NHTSA vehicle safety data

2020 Forest River Puma Recalls & Complaints

The 2020 Forest River Puma has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns and 6 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 2020 Forest River Puma. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2020 Forest River Puma owner complaints

Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Forest River Puma, describing incidents dated April 1, 2021 to October 12, 2023.

Most-cited components

Structure 2 complaints
Wheels 2 complaints
Electrical System 1 complaint
Tires 1 complaint

Of the 6 complaints on file, 1 reports a fire; across all 6 complaints, owners report 1 injury and 2 deaths (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11550434 · Filed October 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Forest River Puma RV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and hauling the RV trailer, he became aware that the rear driver's side tire was flat. The RV was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the flat tire was the result of a crack…
ODI #11526386 · Filed June 10, 2023
Castle Rock ST 235/80R16 on the drivers side rear axle tire. I had just exited the interstate when the tire violently exploded. Debris from the side of the trailer and parts of the tire scattered across the opposing lane of traffic. Fortunately, no one was coming. This failure was harmful enough but…
ODI #11476880 · Filed August 1, 2022
3 wheels have had holes/cracks causing them to leak air. had a tire blow out which caused major damage to the rv

Read all 6 complaints

Incorrectly Routed 7-Way Connector Can Cause Fire

NHTSA #24V395000 · Equipment — Recreational Vehicle/Trailer — 120/240 Vac Electrical System — Charger Low Voltage Battery · NHTSA notice

Reported June 4, 2024 · Forest River, Inc.

Potentially affected: 41,353 vehicles

Repair completion: 10.23% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Forest River campaign 51-1786 · Owners notified July 10, 2024

Defect description

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2004-2024 Cedar Creek and 2006-2024 Puma fifth wheels trailers. The overcurrent protection from the trailer battery may have been incorrectly routed, allowing the wires to be pulled out of the junction box.

Safety consequence

A loose wire can cause a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will reroute the wires to the protected side of the mini-beaker, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 10, 2024. Owners may contact Puma customer service at 1-574-642-0588 or Cedar Creek customer service at 260-593-4000. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1786.

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.

Spare Tire Carrier U-bolts May Fail

NHTSA #20V075000 · Equipment — Recreational Vehicle/Trailer · NHTSA notice

Reported February 12, 2020 · Forest River, Inc.

Potentially affected: 4,464 vehicles

Repair completion: 62.1% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Forest River campaign 51-1133 · Owners notified March 20, 2020

Defect description

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Surveyor, NO BO, Cherokee, R. POD, Clipper, Viking, Independence, Puma and East to West trailers. The spare tire carrier U-bolts may fail allowing the spare tire carrier and spare tire detach from the vehicle.

Safety consequence

If the spare tire carrier and spare tire detach from the vehicle while in motion, it can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will replace U-bolts, free of charge. The recall began March 20, 2020. Owners may contact Surveyor, NO BO, R. and POD customer service at 1-574-642-3119, Independence, Viking, and Clipper customer service at 1-269-467-4600, Puma customer service at -574-642-0606, East and West customer service at 1-574-264-6664 or Cherokee customer service at 1-877-426-5337. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1133.

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 2020 Forest River Puma. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

6 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Forest River Puma.

Wheels

ODI #11550434

Incident: October 12, 2023 · Filed: October 17, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Forest River Puma RV. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and hauling the RV trailer, he became aware that the rear driver's side tire was flat. The RV was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the flat tire was the result of a crack in the wheelbase of the wheel assembly. The RV was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unknown.

Tires

ODI #11526386

Incident: June 4, 2023 · Filed: June 10, 2023

Castle Rock ST 235/80R16 on the drivers side rear axle tire. I had just exited the interstate when the tire violently exploded. Debris from the side of the trailer and parts of the tire scattered across the opposing lane of traffic. Fortunately, no one was coming. This failure was harmful enough but would have been catastrophic for someone had this occurred on the busy interstate. Tire examined, belts had separated under the tread, leading to the failure. Examination of the remaining three tires, all Castle Rock, revealed one had underlying belt separation and was close to exploding and another had unusual wear indicating a separation was occurring. I have read multiple accounts of these tire exploding. The was no inspection by anyone. There was no warning at all. This explosion did approximately $1000 damage to my trailer. I know this because I have ordered repair parts. The trailer tires have 10589 miles on them, (my truck keeps the mileage.). Trailer with these tires installed was purchased in December 2019. Tire pressure monitored constantly and they were covered when not in use. DOT date code: 0619.

Wheels

ODI #11476880

Incident: June 29, 2022 · Filed: August 1, 2022

3 wheels have had holes/cracks causing them to leak air. had a tire blow out which caused major damage to the rv

Structure

ODI #11448087

Incident: January 19, 2022 · Filed: January 19, 2022

The contact owns a 2020 Forest River Palomino Puma travel trailer. The contact stated that there was brown water leaking from the roof into the ceiling light fixture and walls of the RV. The RV was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the insulation caused the water to change to a brown color. The dealer replaced the wood on the walls of the RV; however, the failure recurred. The RV was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.

Structure

ODI #11428655

Incident: April 1, 2021 · Filed: August 11, 2021

The contact owns a 2020 Forest River Puma RV. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the structure underneath the trailer detached from the RV. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he continued driving to his destination. The contact took the RV to an independent mechanic and was informed that the structure underneath the RV has been replaced. The RV was repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

Electrical System

ODI #11416611

Fire 1 injury2 deaths

Incident: April 28, 2021 · Filed: May 14, 2021

THE CONTACT OWNED A 2020 FOREST RIVER PALOMINO PUMA 28BHSS TRAVEL TRAILER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SHE AND HER TWO CHILDREN AND HUSBAND WERE SLEEPING, THE ELECTRICAL PANEL LOCATED IN THE CHILDREN'S ROOM INSIDE THE BUNKHOUSE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND WAS SLEEPING IN THE CHILDREN'S ROOM AND WAS AWAKEN BY THE FIRE. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND THEN SCREAMED FOR EVERYONE TO EVACUATE THE TRAVEL TRAILER. THE CONTACT'S TWO PETS DIED FROM THE FIRE AS THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO EVACUATE. THE CONTACT WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION ON THE SCENE AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. A POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS WERE FILED. THE TRAVEL TRAILER WAS TOWED AND DEEMED TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE.

Other Forest River Puma model years

Check your 2020 Forest River Puma VIN

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

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