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2020 Forest River Cherokee

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

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There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 6 of 14 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Structure. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Tires. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

14 reports
Mileage unknown · Jul 9, 2025
Electrical SystemFire

The contact owned a 2020 Forest River Cherokee. The contact stated that while inside the vehicle, while it was parked in the driveway, an abnormal chemical odor was emitting from the interior and exterior of the vehicle. In addition, afterward, a fuel-burning odor was emitted from the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The co…

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The contact owned a 2020 Forest River Cherokee. The contact stated that while inside the vehicle, while it was parked in the driveway, an abnormal chemical odor was emitting from the interior and exterior of the vehicle. In addition, afterward, a fuel-burning odor was emitted from the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed black smoke emitting from the battery area. No warning lights were illuminated. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. The fire department informed the contact that the fire may have started due to a failure of the solar connection. The front end of the vehicle was consumed by the fire. The insurance company was notified. However, no claim has been filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V654000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM).

NHTSA ODI #11672371

Mileage unknown · Dec 19, 2023
Structure

There are 2 major defects that we would like to make the NHTSA aware of and feel that the manufacturer should issue a recall and have these issues properly fixed. Our 2020 Forest River camper/ice house has a structural defect and the entire camper is breaking away from the frame. We had this confirmed by a service company that s…

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There are 2 major defects that we would like to make the NHTSA aware of and feel that the manufacturer should issue a recall and have these issues properly fixed. Our 2020 Forest River camper/ice house has a structural defect and the entire camper is breaking away from the frame. We had this confirmed by a service company that specializes in RV frames/wheel alignment. Our camper has had structural issues within 2 years of owning it. We are the original owners (bought Aug 2020) and the camper's wheel well is bowing, the exterior walls on the camper are bowing/wavy, interior walls are bowing/wavy. We have made attempts to work with Forest River to fix this major structural issue, but they have denied our claim. We have an extended warranty, but was given the impression that they also will deny our claim. In talking with other owners of Forest River camping/ice house, this is a wide spread issue (both the structural wall and tongue failure). We are also aware of a recall of what appears to be a similar if not exact issue that Forest River had to fix in 2014/15 (NHTSA Recall No. 14V-689 / Manufacturer Recall No. 6-102914). In addition to the wall/structural issues, the trailer's tongue weld failed and snapped while we were in transit. This occurred in Nov 2023. I have documents and pictures to upload and provide, but I was unable to get the upload tool to work when submitting this request.

NHTSA ODI #11561005

Mileage unknown · Jul 10, 2023
Tires

Was driving at speed 60-65 mile per hour and tire blew out caused severe damage to the trailer.

NHTSA ODI #11531239

Mileage unknown · May 22, 2023
Tires

Castle Rock ST225/75R15 as originally equipped on 2020 Wolf Pup travel trailer. Approximately 4000-5000 miles total on tire. Properly inflated and visually inspected prior to trip. Load estimated at 70% of rating. Tire explosively failed without warning at highway speed. Second tire same brand/model/age/conditions failed in simi…

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Castle Rock ST225/75R15 as originally equipped on 2020 Wolf Pup travel trailer. Approximately 4000-5000 miles total on tire. Properly inflated and visually inspected prior to trip. Load estimated at 70% of rating. Tire explosively failed without warning at highway speed. Second tire same brand/model/age/conditions failed in similar circumstance approximately 45 miles later. Wheels destroyed, trailer damaged. Debris showered onto roadway putting others at risk. Control of vehicle and trailer also became a risk to self and others on road. Continued safety risk as I was forced to change tire on side of interstate. Remnant of tires available for inspection on request.

NHTSA ODI #11523350

Mileage unknown · Feb 13, 2023
Tires

This warning and complaint pertains to recreational vehicle tires, Castle Rock/Lionshead ST 225/75R15. Three tires blew up, exploded, causing damage to the side and underside of the RV. The 4th shows signs of delamination. The tires have a DOT number JUL T. The tires were on an RV purchased new in 2020, less than 3 years old, wi…

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This warning and complaint pertains to recreational vehicle tires, Castle Rock/Lionshead ST 225/75R15. Three tires blew up, exploded, causing damage to the side and underside of the RV. The 4th shows signs of delamination. The tires have a DOT number JUL T. The tires were on an RV purchased new in 2020, less than 3 years old, with less than 5000 miles on them. They were properly inflated at 80 PSI and monitored with temperature and pressure sensors, which gave no warnings. The first tire exploded January 11, 2023. Tires 2 and 3 exploded January 16. The 4th did not explode but it clearly shows signs of delamination. One trip, 4 defective tires within 1000 miles, something is wrong. We have filed a warranty claim with Lionshead. We ask that the NHTSA get involved with RV tires because they are and have been a problem for years. Photographs of 2 blown tires are available. Photos are available of tire 4 which is delaminating. Tire 4 is in our possession. Tire 4 was inspected by a tire technician who pointed out the delamination. Our safety was compromised by changing tires on the drivers side of high speed highways. We would like to join a class action law suit or other legal remedies to receive full compensation for the costs of new tires, repairs to campers and compensation for stress and aggravation. There is no excuse other than cost savings for trash tires to be placed on any vehicles. We understand new RVs are arriving on the lots with better tires. About time!

