NHTSA Complaint #11130421 — 2018 FOREST RIVER CHEROKEE

BOUGHT THIS UNIT IN NOVEMBER 2017. BY FEBRUARY IT WAS HARD TO DRIVE, FISHTAILING AND SWAYING. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, SAID EVERYTHING (INCLUDING AXLE) WAS FINE. DROVE TO WYOMING IN APRIL, SWAYED A LOT. MOVED AS MUCH WEIGHT FORWARD AS POSSIBLE. PARKED IT FOR A FEW MONTHS. DROVE AGAIN IN JULY AND NEARLY FLIPPED ON I90. DROPPED IT AT AN ALIGNMENT SHOP IN MT WHERE THEY TOLD US THE FRAME WAS TOTALLY BENT, MESSED UP AND THE AXLE WAS WAY TOO SMALL FOR THE RIG. ENDED UP ALSO HAVING A FLAT LEAF SPRING AND A BROKEN SUPPORT MEMBER. FOREST RIVER AND LIPPERT HAVE SPENT THE LAST 8 WEEKS PASSING BLAME AND STALLING. IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS ON THE STICKER, THE DRY WEIGHT SHOULD BE 9614 POUNDS (WE WEIGHED IT, IT IS 11,000 NEARLY EMPTY), THE GROSS WEIGHT IS 11,680, THE AXLES ARE RATED FOR A TOTAL OF 10,160 AND THE WHEELS FOR A TOTAL OF 10,000. WE ARE TOLD BY FR THAT THE HITCH IS SUPPOSE TO BEAR 10% OF THE WEIGHT. IF THAT IS TRUE AND WE LOOK AT THE MAX WEIGHT MINUS 10% WE ARE STILL LOOKING AT 10,528 POUNDS ON THE AXLES AND WHEELS NOT RATED FOR THAT MUCH WEIGHT. FR REFUSES TO UPGRADE OUR AXLES AND TIRES AND HAS ONLY AUTHORIZED LIPPERT TO REPAIR THE BROKEN MEMBER AND FLAT LEAF SPRING, ALSO LEAVING US WITH A WARPED FRAME AND DOORS THAT WON'T LATCH. *DT *DT *DT CARFAX CANNOT PROCESS THIS REQUEST. *JB CONSUMER HAS STATED UNIT HAS BEEN REPAIRED.*JB