Coachmen Electrical System: Wiring

Coachmen is recalling about 69 vehicles over a problem with the electrical system. If the trailer brakes cannot engage if the trailer detaches from tow vehicle, there would be an increased risk of a crash.

Campaign
18V545000
Manufacturer
Forest River, Inc.
Reported
17 August 2018
Vehicles
69
Built between
Jul 2018 – Aug 2018
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
11 September 2018
Repaired
59%
Unrepaired
26

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between July 2018 and August 2018. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2019 Coachmen Freedom ExpressBuilt July 2018 to August 2018

Repair progress

26 of 69 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q4 2021.

59% repaired — 41 of 69 reported

Owners not reachable
2

Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.

What the defect is

Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2019 Coachmen Freedom Express recreational trailers. The break-away safety switch was not wired to a constant power source, and, as a result, the switch may be inadvertently disconnected from the trailer house battery and cause the brakes to not engage if the trailer detaches from the tow vehicle.

What could happen

If the trailer brakes cannot engage if the trailer detaches from tow vehicle, there would be an increased risk of a crash.

What gets fixed

Forest River has notified owners, and dealers will correct the break-away safety switch wiring, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2018.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJuly 2018 to August 2018
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA17 August 2018
  3. Owners notified11 September 2018
  4. Latest repair reportQ4 2021 — 59% repaired

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 17 August 2018.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Manufacturer contact

Owners may contact Coachmen Freedom Express customer service at 1-574-825-8657. Forest River's number for this recall is 220/320-0825.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
220/320-0825
Recalling manufacturer
Forest River, Inc.
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand