NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Audit Query AQ14-002: Safety Act Violations
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Audit Query AQ14-002 on September 30, 2014 and closed it on July 31, 2015. NHTSA's investigations file lists 3 Forest River models for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- AQ14-002 (also written AQ14002)
- Investigation type
- Audit Query An administrative investigation into compliance with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting Early Warning data on time or carrying out a recall.
- Status
- Closed July 31, 2015
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Forest River, Inc.
- Components
- Equipment — Recreational Vehicle/Trailer; Unknown or Other
- Vehicles and equipment
- 3 Forest River models, including the Flagstaff and Palomino Solaire
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Audit Query AQ14-002.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
In a Consent Order executed on July 8, 2015, Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) admitted that it violated the Safety Act by: failing to submit accurate early warning reports; not filing certain field communications or reports of Canadian safety campaigns; not providing copies of notices, bulletins, and other communications as required; failing to file certain quarterly recall reports in a timely manner or with complete information; sending notices to dealers without required information; failing to submit communications to manufacturers, dealers, owners and purchasers directly related to a defect or noncompliance; failing to notify vehicle owners and dealers of defects and noncompliances; not timely notifying NHTSA of safety-related defects within five days; failing to conduct timely recalls for Recall Nos. 15V-080 and 15V-156; and failing to respond fully to NHTSA's October 2, 2014 Special Order by the deadline.
As part of the Consent Order, NHTSA assessed a total civil penalty of $35 million against Forest River for its violations of the Safety Act. The civil penalty consists of a cash payment and stipulated penalties. Forest River paid the $5 million cash penalty on July 17, 2015. Forest River is required to retain an independent monitor to conduct audits of the company's compliance with the Consent Order and Safety Act. Failure to resolve any issues discovered in those audits will result in portions of the stipulated civil penalties coming due. The Consent Order also contains performance obligations, including retention of an in-house consultant, actions to remedy past noncompliances with the Safety Act, creation of publicly available best practices for Safety Act compliance, employee training, and industry outreach. The population listed in this closing resume is based on Forest River?s untimely recalls and does not include other issues addressed by the Consent Order, which relates to Forest River?s entire business.
Based on the Consent Order, Forest River's admissions that it violated the law, and its ongoing performance obligations, this audit query investigation, AQ14-002, is closed. Closure of this AQ has no bearing on the terms of the Consent Order, including Forest River's ongoing performance obligations or legal obligations, and does not represent a determination by the agency as to Forest River's performance under the Consent Order to date.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Audit Query AQ14-002. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Forest River
All Forest River recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for AQ14-002
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.