NHTSA vehicle safety data

2021 Forest River FR3 Recalls & Complaints

The 2021 Forest River FR3 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 5 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Forest River dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2021 Forest River FR3. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2021 Forest River FR3 owner complaints

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Forest River FR3, describing incidents dated August 30, 2021 to October 7, 2024.

Most-cited components

Unknown or Other 2 complaints
Service Brakes 1 complaint
Steering 1 complaint
Structure 1 complaint
Suspension 1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Control 1 complaint

Of the 5 complaints on file, 1 reports a fire (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11618460 · Filed October 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Forest River FR3 built on a 2020 Ford F-53 Chassis. The contact stated while driving and exceeding 45 MPH, the contact noticed that the dashboard was bouncing. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the bottom of the dashboard fractured and…
ODI #11576757 · Filed March 12, 2024
LP brackets are cracked at the welding
ODI #11553249 · Filed November 2, 2023
Due to faulty welding of the supports for the onboard propane tank, the tank fell out the bottom of the rig on I-70 outside Kansas City on June 6 2023. The tank bounced around, knocking out one one of the drive shafts before bursting into flames. There was no warning before this happened as there…

Read all 5 complaints

LPG Tank Brackets May Break

NHTSA #24V103000 · Equipment — Recreational Vehicle/Trailer — LPG Systems — Tank Assembly · NHTSA notice

Reported February 12, 2024 · Forest River, Inc.

Potentially affected: 6,966 vehicles

Repair completion: 46.73% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Forest River campaign 68-1736 · Owners notified March 11, 2024 · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019-2024 Georgetown and FR3 Class A motorhomes. The liquid petroleum gas (LPG) tank mounting brackets may break, which can result in the LPG tank becoming dislodged and damaged.

Safety consequence

A damaged LPG tank increases the risk of a fire.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the brackets and welds as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 11, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 68-1736.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Solar Panel Mounting Hardware May Loosen

NHTSA #23V262000 · Equipment · NHTSA notice

Reported April 13, 2023 · Forest River, Inc.

Potentially affected: 2,616 vehicles

Repair completion: 67.32% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Forest River campaign 51-1607 · Owners notified May 5, 2023

Defect description

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021 Forester 2401BSD, FR3 F3A32DSF, Georgetown GTA36K7, 2022-2023 East to West Entrada, 2023 East to West Alta, Coachmen Apex, Brookstone, Chaparral and Chaparral Lite, Forest River Crusader, Sanibel, Shasta Phoenix, Coachmen Spirit, and East to West Tandara vehicles. The solar panel mounting hardware may become loose and pull through the slot in the panel.

Safety consequence

Loose hardware can cause the solar panels to detach from the vehicle during transit, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will install additional hardware to the existing panel and install a secondary holding bracket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 5, 2023. Owners may contact East to West Alta, Entrada and Tandara customer service at 1-574-264-6664; Coachmen Apex and Spirit customer service at 1-574-825-8205; Coachmen Brookstone, Chaparral, Chaparral Lite, and Shasta Phoenix customer service at 1-574-825-7101; Crusader and Sanibel customer service at 1-574-862-1025; and Georgetown Forester and FR3 customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1607.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Leveling Jacks May Deploy Unexpectedly

NHTSA #20V361000 · Electrical System — Wiring · NHTSA notice

Reported June 19, 2020 · Forest River, Inc.

Potentially affected: 62 vehicles

Repair completion: 79.03% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Forest River campaign 68-1178 · Owners notified June 26, 2020

Defect description

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021 FR3 recreational vehicles built on a Ford chassis with a V8 engine. The wiring harness may have an incorrect wire connected to the parking brake, allowing the leveling jacks to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is in motion.

Safety consequence

If the leveling jacks deploy while the vehicle is in motion, it can cause loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will correct the wiring harness, free of charge. This recall began June 26, 2020. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 68-1178.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2021 Forest River FR3. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

5 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Forest River FR3.

Structure

ODI #11618460

Incident: October 7, 2024 · Filed: October 7, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Forest River FR3 built on a 2020 Ford F-53 Chassis. The contact stated while driving and exceeding 45 MPH, the contact noticed that the dashboard was bouncing. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the bottom of the dashboard fractured and separated along with the parts attached to the dashboard. The RV was taken to the dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair. The dealer notified the manufacturer of the failure, but the manufacturer informed the dealer that the repair could not be covered because the RV was not covered under warranty. The RV was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11576757

Incident: March 11, 2024 · Filed: March 12, 2024

LP brackets are cracked at the welding

Unknown or Other

ODI #11553249

Fire

Incident: June 6, 2023 · Filed: November 2, 2023

Due to faulty welding of the supports for the onboard propane tank, the tank fell out the bottom of the rig on I-70 outside Kansas City on June 6 2023. The tank bounced around, knocking out one one of the drive shafts before bursting into flames. There was no warning before this happened as there are no sensors for that. With the rig being a total loss, there is no way to reproduce the problem. My insurance company hired a fire investigator, but findings were inconclusive due to the extent of the fire damage. I have since found others that have had this issue, but mine is the first that led to a fire that I am aware of. [XXX] . Forest River has been contacted, but they deny a problem exists. All five passengers made it out safely. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Steering; Suspension

ODI #11438906

Incident: August 31, 2021 · Filed: November 1, 2021

Our 2021 Forest River FR3 34DS is built on the 2020 Ford F53 V8 chassis. When bringing the RV in for other service, the Ford dealer noticed that one of the bolts was missing from the rear sway bar. Further inspection showed that the coupling used to attach the sway bar was seriously deformed. This had a negative impact on the steering/handling of the RV in windy weather and when being passed by semis, RVs, and local delivery box trucks. We had to wait about a month for the parts to come in and be installed. A quick google will show this is a wide-spread problem across multiple brands of RVs that are built on the F53 chassis. This seems like either a design issue or a need to torque those bolts to a specific value.

Vehicle Speed Control; Service Brakes

ODI #11438904

Incident: August 30, 2021 · Filed: November 1, 2021

Our 2021 Forest River FR3 34DS is built on the 2020 Ford F53 Chassis with the V8 engine. Our unit was recalled for potentially insufficient axle lubricant. After Ford replaced the bearings, our anti-skid, ABS, and cruise-control stopped working with indicators showing that on the dash. The Ford dealer believes the problem is with the tone ring. It has been several months and the Ford dealer is unable to obtain a tone-ring. Meanwhile, the RV continues not to have these important safety features.

Other Forest River FR3 model years

Check your 2021 Forest River FR3 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Forest River FR3 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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