Recall 16V547 affects 72 2016-2017 Forest River Surveyor trailers with an incorrect federal placard. Repair is free at any franchised Forest River dealer.
Forest River is recalling 72 2016-2017 Surveyor recreational trailers because the federal placard incorrectly classifies the trailer as a school bus. A wrong classification on the label can lead owners to overload the trailer, increasing crash risk, and Forest River dealers will correct the certification label free of charge.
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What's wrong?
The federal certification placard on a 2016-2017 Forest River Surveyor is the label that identifies the trailer and states key certification information. It tells inspectors, dealers, and owners how the trailer is classified. On this recall, that label is the affected part: the trailer itself is a towable recreational vehicle, and the placard is supposed to say that.
On affected Surveyor trailers, a clerical data-entry error put the wrong vehicle classification on the placard. The label says the trailer is a school bus instead of a recreational trailer. That makes the certification label wrong, even though the recall record describes the fix as replacing the placard with one that names the vehicle correctly.
There is no warning sign before failure. This is not a symptom you would feel while towing; it is a label problem found by reading the federal placard on the trailer.
Who's affected?
Covers Surveyor trailers from the 2016 and 2017 model years, all tied to the same vehicle label issue.
| 2016 Forest River Surveyor | vehicle label (placard or certification) |
|---|---|
| 2017 Forest River Surveyor | vehicle label (placard or certification) |
| Units affected | 72 |
| Field incidents | NHTSA has logged no field incidents to date. |
The year and model narrow the scope, but the VIN decides. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific trailer is included.
What's the safety risk?
An incorrect Federal Placard can give the wrong vehicle classification, which can lead owners to load the trailer beyond its proper limit. Overloading reduces the margin for safe handling and increases the risk of a crash. Check the placard before loading and schedule the replacement soon. Repair is free at any franchised Forest River dealer.
What should I do?
- Check your VIN to confirm your 2016-2017 Forest River Surveyor is included in this recall.
- Contact a franchised Forest River dealer to schedule the free corrected Federal Placard replacement, which fixes the school-bus misclassification on the loading label.
- Bring the recall notice if Forest River mailed one. If not, reference recall number 16V547 when you call.
- Avoid using the incorrect placard to set cargo or loading limits before the repair; overloading increases crash risk.
What happens at the repair
At the dealer, a Forest River technician replaces the incorrect Federal Placard with a corrected placard. The recall repair is available now, and the replacement placard and labor are free of charge. The corrected placard fixes the classification information on the trailer so the certification label matches the vehicle. If you already paid out of pocket for the same placard correction before the recall notice, Forest River's general reimbursement plan covers documented expenses. Bring your repair paperwork to the service desk or contact Forest River customer service for the claim process.
| Reimbursement | Reimbursement available |
|---|
Timeline
| July 22, 2016 | NHTSA published the recall |
|---|---|
| August 12, 2016 | Owner notification mailed |
| September 16, 2016 | Dealer notification began |
| September 16, 2016 | Dealer notification ended |
| September 16, 2016 | Interim owner notification (was planned for this date) |
Frequently asked questions
What is recall 16V547?
Recall 16V547 covers 72 2016-2017 Forest River Surveyor recreational trailers with a Federal Placard that incorrectly classifies the trailer as a school bus. A wrong label can lead to overloading, which increases crash risk. Forest River dealers will replace the placard for free.
What should I do if my 2016-2017 Forest River Surveyor is on this recall?
Check your VIN to confirm your specific Surveyor is included in recall 16V547. If it is, contact a franchised Forest River dealer to schedule the corrected Federal Placard installation. Reference recall 16V547 when you call. The repair is free.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Federal recall law requires manufacturers to fix recall defects at no cost, and Forest River dealers will replace the incorrect Federal Placard with a corrected placard free of charge.
What is the safety risk?
The safety risk is overloading caused by the wrong classification on the Federal Placard. If the trailer is loaded using an incorrect label, the extra weight can increase the risk of a crash. The fix is a corrected placard from a Forest River dealer.
What if I bought my Forest River Surveyor used?
The free recall repair still applies. Recall coverage follows the vehicle, not the first owner. Check your VIN to confirm whether your specific Surveyor is included, then call a franchised Forest River dealer or Forest River customer service at 1-800-348-7440.
More information
| NHTSA campaign page | nhtsa.gov/vehicle-recalls/16V547000 |
|---|---|
| Forest River customer service | 1-800-348-7440 |
| NHTSA recall # | 16V547 |
| NHTSA recall # (full) | 16V547000 |
Source documents
-
Download Recall Document (PDF) (PDF) - Download Recall Report (PDF)
- Download Quarterly Report (PDF)
- Download Recall Acknowledgement (PDF)
This article is generated from NHTSA's primary recall filings and reviewed against the source on May 31, 2026. RecallNotify does not paraphrase NHTSA's consequence language; that text is reproduced as written above. Editorial standards →