2013 Forest River Puma recalls & complaints

1. Suspension

What's wrong, in plain English: Parts can break and cause loss of control. Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Puma recreational trailers, models T12RBC, T15UDC, T17QBC, and T18FBC, manufactured from January 1, 2013, through March 1, 2016. When the trailer hits a bump, the tire(s) may contact the floor or wheel well and result in tire damage.

What could happen: A damaged tire could deflate and cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a lift kit to add additional clearance to the vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on May 11, 2016. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-642-0607. Forest River's recall number for this campaign is 420-06092015-0050SA.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 PUMA.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Forest River dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 16V175000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-574-642-0607.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

2. Suspension

What's wrong, in plain English: Parts can break and cause loss of control. Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2008-2016 Puma recreational trailers and toy haulers, models PT20RDC, PT21FBC, PT22RBC, PT26RLC, PT26FBSC, PT21TUC, PT27RBSC, PT25FBC, PT22RB, PTH21TFU, PTH24THS, PTH25TFS, PTH27SBU, PTH27RLSS, PTH25TFQ, and PTH21TFB manufactured from June 25, 2007, through March 23, 2016. When the trailer hits a bump, the tire(s) may contact the floor or wheel well a…

What could happen: A damaged tire could deflate and cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a lift kit to add additional clearance to the vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on May 11, 2016. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-642-0607. Forest River's recall number for this campaign is 420-06092015-0050.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 PUMA.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Forest River dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 16V179000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-574-642-0607.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

3. Equipment

What's wrong, in plain English: A part or accessory supplied with the vehicle. Forest River is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Forest River models Blue Ridge, Cardinal, Cherokee, Columbus, EVO, Georgetown, Flagstaff, Forester, Lexington, Puma, Rockwood, Sabre, Salem, Sandpiper, Sandstorm, Sierra, Stealth, Sunseeker, Wildcat, Wildwood, Work and Play and XLR; Coachmen models Brookstone, Catalina, Chaparral, Concord, Encounter, Freedom Express, Freelander, Leprechaun, Mirada, Pursuit, and…

What could happen: If the motor assembly screws shear, it is possible that the awning can unfurl unexpectedly, either while the vehicle is at rest or while in transit, increasing the risk of personal injury or a vehicle crash.

The fix: Forest River will notify owners and Dometic staff will replace the affected motors with motors of a different design. The safety recall began on July 29, 2013. Owners may contact Forest River at 1-574-389-4600 or Dometic at 1-888-447-0003 for more information. Owners are being instructed not to drive their vehicle…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 PUMA.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Forest River dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 13V203000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-574-389-4600.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

4. Electrical system

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. 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.

What could happen: A loose wire can cause a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

The fix: 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.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 PUMA.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Forest River dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 24V395000 (manufacturer code 51-1786).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-574-642-0588.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Most complained-about parts: Wheels / tires (1).

Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.