2024 Forest River Salem
Several concerns worth a close look before buying.
Cons
Official recall campaigns exist for this vehicle. See the Safety Recalls section for what failed and how it's fixed.
Why we say this — NHTSA — Safety Recalls
3 of 4 owner complaints are about the electrical system. Tap it in the heatmap to read the real reports.
Why we say this — NHTSA — Owner Complaints
Pros
Nothing in this category from the official data.
Neutral
The government hasn't published a crash-test rating for this exact vehicle. We won't invent one.
Why we say this — NHTSA — 5-Star Safety Ratings
ℹ️ Recalls & complaints are reported per model — the same across every trim & engine. Fuel economy (and crash ratings by body style) can vary — use the pickers in those sections.
Safety Recalls
Official recall campaigns. Tap one to see the danger and the fix.
What is a recall, really?
A recall means the government made the manufacturer admit a safety defect — and the fix is free at any dealer, forever, even for used cars. Recalls range from a software update to "the steering wheel can detach," so read the danger line on each one. Buying used? Ask the seller for proof each recall was completed, or have a dealer run the VIN. Recalls also have a quieter cousin worth reading: technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Campaign 23V658000
What's wrong: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024 Salem and Wildwood fifth wheels. These vehicles may be missing a secondary emergency exit.
The danger: A missing emergency exit window could prevent or delay the occupants from exiting in the event of an emergency, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will install an emergency exit window, free of charge. All affected vehicles are still within dealer inventory and therefore no owner notification letters will be mailed. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1683.
NHTSA Campaign 24V066000
What's wrong: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Salem and Wildwood fifth wheel travel trailers. The Federal Placard may have incorrect tire size information. As such, these trailers fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 120, "Wheels and Rims - Other Than Passenger Cars."
The danger: Incorrect tire size information could result in the wrong tires being installed on the trailer, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will mail new federal placards, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 69-1731.
NHTSA Campaign 24V388000
What's wrong: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024 Forest River Rainier, Stealth Evo, Salem, Vibe, and Wildwood travel trailers. The tire may contact the vehicle body due to insufficient clearance, which can cause tire damage.
The danger: A damaged tire can fail and cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will install taller shackles and equalizers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-503-831-5410. Forest River's number for this recall is 22-1789.
NHTSA Campaign 24V490000
What's wrong: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Salem, and Wildwood travel trailers. The affected vehicles may not have a secondary emergency exit installed.
The danger: In the event of an emergency, passengers may not be able to exit the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will install an emergency exit window, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 72-1805.
NHTSA Campaign 24V531000
What's wrong: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024 Salem, Puma, Wildwood, and 2025 Cherokee travel trailers equipped with certain Pacific Rim brand couplers. The couplers have an incorrect load rating of 14,000 pounds and may be overloaded, causing the hitch to fail.
The danger: Hitch failure increases the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the date code of the hitch coupler and replace it if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 2, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at Salem & Wildwood (574) 534-3167, Puma (574) 642-0588 or Cherokee (260) 499-2100. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1803.
NHTSA Campaign 24V530000
What's wrong: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024 Forest River Salem, Wildwood, and Stealth EVO travel trailers. The Federal Placard may state an incorrect rim size. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The danger: An incorrect rim size on the label may result in the wrong wheels being installed, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will install new Federal Placards, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 19, 2024. Owners may contact customer service at 1-503-831-5413. Forest River's number for this recall is 22-1808.
NHTSA Campaign 24V629000
What's wrong: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Salem SBF325RL, and Wildwood WBF325RL travel trailers. The tires may contact chassis components, causing the tires to fail.
The danger: Tire failure can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will install a riser kit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 18, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 69-1833.
NHTSA Campaign 24V628000
What's wrong: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024 Forest River Salem, and Wildwood travel trailers. The tire may contact the outrigger, causing the tire to fail.
The danger: Tire failure can cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace and relocate the outriggers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 10, 2024. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-534-3167. Forest River's number for this recall is 44-1831.
NHTSA Campaign 25V682000
What's wrong: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Forest River Aurora, Coachmen Catalina, 2026 Coachmen Viking, Coachmen Clipper, 2016-2026 Wildwood, and Salem recreational trailers. The distribution panel wire may be connected to the battery without over current protection.
The danger: Unprotected wiring can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will relocate the distribution panel wire to the correct side of the breaker, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2025. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-4995. Forest River's number for this recall is 205-1987.
NHTSA Campaign 26V352000
What's wrong: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Wildwood, Salem and 2026 Stealth EVO travel trailers. The fireplace outlet may have the incorrect wiring.
The danger: The incorrect wiring may not make adequate contact, increasing the amperage and risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will replace the wiring and outlet, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 29, 2026. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-503-831-5410.
Source: NHTSA — Safety Recalls · re-checked about every 24 hours
Where Owners Report Problems
Where owners report the most trouble — based on 4 complaints. Tap a part to read the real reports.
Raw count — best-sellers naturally log more complaints than rare cars, so judge it against the peer comparison below, not on its own.
Why don't we show complaints per vehicle sold?
Because no official source publishes sales counts per model — that data is sold by private firms, and the free numbers online are guesses. A rate built on a guessed denominator is a guess wearing a lab coat, so we refuse to show one. Instead we show comparisons where fleet size cancels out or is disclosed: the same model across its own years, the crash/fire severity mix, and the peer ranking below — each with its methodology attached.
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 3 of 3):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 2 of 2):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 1 of 1):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 1 of 1):
Color = how serious (crash/fire involvement) · number = how many (share of all this car's reports). Tap any part to read real owner complaints.
Source: NHTSA — Owner Complaints · re-checked about every 24 hours
Crash-Test Safety Ratings
Official U.S. government 5-star crash-test results.
How to read these stars
These come from the government physically crash-testing this vehicle — front, side, and rollover — and scoring it 1 to 5 stars. Ratings are per body style, so a sedan and its coupe twin can differ. If a vehicle shows no rating, it usually means the government never tested that exact configuration — untested is not the same as unsafe, and we'll never blur that line.
We couldn't find this vehicle in NHTSA's crash-test catalog, so we have no official star rating to show. That may mean it was never tested, or that NHTSA lists it under a different name — we won't guess either way, and we won't invent a rating. Check NHTSA's official ratings search →
Source: NHTSA — 5-Star Safety Ratings · re-checked about every 24 hours
Fuel Economy (MPG)
Official EPA estimates — the real numbers, not the brochure.
No official EPA fuel-economy match for this exact model. Rather than show a guess, we're leaving it blank.
Source: U.S. EPA / DOE — fueleconomy.gov · re-checked about every 24 hours