2018 Forest River Cherokee Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 31, 2023 · 14 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Cherokee years
Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 30 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Forest River Cherokee. That ranks 3rd out of 30 Cherokee model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is wheels (6 complaints, 43%), typically at around 2,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 fires. There are 8 safety recalls covering this model year.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2018 Forest River Cherokee problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Wheels6 · ~2,000 mi
Tires3 · ~1,400 mi
Unknown or Other3 · ~2,000 mi
Electrical System2 · ~300 mi
Suspension2 · ~2,000 mi
Equipment1
Firerelated1
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Wheels643%2,000——
Tires321%1,400——
Unknown or Other321%2,000——
Electrical System214%300——
Suspension214%2,000——
Equipment17%———
Firerelated17%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2020, with 4 complaints
2017: 2201722018: 3201832019: 1201912020: 4202042022: 2202222023: 220232

n = 14 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2018 Forest River Cherokee recalls (8)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Trailer hitchesNov 25, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V844000 · 328 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.

Equipment:other:labelsMay 10, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V355000 · 3 vehicles

Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cherokee ACKT39CL and ACKT39RL travel trailers. The Federal Placard may have incorrect axle rating, cargo carrying capacity, and tire/wheel combination information.

Risk: Due to the incorrect Federal Placard, an operator may overload the vehicle, which may decrease vehicle stability and increase the risk of crash.

Fix: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will provide replacement placards that contain the accurate information, free of charge. The recall began May 28, 2019. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-260-499-2100. Forest River's number for this recall is 17A-1012.

Equipment:recreational vehicle/trailerOct 25, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V752000 · 3,606 vehicles

Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cherokee Alpha Wolf and 2019 Cherokee Arctic Wolf recreational trailers. The awnings may have been mounted with fasteners that are insufficient in length and/or quantity, possibly resulting in the awning arm detaching from the wall.

Risk: If the awning arm detaches, it can increase the risk of injury or a crash.

Fix: Forest River will notify owners and dealers will inspect and replace with the correct fastener, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-260-499-2100. Forest River's number for this recall is 75-0867.

Equipment:recreational vehicle/trailerMar 21, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V186000 · 448 vehicles

Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forest River Cherokee recreational trailers, models CCKT16BF, CCKT16BHS, CCKT16FQ, CCKT16GR, CCKT16GRH, CCKT17RP and CCKT18TO. These vehicles are equipped with Norcold N306 mini refrigerators that may have a loose or missing propane gas valve test port screw, allowing propane to leak out when the refrigerator is used in 'gas' mode.

Risk: A propane leak increases the risk of a fire.

Fix: Forest River will notify owners, and Norcold dealers will install and tighten the gas valve port screw, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 19, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-260-499-2100, or Norcold customer service at 1-800-543-1219. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-0687.

Exterior lightingJan 22, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V066000 · 75 vehicles

Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018 Cherokee recreational trailers. The amber side marker lights are not located as far to the front as feasible on the vehicle. Additionally, the vehicles may also be missing the intermediate side reflex reflectors located at, or near, the midpoint of the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Risk: If the marker lights are in the wrong location or if the reflectors are missing, it can reduce the visibility of the vehicle to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install amber side marker lights as far forward as feasible, and mount side marker reflectors, free of charge. The recall began on February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-260-499-2100. Forest River's number for this recall is 75-0613.

Electrical system:wiringJan 11, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V034000 · 223 vehicles

Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Forest River Cherokee travel trailers. On the affected trailers, a 14 gauge and a 12 gauge neutral wire for the 110V Air Conditioning were connected to the same lug in the 120V panel neutral bus bar.

Risk: If both wires were connected to same lug, the smaller wire may overheat and fail due to trying to handle a higher load, thereby increasing the risk of an electrical fire.

Fix: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will relocate the subject wire to another 14 gauge terminal, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-260-499-2100. Forest River's number for this recall is 17A-0609.

Electrical system:wiringDec 21, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V838000 · 3,297 vehicles

Problem: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Cascade and Cherokee recreational trailers. The trailer wiring may have been improperly routed, allowing the wires to be pinched between the chassis and the vehicle body.

Risk: Pinched wires may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the trailers, rerouting the wires, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 7, 2018. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-541-644-8072. Forest River's number for this recall is 64-0456.

EquipmentNov 22, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V756000 · 365,885 vehicles

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.

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.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Castle Rock ST Radial ST 226 - Tire Size 205/75R14 - Load Range C - This tire had never been used and was stored with a cover over it - on the back of our camper. The tire blew - see attached pictures - when it was not in use. Concern - someone could have been hurt - and we have 4 more of these…

Tires · received Oct 31, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11552853

The contact owns a 2018 Forest River Cherokee equipped with Castle Rock tires, the Tire Line was unavailable , ST205/75R15, DOT Number was unavailable. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger tire exploded. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The…

Tires · received Jun 15, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11527144

After purchasing the travel trailer near Chicago, and returning to Kentucky, I noticed that the tires were rubbing the wheel well above them, on one side. The tires had worn through the cover, and had made burn marks on the wood frame. A local dealer replaced the leaf springs on that side under…

Suspension · received Oct 12, 2022 · NHTSA complaint 11488914

On June 12, 2022 my husband and I were towing our 5th wheel on 99W in Salem/KeizerOregon about 4pm when a car on our left waved us down saying that we had a wobbly tire on the passenger side of the 5th wheel. We got off onto Cherry Lane and pulled over to inspect and could not readily determine the…

Wheels · received Jun 20, 2022 · NHTSA complaint 11470151

Two tire trailers blew up going down the interstate from a camping trip. First tire blew apart after leaving the camp site around 15 mins down the road. 2nd tire blew when we were standing still replacing the other tire. This is a single axle trailer with two tires. 205-75-r14 castle rock with…

Wheels · received Sep 29, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11361712

Other Forest River Cherokee years

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2018 Forest River Cherokee?

Owners most often report wheels, tires, unknown or other problems. The top one, wheels, accounts for 6 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2018 Forest River Cherokee?

Yes, 8 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2018 Forest River Cherokee a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Cherokee model years, the 2018 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.