NHTSA ODI #11507023

2,000 miles · Oct 12, 2021
Tires

The contact owns a 2020 FOREST RIVER Cherokee equipped with Castle Rock Radial ST22, Size: 205/75/r14 DOT Number: JUJTYMT2418. The contact stated while at a standstill the passenger front tire exploded without warning. The manufacturer was informed of failure and the contact is awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approx…

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The contact owns a 2020 FOREST RIVER Cherokee equipped with Castle Rock Radial ST22, Size: 205/75/r14 DOT Number: JUJTYMT2418. The contact stated while at a standstill the passenger front tire exploded without warning. The manufacturer was informed of failure and the contact is awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

NHTSA ODI #11436448

3,000 miles · Sep 22, 2021
Equipment

The contact owns a 2020 Forest River Cherokee. The contact stated that while the RV was parked, the contact started to unhook the landing the gear on the RV and noticed that the jacking system used to raise and lower the RV was not raised all the way up and keeping the RV in place. The contact took the RV to the local dealer to …

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The contact owns a 2020 Forest River Cherokee. The contact stated that while the RV was parked, the contact started to unhook the landing the gear on the RV and noticed that the jacking system used to raise and lower the RV was not raised all the way up and keeping the RV in place. The contact took the RV to the local dealer to be inspected. The contact was informed that one of the landing gears leg and motor needed to be replaced. The RV was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

NHTSA ODI #11433969

Mileage unknown · Jul 16, 2021
Structure

2020 FOREST RIVER CHEROKEE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ROOF LEAKING IN RV. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED, BUT NEITHER OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE.

NHTSA ODI #11425072

Mileage unknown · Feb 3, 2021
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 FOREST RIVER CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STARING AND TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH, IT FRACTURED AND CONTINUED TO ROTATE. THE CONTACT CALLED OUTLET RECREATION (2088 202ND ST E CLEARWATER, MN 55320; (320) 373-9139) WHERE INFORMED TO UPGRADE TO HYDRAULIC HANDLES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR RE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 FOREST RIVER CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STARING AND TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH, IT FRACTURED AND CONTINUED TO ROTATE. THE CONTACT CALLED OUTLET RECREATION (2088 202ND ST E CLEARWATER, MN 55320; (320) 373-9139) WHERE INFORMED TO UPGRADE TO HYDRAULIC HANDLES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #11394523

250 miles · Jul 1, 2020
Service BrakesSuspensionUnknown Or Other

I PURCHASED A FOREST RIVER WOLF PUP TRAVEL TRAILER JULY 2019. IT WAS DOCUMENTED TO HAVE A 30 GAL FRESH WATER TANK. AFTER PURCHASE I FIND OUT IT HAS 20 GAL FRESH TANK. THE TRAILER WEIGHT LABEL FIXED TO TRAILER STATES WEIGHT INCLUDES WEIGHT OF 30 GAL FRESH WATER CAPACITY. BASED ON THE INCORRECT WEIGHT LISTED, I DO NOT KNOW ACTUAL …

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I PURCHASED A FOREST RIVER WOLF PUP TRAVEL TRAILER JULY 2019. IT WAS DOCUMENTED TO HAVE A 30 GAL FRESH WATER TANK. AFTER PURCHASE I FIND OUT IT HAS 20 GAL FRESH TANK. THE TRAILER WEIGHT LABEL FIXED TO TRAILER STATES WEIGHT INCLUDES WEIGHT OF 30 GAL FRESH WATER CAPACITY. BASED ON THE INCORRECT WEIGHT LISTED, I DO NOT KNOW ACTUAL WEIGHT OF TRAILER MAKING ACCURATE LOADING IMPOSSIBLE. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. CONTACTED MANUFACTURE AND THEY ADMIT CHANGE IN TANK SIZE BUT DID NOT NOTIFY PURCHASER AT TIME OF SALE. THEY STATE CHANGE MADE MID 2019. SO, EVERY WOLF PUP TRAILER SOLD AFTER MID 2019 MAY HAVE INACCURATE WEIGHT LABELS. TO ME, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY LABEL TRAILER WITHOUT IN FACT WEIGHING AS STATED? I HAVE TOWED TRAILER SEVERAL TIMES HOWEVER I NOW DON'T FEEL SAFE TOWING UNTIL I FIND OUT ACTUAL WEIGHT. THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO WEIGH EACH TRAILER AND UPDATE WEIGHT PLACARD AT THEIR EXPENSE!*DT*JB*DT*AS*DT*JB*DT*JB

