2015 FOREST RIVER SOLERA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

TAKATA RECALL. I HAVE CONTACTED SEVERAL MERCEDES-BENZ DEALERS REGARDING THIS RECALL. MY LAST CONTACT WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP IN OCTOBER, 2017 (DESMOINES, IA). THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID HAVE THE AIR BAG REPAIR PARTS. THEY SAID MY VEHICLE WAS 'PENDING', HOWEVER WAS NOT APPROVED FOR INSTALLATION AT THAT TIME. SO THEY DECLINED TO REPAIR IT.

ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 50 MILES AN HOUR, THE STABILIZER JACKS HAVE JUST DROPPED TO THE GROUND. THE LATEST INSTANCE WAS ON JUNE 27, 2016 ON LA 1 IN SHREVEPORT,LOUISIANA. NOT A GOOD FEELING WHEN YOU HEAR METAL AGAINST CONCRETE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I HAVE HAD THIS COACH IN MULTIPLE TIMES TO BE FIXED AND THE FINAL INSTRUCTIONS I WAS GIVEN BY FOREST RIVER WAS "THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME ON THE TELEPHONE THIS AFTERNOON AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE ISSUE YOU ARE HAVING WITH YOUR QUADRA STABILIZING JACKS. I HAVE ATTACHED THE RE-PROGRAMMING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SYSTEM, BUT THE BEST WAY IS TO HAVE THE WIRE ANTENNA TAKEN OFF OF THE BOX UNDER THE COACH. THE BOX WILL BE LOCATED NEXT TO THE JACK CYLINDER AND THERE IS A METAL COVER THAT HIDES THE PUMP AND FLUID RESERVOIR. WHEN THE ANTENNA IS CUT OFF, THE KEY FOB REMOTE WILL NOT WORK AND YOU WILL HAVE TO USE THE EXTEND/RETRACT SWITCH IN THE COMPARTMENT. " ALONG WITH ATTACHED INSTRUCTION SHEET. HOWEVER, THE INSTRUCTION SHEET SAYS THAT ALL UNITS SHIPPED AFTER JULY 29, 2013 WERE CORRECTED. MY UNIT DID NOT REACH THE DEALER UNTIL APRIL OF 2014, THEREFORE, MY UNIT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED. CAMPING WORLD OF BOSSIER CITY AND FOREST RIVER SEEM TO HAVE NO CONCERN FOR THE POSSIBLE DANGERS THIS COACH PRESENTS. ASKING A CUSTOMER TO CUT A WIRE/ANTENNA FROM UNDER THE COACH SEEMS A BIT LAZY AND DANGEROUS ADVICE FOR A COMPANY TO GIVE AS A SOLUTION. CONCERNING ANY NOTIFICATION, THIS IS THE FIRST "NOTICE" WE RECEIVED THAT THERE WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THE NHTSA RECORDS, FOREST RIVER IS NOTORIOUS FOR NOT NOTIFYING THEIR CUSTOMERS OR SAFETY OFFICES OF ANY RECALLS/MALFUNCTIONS. THIS SOLERA HAS BECOME A DANGER TO DRIVE AND A HAZARD FOR OTHERS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER AS THERE SHOULD BE A BETTER SOLUTION THAN "CUTTING AN ANTENNA." *TR

ON OUR FIRST TRIP IN JULY,2014, THE REARVIEW CAMERA QUIT WORKING NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN TRAVELING. THIS WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AS A DRIVER DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU COULD NOT SEE BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THE BIGFOOT STABILIZER JACKS WOULD GO UP AND DOWN EVEN WITH SWITCH TURNED OFF. FINALLY ON MARCH 24 THEY CAME COMPLETELY DOWN TO THE GROUND WHILE I WAS TRAVELING ACROSS THE ARKANSAS BRIDGE AT MEMPHIS. THE JACKS DRAGGED THE GROUND AND ALMOST CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. FOREST RIVER CORP AND BIGFOOT JACKS CORP. WERE BOTH AWARE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PROBLEM BUT DECIDED IT WAS NOT A BIG ENOUGH PROBLEM FOR A SERVICE BULLETIN OR RECALL. THIS WAS MADE KNOWN TO ME BY [XXX] OF THE BIGFOOT CORP WHO TOLD ME ON APRIL 17, 2015 THAT HIS COMPANY HAD BEEN AWARE OF OTHER INSTANCES OF THE JACKS FAILING. I FELT THAT MY LIFE WAS ENDANGERED WHEN THE JACKS CAME DOWN, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, WITH NO PLACE TO PULL OVER UNTIL I SLOWED TO 5-10 MILES PER HOUR TO GET ACROSS THE BRIDGE. IN MY MIND THIS LAX ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CUSTOMERS OF FOREST RIVER AND BIGFOOT IS UNACCEPTABLE AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER. MY RV HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THESE REPAIRS FOR OVER 8 WEEKS TOTAL TIME SINCE JULY 12, 2015. IT STILL HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED TO A SAFE AND DRIVABLE CONDITION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ON OUR FIRST TRIP IN JULY,2014, THE REARVIEW CAMERA QUIT WORKING NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN TRAVELING. THIS WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AS A DRIVER DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU COULD NOT SEE BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THE BIGFOOT STABILIZER JACKS WOULD GO UP AND DOWN EVEN WITH SWITCH TURNED OFF. FINALLY ON MARCH 24 THEY CAME COMPLETELY DOWN TO THE GROUND WHILE I WAS TRAVELING ACROSS THE ARKANSAS BRIDGE AT MEMPHIS. THE JACKS DRAGGED THE GROUND AND ALMOST CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. FOREST RIVER CORP AND BIGFOOT JACKS CORP. WERE BOTH AWARE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PROBLEM BUT DECIDED IT WAS NOT A BIG ENOUGH PROBLEM FOR A SERVICE BULLETIN OR RECALL. THIS WAS MADE KNOWN TO ME BY [XXX] OF THE BIGFOOT CORP WHO TOLD ME ON APRIL 17, 2015 THAT HIS COMPANY HAD BEEN AWARE OF OTHER INSTANCES OF THE JACKS FAILING. I FELT THAT MY LIFE WAS ENDANGERED WHEN THE JACKS CAME DOWN, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, WITH NO PLACE TO PULL OVER UNTIL I SLOWED TO 5-10 MILES PER HOUR TO GET ACROSS THE BRIDGE. IN MY MIND THIS LAX ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CUSTOMERS OF FOREST RIVER AND BIGFOOT IS UNACCEPTABLE AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER. MY RV HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THESE REPAIRS FOR OVER 8 WEEKS TOTAL TIME SINCE JULY 12, 2015. IT STILL HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED TO A SAFE AND DRIVABLE CONDITION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR