tank may dislodge from the vehicle and fall to the ground when full or overfilled.

Consequence: A tank falling to the ground while in transit can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the fresh water tank for straps. and install straps as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2022. Owners may contact at Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 72-1559.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

22V562000

Date: 2022-08-02. Systems: EQUIPMENT, STRUCTURE.

Defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Salem and Wildwood fifth wheel travel trailers. The awning rail may not be attached to a backer in the sidewall, which can allow the awning to detach while the vehicle is in motion.

Consequence: An awning that detaches increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect for backers and reattach the awning if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 69-1538.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

22V243000

Date: 2022-04-13. Systems: EQUIPMENT.

Defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Coachmen Adrenaline, Apex, Catalina, Freedom Express, Spirit, East to West Alta, Della Terra, Silver Lake, Forest River Cedar Creek, Cherokee, Columbus, Flagstaff, Impression, Ozark, Rockwood, Sabre, Salem, Sandstorm, Shockwave, Stealth, Stealth Evo, Vengeance, Vibe, Wildwood, XLR Toyhauler, Palomino Puma, Prime Time Avenger, Crusade (excerpt)

Consequence: A gas leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire. (excerpt)

Remedy: Dealers will replace the quick disconnect and perform a LP system check, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2022. Owners may contact the applicable customer service number for their vehicle model. Please see the recall report for the list of phone numbers. (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V745000

Date: 2021-09-24. Systems: EQUIPMENT.

Defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Salem and Wildwood fifth wheel trailers. The Federal Placard lists a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) that exceeds the load carrying capacity of the pin box, which could result in an overloaded pin box.

Consequence: An overloaded pin box can fail, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River will mail owners a new Federal Placard, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 8, 2021. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 69-1423.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V621000

Date: 2021-08-09. Systems: EQUIPMENT.

Defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Salem, Wildwood and 2020-2021 Stealth EVO travel trailers. The fresh water tank may not be properly secured to the vehicle's frame.

Consequence: A fresh water tank that detaches from the frame could increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will properly secure the holding tank, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 23, 2021. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-503-831-5410. Forest River's number for this recall is 22-1400.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V443000

Date: 2021-06-11. Systems: EXTERIOR LIGHTING.

Defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021 Salem Fifth Wheel, Salem Travel Trailer, Wildwood Fifth Wheel, and Wildwood Travel Trailer vehicles. The red and amber clearance lamps do not reflect enough light. As such these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Assoc. Equipment."

Consequence: Less reflective clearance lamps can affect how other drivers judge the length of the trailer, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will add reflex stickers to both the amber and red clearance lamps, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 11, 2021. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1359.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

20V589000

Date: 2020-09-25. Systems: EQUIPMENT.

Defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021 Salem and Wildwood recreational trailers. The flame on the cooktop may become inverted, due to the cooktop not being isolated from the furnace return air.

Consequence: An inverted flame can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will add sealant to the gaps in the paneling that are allowing the return air from the furnace to cause the inverted flame, free of charge. The recall began October 15, 2020. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 72-1232.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

20V563000

Date: 2020-09-18. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, TRAILER HITCHES.

Defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Wildwood, Salem, and 2020 Sonoma travel trailers. The break-away safety switch may not be wired to constant power, which can cause the trailer brakes to not activate in the event of a trailer separation from the tow vehicle.

Consequence: If the brakes of the trailer do not engage, it can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will rewire the breakaway switch, free of charge. The recall began October 13, 2020. Owners may contact Forest customer service at 1-909-873-3777. Forest River's number for this recall is 67A-1230.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

20V482000

Date: 2020-08-14. Systems: EQUIPMENT.

Defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Salem and Wildwood motorhomes. The fresh water tank may not be properly secured to the vehicle's frame.

Consequence: A fresh water tank that detaches from the frame could increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will properly secure the holding tank, free of charge. This recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-503-831-5410. Forest River's number for this recall is 22-1219.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

Investigations

0 investigations; 0 open.

Manufacturer communications

7 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
EQUIPMENT3
STRUCTURE1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
WHEELS1

11007638

Date: 2024-09-10. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

Reference document in the event a dealer needs to inspect an "in wall slide mechanism".

10202762

Date: 2021-10-29. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EQUIPMENT.

Generic instructions for Xantrex - Freedom X Inverter Configuration "Adjusting Feature Settings in Configuration Model".

10199637

Date: 2021-08-02. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

As per Lippert Components Technical Service Bulletin 11-004-21. The slide room actuator was assembled incorrectly, which may cause the room to become stuck in the out position and prevent from fully retracting.

10199160

Date: 2021-07-13. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: EQUIPMENT.

How to change a LCI Schwinteck Slide Mechanism.

10193872

Date: 2021-05-19. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: WHEELS.

It was discovered that the manufacturing plant did not cut a stress relief line in the upper deck Driver Side and in on certain models, Passenger Side under the slide room(s). The upper deck in the Impression Fifth-Wheel needs to flex, without the "stress relief cut" the sidewall filon may crack und

10190120

Date: 2021-04-07. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Rear wall backer locations for installation of rear ladders at dealerships.

10178902

Date: 2020-08-27. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EQUIPMENT.

The thermostat is wired incorrectly at the air conditioning control box located at the ceiling assembly. This condition will cause the fan to not run when using the low setting only. However, the compressor will still run.

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
SALEM4

Same model, other years

All model years | All Forest River models

Other Forest River models, 2021

Sources

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