2016 Forest River Berkshire Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Berkshire years
- Not enough data 2nd of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Forest River Berkshire. That ranks 2nd out of 20 Berkshire model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (1 complaints, 25%). Complaints mention 2 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 4owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Forest River Berkshire problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 25% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 25% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 25% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 25% | 4,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 25% | 16,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Forest River Berkshire recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections
Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Forest River Berkshire, 2012-2017 Forest River Charleston, 2013-2015 Coachmen Cross Country and Pathfinder, and 2014-2015 Glaval Synergy motorhomes built on Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) chassis. The power steering hose on the affected vehicles may be routed incorrectly, and, as a result, the hose may rub against the power stud on the starter motor, possibly causing electrical arcing and a power steering fluid leak.
Risk: Electrical arcing in the presence of leaking power steering fluid can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Forest River will notify owners, and Freightliner dealers will reroute the power steering hose to provide proper clearance, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712, Forest River customer service at 1-574-295-2117, Coachmen customer service at 1-574-825-8212, or Glaval customer service at 1-574-343-5167. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-0665.
Electrical system:wiring:fuses and circuit breakers
Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Berkshire XLT motorhomes. Incorrect circuit breakers were used that may not contact the electrical sub-panel correctly.
Risk: If the breakers do not contact the sub-panel properly, the electrical resistance can cause excessive heat, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will replace the incorrect circuit breaker, free of charge. The recall began on January 11, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-522-1368. Forest River's number for this recall is 40-0594.
Equipment
Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2003-2018 Forest River Berkshire, Charleston, Rockport, Cedar Creek, Cherokee, Riverstone, Salem, Sandpiper, Sierra, Vengeance, Wildcat, Wildwood, XLR Boost, Cargo Mate, Continental Cargo, motorhomes, recreational trailers, toyhaulers, cargo trailers and restroom trailers and 2009-2018 Coachmen Mirada, Pursuit, Concord, Leprechaun, Freelander, Orion and Prism motorhomes, 2009-2017 Coachmen Apex and Catalina recreational trailers, and 2013-2017 Shasta Oasis and Revere recreational trailers, equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or excessive force may be needed to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf
Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Forest River will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began on December 27, 2017. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-800-348-7440, or Kidde customer service toll free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-0544.
Exterior lighting:headlights:high/low beam dimmer switch
Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Berkshire XL and XLT buses. The headlights may shut off while switching from low beam to high beam settings, reducing visibility for the operator and other vehicles.
Risk: If the headlights shut off while driving, decreasing or causing a full loss of visibility, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install a supplemental wiring harness that will stop the headlights from shutting off unexpectedly, free of charge. The recall began on October 31, 2017. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-295-2117. Forest River's number for this recall is 40-0241.
Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables
Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Berkshire vehicles built on Freightliner Custom Chassis XCR chassis. A battery cable mounting bracket may not have been installed correctly, as a result, the improperly routed and clipped battery cable can contact the frame rail, possibly chafing and short circuiting.
Risk: A battery cable short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Foreest River will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and revise the battery cable mounting bracket and cable routing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on September 29, 2017. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-800-34-7440 or DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. Forest River's number for this recall is 40-08032017-0491.
Suspension:front:stabilizer bar; steering
Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Berkshire manufactured May 29, 2015, to April 26, 2016, and 2016 Coachmen Cross Country recreational vehicles manufactured April 30, 2015, to December 14, 2015 and built on Daimler Trucks chassis. The front sway bar mounting brackets may not fit properly on the axle causing the mounting bolts to bend or loosen.
Risk: If the sway bar bolts loosen, the sway bar may detach from the axle, affecting the handling and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Forest River will notify owners, and Daimler Trucks dealers will modify the mounting of the sway bar, free of charge. The recall began on June 30, 2016. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. Forest River's number for this recall is 40-05032016-0183.
Equipment:recreational vehicle/trailer:lpg systems:water heater
Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2012-2016 Berkshire, Charleston, Legacy, Dynamax, XLR, Continental Cargo, Work & Play, Shockwave, and Coachmen Brookstone recreational vehicles and toy haulers, equipped with Atwood on demand water heaters, models OD45, OD50, and OD50CW, manufactured January 2, 2012, to August 13, 2015. The affected water heaters have a water and gas valve that may cause the water heater to overheat the water in the hot water supply tap.
Risk: The overheating of the water may result in the release of steam, possibly causing the operator is to scald themselves and increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Forest River will notify owners of a field remedy as provided by Atwood to the Dealerships and O.E.M. A. Inspection and installation instructions for the remedy, to be used and applied only by qualified service center personnel. B. Installation of a water flow adjustment STOP KEY that prevents the adjustment of the water flow down below .5gal/min. C. The addition of a star or lock washer to secure the adjustment screw that prevents unintended adjustment or and adjustment drift from vibration as you travel down the road. D. Securement of the remedy with the application of a warning and tamper proof label applied over the stop key and adjustment screw. The recall began on December 17, 2015. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-800-348-7440, or Atwood customer service at 1-574-264-2131. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-11092015-0107.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Trimark 060-1650 Door Latch Failures (PE20021) — opened Nov 23, 2020, closed Dec 13, 2024.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Wife went to get food and i stayed in motorhome, i tried to open door to take dog for walk but door would not open. Googled it and saw many others had same problem, i am disabled but was somehow able to crawl out window after being trapped inside for over an hour.now stuck in the middle of nowhere.
The front passenger side wheelwell liner's two self tapping screws stripped from being attached to an aluminum frame. The liner also had an aluminum tube attached to the liner but was in no way secured to the vehicle's frame except for the two screws and foam selant. This faulty securing of the…
After purchasing our forest river berkshire xl on august 1, 2016, i was following my wife during the day time, she noticed the headlights did not look correct. This was acknowledged by dealer. Their service personnel worked on correcting the headlights for 5 hours on august 2, 2016. The following…
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 forest river berkshire. While driving with the low beam headlights activated, the lights would not illuminate bright enough to see the road. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The…
Other Forest River Berkshire years
← 2015 Berkshire · 2017 Berkshire →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Berkshire | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 Berkshire | 3 | 8 |
| 2020 Berkshire | 1 | 5 |
| 2019 Berkshire | 6 | 9 |
| 2018 Berkshire | 1 | 11 |
| 2017 Berkshire | 0 | 11 |
| 2016 | 4 | 7 |
| 2015 Berkshire | 1 | 3 |
| 2014 Berkshire | 2 | 3 |
| 2013 Berkshire | 0 | 2 |
| 2012 Berkshire | 0 | 3 |
| 2011 Berkshire | 3 | 3 |
| 2010 Berkshire | 1 | 2 |
| 2009 Berkshire | 2 | 1 |
| 2008 Berkshire | 2 | 3 |
| 2007 Berkshire | 0 | 4 |
| 2006 Berkshire | 0 | 1 |
| 2005 Berkshire | 0 | 1 |
| 2004 Berkshire | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 Berkshire | 0 | 1 |
See all Forest River Berkshire problems by year, every Forest River model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Forest River models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Forest River Berkshire?
Owners most often report exterior lighting, steering, structure problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 1 complaint.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Forest River Berkshire?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Forest River Berkshire a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Berkshire model years, the 2016 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.