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2021 Forest River Salem Recalls, Complaints & Specs

10 safety recalls list the 2021 Forest River Salem, and owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

10
safety recalls
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owner complaints to NHTSA
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complaints citing a crash / fire

10 safety recalls for the 2021 Forest River Salem

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Electrical system: wiring

    NHTSA 25V682000 Reported 20,305 vehicles potentially affected Forest River, Inc.

    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.

    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…

  2. Storage tank (equipment)

    NHTSA 22V729000 Reported 5,168 vehicles potentially affected Forest River, Inc.

    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.

    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…

  3. Recreational vehicle/trailer (equipment) and body (structure)

    NHTSA 22V562000 Reported 609 vehicles potentially affected Forest River, Inc.

    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.

    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.…

  4. Lines and fittings (equipment)

    NHTSA 22V243000 Reported 99,190 vehicles potentially affected Forest River, Inc.

    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,…

    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…

  5. Labels (equipment)

    NHTSA 21V745000 Reported 61 vehicles potentially affected Forest River, Inc.

    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.

    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…

  6. Recreational vehicle/trailer (equipment)

    NHTSA 21V621000 Reported 336 vehicles potentially affected Forest River, Inc.

    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.

    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…

  7. Exterior lighting

    NHTSA 21V443000 Reported 289 vehicles potentially affected Forest River, Inc.

    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,…

    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.…

  8. Oven/stove/cooktop (equipment) and furnace (equipment)

    NHTSA 20V589000 Reported 551 vehicles potentially affected Forest River, Inc.

    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.

    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,…

  9. Trailer hitches and integrated trailer brake control (electrical system)

    NHTSA 20V563000 Reported 4,397 vehicles potentially affected Forest River, Inc.

    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.

    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…

  10. Equipment

    NHTSA 20V482000 Reported 643 vehicles potentially affected Forest River, Inc.

    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.

    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…

4 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2021 Forest River Salem have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a fire. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 1,000 miles. Complaints peaked in 2021 with 3 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“* On the way back home from the dealer in PA for a water-tank recall service, the right leaf spring on the trailer broke on the highway and caused the trailer on fire. The less than 3-years old traile”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, November 21, 2024 · Suspension

“The contact owns a 2021 Forest River Salem. The contact stated that the strap hooks in the trailer were screwed to the floor but not the frame; therefore, no items of substantial weight were able be s”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 11, 2021 · Equipment

Compare Forest River Salem model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Forest River Salem model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1997 Forest River Salem10
1998 Forest River Salem10
1999 Forest River Salem10
2000 Forest River Salem10
2001 Forest River Salem12
2002 Forest River Salem11
2003 Forest River Salem38
2004 Forest River Salem33
2005 Forest River Salem20
2006 Forest River Salem20
2007 Forest River Salem20
2008 Forest River Salem33
2009 Forest River Salem10
2010 Forest River Salem21
2011 Forest River Salem32
2012 Forest River Salem13
2013 Forest River Salem22
2014 Forest River Salem41
2015 Forest River Salem58
2016 Forest River Salem89
2017 Forest River Salem95
2018 Forest River Salem96
2019 Forest River Salem115
2020 Forest River Salem712
2021 Forest River Salem104
2022 Forest River Salem713
2023 Forest River Salem52
2024 Forest River Salem104
2025 Forest River Salem84
2026 Forest River Salem60
2027 Forest River Salem20

Checking a specific 2021 Forest River Salem

How do I know if my 2021 Forest River Salem has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 10 campaigns currently list the 2021 Forest River Salem; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Forest River dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 20V482000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Forest River models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.