NHTSA ODI #11331869

Official recalls

7

24V003000 · Equipment:recreational Vehicle/trailer; Structure:frame And Members

Jan 5, 2024

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2020 Cherokee travel trailers. The draw bar locking mechanism may break, which can cause the front end of the trailer to contact the road.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A trailer that contacts the road during transit increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the Ice Hose swing arm draw bars, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-4995. Forest River's number for this recall is 95-1705.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Equipment:recreational Vehicle/trailer

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2020 Cherokee travel trailers. The draw bar locking mechanism may break, which can cause the front end of the trailer to contact the road.

Consequence: A trailer that contacts the road during transit increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the Ice Hose swing arm draw bars, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-4995. Forest River's number for this recall is 95-1705.

Structure:frame And Members

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2020 Cherokee travel trailers. The draw bar locking mechanism may break, which can cause the front end of the trailer to contact the road.

Consequence: A trailer that contacts the road during transit increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the Ice Hose swing arm draw bars, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-4995. Forest River's number for this recall is 95-1705.

20V654000 · Electrical System

Oct 26, 2020

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Cherokee recreational trailers. The shore cord inlet wiring insulation may not have been sufficiently stripped back, causing a poor connection with the set screw.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A poor electrical connection can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will remove the inlet, and rewire or replace the inlet completely if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 23, 2020. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-260-499-2100. Forest River's number for this recall is 17D-1201.

20V075000 · Equipment:recreational Vehicle/trailer; Tires:temporary/emergency Spare Tire

Feb 12, 2020

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.

Consequence & remedy

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.

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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Equipment:recreational Vehicle/trailer

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.

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.

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.

Tires:temporary/emergency Spare Tire

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.

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.

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.

19V844000 · Trailer Hitches

Nov 25, 2019

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Cascade and Cherokee travel trailers. The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the vehicle exceeds the GVWR of the trailer hitch coupler, potentially resulting in the coupler failing and the trailer detaching.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A trailer that detaches from the tow vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners and dealers will replace the coupler, free of charge. The recall began February 17, 2020. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-260-499-2100 or 1-541-995-3447. Forest River's number for this recall is 64-1114.

19V785000 · Equipment:electrical; Equipment:recreational Vehicle/trailer

Nov 1, 2019

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2020 Cherokee Alpha Wolf Travel Trailers. The wire supplying the 12V power for the refrigerator may have been connected incorrectly to the circuit breaker.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The incorrectly connected wire may not have overcurrent protection, allowing the wire to melt, increasing the risk of fire.

Remedy: Forest River has notified owners, and dealers will correct the wiring, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-260-499-2100. Forest River's number for this recall is 76-1109.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Equipment:electrical

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2020 Cherokee Alpha Wolf Travel Trailers. The wire supplying the 12V power for the refrigerator may have been connected incorrectly to the circuit breaker.

Consequence: The incorrectly connected wire may not have overcurrent protection, allowing the wire to melt, increasing the risk of fire.

Remedy: Forest River has notified owners, and dealers will correct the wiring, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-260-499-2100. Forest River's number for this recall is 76-1109.

Equipment:recreational Vehicle/trailer

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2020 Cherokee Alpha Wolf Travel Trailers. The wire supplying the 12V power for the refrigerator may have been connected incorrectly to the circuit breaker.

Consequence: The incorrectly connected wire may not have overcurrent protection, allowing the wire to melt, increasing the risk of fire.

Remedy: Forest River has notified owners, and dealers will correct the wiring, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-260-499-2100. Forest River's number for this recall is 76-1109.

19V668000 · Electrical System:wiring

Sep 20, 2019

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2020 Cherokee trailers, models CKT16BF-D, CKT16BFH-D, CKT16GR-D and CKT16GRH-D. The protective paneling may not have been installed around the distribution panel, allowing the distribution panel wiring to be exposed in a storage compartment, which can lead to damage to the panel and wiring.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Damaged distribution panel wiring can increase the risk of electrical shock or fire.

Remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a divider in the storage compartment to ensure the distribution panel wiring is protected, free of charge. The recall began October 9, 2019. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-260-499-2100. Forest River's number for this recall is 17D-1089.

19V453000 · Equipment:other:labels

Jun 14, 2019

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Cherokee trailers, model CKT294BH. The Federal Placard states incorrect Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC) and Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) information, which may result in the trailer being overloaded.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An operator may rely on the incorrect Placard information and overload the trailer causing a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Forest River has notified owners, providing replacement placards that contain accurate Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and Cargo Carrying Capacity information, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2019. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-541-995-3447. Forest River's number for this recall is 64-1033.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.