Model year record

2020 Forest River Cherokee recalls & problems

The 2020 Forest River Cherokee has 7 safety recalls and 14 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is structure (5 complaints).

Recalls7safety recalls

Complaints14filed by owners

Crashes · fires0 · 1reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths0 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

EquipmentJan 5, 2024

Recreational vehicle/trailer

Recall 24V003000302 vehicles

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

Components: Equipment › Recreational vehicle/trailer; Structure › Frame and members

Electrical systemOct 26, 2020

Electrical system

Recall 20V6540009,261 vehicles

Problem: 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.
Risk: A poor electrical connection can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.

EquipmentFeb 12, 2020

Recreational vehicle/trailer

Recall 20V0750004,464 vehicles

Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.

Components: Equipment › Recreational vehicle/trailer; Tires › Temporary/emergency spare tire

Trailer hitchesNov 25, 2019

Trailer hitches

Recall 19V844000328 vehicles

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

EquipmentNov 1, 2019

Electrical

Recall 19V785000154 vehicles

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

Components: Equipment › Electrical; Equipment › Recreational vehicle/trailer

Electrical systemSep 20, 2019

Wiring

Recall 19V66800053 vehicles

Problem: 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.
Risk: Damaged distribution panel wiring can increase the risk of electrical shock or fire.
Fix: 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.

EquipmentJun 14, 2019

Other › Labels

Recall 19V45300070 vehicles

Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Fires	Typical mileage*
StructureBody; Body › Roof and pillars	5	0	—
Tires	4	0	—
Suspension	3	0	205 mi
Unknown or other	2	0	—
Electrical systemIgnition	2	1	—
Wheels	1	0	—
Service brakes	1	0	—
EquipmentMechanical › Integrated jack/leveler/stabilizer › Safety lockout	1	0	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

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 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…
Jul 6, 2025
Structure › Body
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…
Aug 4, 2022
Tires
Was driving at speed 60-65 mile per hour and tire blew out caused severe damage to the trailer.
Jul 9, 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 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.
May 21, 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, 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…
Jan 11, 2023
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 approximately 2,000.
Sep 17, 2021 · 2,000 miles
Equipment › Mechanical › Integrated jack/leveler/stabilizer › Safety lockout
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.
Aug 29, 2021 · 3,000 miles
Structure › Body › Roof and pillars
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.
Jul 16, 2021

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.