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2021 R-Pod front windows shatter without an impact
Owner reportFrame
- Symptoms
- NHTSA complaint ODI 11566831, filed January 21, 2024, on a 2021 Forest River R-Pod, says the front glass shattered with no impact on a 104-degree day. The owner wrote that the glass was tempered, not laminated, and that shards landed in the sleeping area while the owners were outside. Complaint ODI 11470103, filed June 20, 2022, says the front window shattered while driving and was not struck by a rock or debris. The owner noticed it after the slide-out started to extend into the next lane. Complaint ODI 11464878, filed May 16, 2022, says the front window shattered, the trip was not an accident, and the owners do not believe a rock hit it. Complaint ODI 11414940, filed May 3, 2021, says a 2021 R-Pod 171 bought in March 2021 had the front window shatter on I-10 at 55 mph, with no debris in the road or in the glass. On the R-Pod Owners Forum, a post from October 15, 2020, describes a 196 that the owner calls a 2021 model, early in that model year, with the 202 graphics. The owners woke to a front window shattered from side to side and top to bottom, with no sign of an impact.
- Likely causes
- These owners say the glass broke without a rock strike. Complaint ODI 11351410, filed August 26, 2020, on the 2021 R-Pod list, says tempered glass breaks this way from stress, and that the owner found a bend in the window frame that left an uneven seat. That owner wrote that the glass on that coach had not broken. The bend is that owner's inspection. It is not a measurement on the other coaches. One owner says Forest River moved from single-pane glass to thicker glass and then to double pane. That sequence is the owner's account. The posts do not show one shattered front window on every 2021 R-Pod.
- Common fixes
- If the front glass is crazed or falling into the bunk, do not tow until the opening is covered. The October 2020 owner wrote that the selling dealer said it could not help, and that a warranty contact named Meghan arranged a replacement the next day at the Oregon factory. The owner wrote that the new window leaked in heavy rain that night, and that the owner sealed it with silicone. Complaint ODI 11414940 says a replacement was about $361 plus about $200 shipping, with about an hour of labor. Those prices are that owner's figures. Complaint ODI 11464878 says Forest River told the owner it is not a design or components issue, and that a replacement was on the way. Call the dealer with photos and ask whether the visit is warranty before the next trip.
- DIY difficulty
- Seeing a shattered front window is what these owners describe. The factory replacement, in the forum post, was done at the Oregon plant. There is no published procedure here.
- Parts needed
- No Forest River part number is named. The complaints describe the front glass. The forum post describes a replacement window for a 196, and silicone the owner used on a leak. Complaint ODI 11414940 describes a glass price and a shipping price.
- Warranty notes
- This is not a recall. The forum owner wrote that warranty arranged a factory replacement, and that the replacement leaked. Complaint ODI 11464878 says Forest River called it not a design or components issue. Complaint ODI 11414940 says Forest River will not pay. A complaint is not a coverage decision for another R-Pod. The year on this page is 2021, which is the year these complaints and the forum post name. A 2020 R-Pod is not on this page.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints for 2021 Forest River R-Pod (ODI 11566831, 11470103, 11464878, and 11414940)
- R-Pod Owners Forum post on a shattered 2021 front window, October 15, 2020
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