2018 Forest River Cherokee: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2018 Forest River Cherokee
On the 2018 Forest River Cherokee, the failure owners report most often is other wheel or tire problem, with 6 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 2,000 miles. Overall it scores 84 out of 100, severe risk for a 2018.
Severe risk for a 2018 — 10th riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. 18 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What breaks on the 2018 Forest River Cherokee
Owners have reported 7 named failure modes on the 2018 Forest River Cherokee, and the three most-reported carry 56% of everything filed.
Other wheel or tire problem leads with 6 reports and about 3.3 per 1,000 vehicles.
Cruise control failure follows with 2 reports, median 800 miles.
Other electrical problem follows with 2 reports, median 300 miles. 2 of those reports mention a fire.
By system, the reports fall mostly into wheels (7), adas (2) and electrical (2).
When these failures get reported
10 of the reports on the 2018 Forest River Cherokee came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 2,000 miles.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 100% of the dated reports.
100% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 3 a fire. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.50, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other wheel or tire problem at $200–$1,500, cruise control failure at $200–$1,400, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000 and other suspension problem at $350–$2,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 6 | 4 | — | 2k | — | 3.3 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 2 | 2 | — | 800 | — | 1.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 2 | 1 | — | 300 | — | 1.1 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 2 | 1 | — | 2k | — | 1.1 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Tire blowout or tread separation | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 980 | — | 0.6 | $200–$1,500 | Critical |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 3 | 1 | — | 2k | — | 1.7 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2018 Forest River Cherokee draws about 10.0 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 90th percentile of complaint rates among 2018 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 1,803 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2018 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other wheel or tire problem
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…
Other electrical problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 forest river cherokee 325 pack 13. While attempting to park the camper, smoke was observed coming from the rear of the camper. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (coastal rv, 21373 brewers neck blvd, carrollton, va 23314) where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired yet. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact filed a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 300. *tt updated 7/27/18*jb
Recalls on the 2018 model year
NHTSA has issued 8 recall campaigns covering the 2018 Forest River Cherokee, affecting an estimated 3,687 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover trailer hitches, equipment:other:labels and equipment:recreational vehicle/trailer. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
TRAILER HITCHES
328 vehicles 2019-11-25- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A trailer that detaches from the tow vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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:LABELS
3 vehicles 2019-05-10- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- Due to the incorrect Federal Placard, an operator may overload the vehicle, which may decrease vehicle stability and increase the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- 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/TRAILER
3,606 vehicles 2018-10-25- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- If the awning arm detaches, it can increase the risk of injury or a crash.
- Remedy
- 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/TRAILER
448 vehicles 2018-03-21- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A propane leak increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- 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 LIGHTING
75 vehicles 2018-01-22- Defect
- 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."
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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:WIRING
223 vehicles 2018-01-11- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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:WIRING
3,297 vehicles 2017-12-21- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- Pinched wires may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- 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.
EQUIPMENT
365,885 vehicles 2017-11-22- Defect
- 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…
- Consequence
- In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2018 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
Severe risk for a 2018 — 10th riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 5 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2020 comes out best at 77 and 2018 worst at 84, with 2018 itself at 84.
If the model year is negotiable, 2020, 2017, 2021 and 2022 score lower than 2018 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2014–2018 generation specifically, 2017 is the strongest year at 79 and 2018 the weakest at 84.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2014-2018 generation, 2017 Forest River Cherokee scores best at 79 and 2018 Forest River Cherokee worst at 84.
The limits of complaint data
18 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 18 reports, 10 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 56% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Forest River Cherokee?
The most-reported failures are other wheel or tire problem (6 reports, median 2,000 miles), cruise control failure (2 reports, median 800 miles) and other electrical problem (2 reports, median 300 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2018 Forest River Cherokee reliable?
It scores 84 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 10th riskiest of the 251 2018 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2018 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Forest River Cherokee is best?
Within the 2014–2018 generation, 2017 scores best at 79 out of 100 and 2018 worst at 84. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed