Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2022-2027 Cedar Creek, 2023-2027 FR3, 2023-2026 Palomino, 2024 Cardinal, Wildcat, Shasta Oasis, 2024-2026 Forest River Hardside, Palomino Real-Lite Camper, 2026 Puma Tracks, and Puma recreational vehicles...
1997-2024 · 26 model years
Forest River Cardinal Problems by year
Owners have filed 61 complaints about the Forest River Cardinal across 26 model years, and it has 22 recalls. The 2021 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (1), while 2008, 2012, 2023 have far fewer than a typical year. The most reported problem area is the wheels & tires, followed by the body, doors & structure.
- Complaints
- 61
- Recalls
- 22
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 2
- Deaths
- 0
Cardinal complaints by model year
Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.
Most common Cardinal problems
Forest River Cardinal recalls 22
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Forest River Cardinal, Wildcat, 2018-2019 Cedar Creek, 2021 Columbus, 2023 Continental Cargo, 2021-2024 Dynamax DX3, Dynamax Dynaquest XL, Dynamax Isata, Forest River IBEX, 2022-2024 Dynamax...
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2024 Cardinal and Wildcat Fifth Wheels trailers. The operator may utilize the rear towing hitch without locking the turning point fifth wheel hitch into the "Conventional Transport" position.
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Coachmen Catalina, Cross Trail, Pursuit, Sportscoach, East to West Della Terra, Silver Lake, Forest River Forester, FR3, Sunseeker, Wildwood, 2022 Coachmen Adrenaline, Apex, Brookstone...
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2022 Coachmen Catalina, Aurora, Apex, Freedom Express, Spirit, Work N Play, Forest River XLR Toy Hauler, Vengeance, Sabre, Cherokee, and Cardinal travel trailers and fifth wheels. The wire cord that...
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Prime Time Sanibel, Crusader, Forest River Cardinal, and Continental Cargo fifth wheel trailers, equipped with certain Sailun tires, size ST235/80R16/G. Due to a manufacturing issue, the tires...
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Cardinal fifth wheel recreational vehicles. The generator compartment may not be sealed properly, allowing carbon monoxide to enter the vehicle.
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Coachmen Cross Country, 2015 Coachmen Encore, 2016-2020 Coachmen Mirada, 2018-2021 Coachmen Sportscoach, 2019-2021 Forest River Berkshire, 2011-2016 Forest River Blue Ridge, 2014-2019 Forest...
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021 Cardinal and Wildcat Fifth Wheels trailers. The spare tire carrier may be installed incorrectly, allowing it to detach from the vehicle.
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021 Cardinal CAF345RLX, CAF366DVLE, CAF390FBX and 2021 Wildcat WCF336RLS, WCF368MB vehicles. The furnace flue may become misaligned due to insufficient furnace hold screws that allow movement during...
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2021 Cardinal fifth wheel trailers. The fresh air intake sleeve for the furnace is too short and does not have proper connection of the furnace to the exterior, allowing furnace exhaust to enter the...
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2018 Cardinal recreational trailers, models CAF3045RLLE, CAF304SR, CAF322DS and CAF392RD. These vehicles were manufactured without an emergency exit window in the rear wall of the vehicle.
Latest Cardinal complaints
Frame and Structural Integrity - Forest River Cardinal 366DLVE Doors and slide-outs open during transport. Cracks near the corners of upper deck slide openings. Separation of interior or exterior panels. Rub marks on floors under slide outs. Closet doors always coming off track in front bedroom. (cap) Excessive frame flex acknowledged by independent RV/trailer repair. Sawdust in the nose of the RV. Furniture rubbing walls or moving up and down or forward and back, every road trip. Unscrewing, loose, missing, or...
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bent lag screws in the upper deck. Trim pieces on the front exterior move when hitched vs. unhitched. *Stress fractures in fiberglass on the side of the RV* Screws backing out and/or breaking on the slide in the upper deck. Cabinets pulling away from walls or ceiling. Trim pieces popping off or cracking due to shifting structure. (interior) Clunking or popping sounds when starting, stopping, or turning. Walls crinkling around windows and electrical outlets. Ceiling fan blades keep breaking. Tension rod curtains always drop out of window frame in transit. I have uploaded a few photos, additional photos upon request.
The contact owns a 2023 Forest River Cardinal. The contact stated that while driving and making a right turn, the electric living room slide unexpectedly deployed and opened. The RV was taken to the dealer, but the cause of the failure was not determined. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the RV was extremely unstable and difficult to control or steer. The contact stated that the exterior storage door erroneously opened. The contact was concerned that storage items might fall from the RV while driving on the highway. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 300.
The contact owns a 2017 Forest River Cardinal. The contact stated that while her husband was hauling the fifth wheel at approximately 60-65 MPH, the two front emergency exit windows detached. While driving at undisclosed speeds, the rear window detached from the RV. The contact stated that the sleeping quarter window was loose. The contact's husband used tape to secure the window. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V523000...
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(Equipment, Structure). The RV was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the windows. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage on the RV for the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2001 Forest River Cardinal Towable. The contact stated while the RV was parked the contact stated that he heard an abnormal "popping" sound and observed flames had burst on the outside of the refrigerator. The contact stated that the flames had ignited the side of the RV wall behind the refrigerator and on the RV ceiling over the refrigerator. The contact stated that the fire department was called and the fire was extinguished. The contact was not sure if the fire department used water to...
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extinguish the flames. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or body shop. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact was advised by the fire department that there was a recall that was related to the fire, NHTSA Campaign Number: 07V085000 (Equipment). The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Rv fiberglass is cracking and delaminating because of frame is given to much think they call it frame flexing the fifthwheel hitch Has a lot of frame flexing in it now where before had very little I feel like something is come unwelded and is loose with the hitch contacted Forest River about it they basically told me I was on my own my warranty went out in 2020 this was a $65,000 fifthwheel and have structure failure with and they don't want to help you or talk to you about it I thought well ok maybe I am one in a...
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million but after researching this somebody should have made lippert frames do a recall on these there all over the internet with the same problems different manufacturers but same frame I contacted them a year when all of this started and they did the same thing then try to brush it off as owners fault please I need some help on this issue
The thermostat control wire running from my furnace to the AC melted inside the wall. Harper camper land in great bend Ks told the HVAC guys that came out to fix it that they have seen this issue on a lot of campers where it melted the ends of the wires.
Questions about the Forest River Cardinal
Which Forest River Cardinal years have the most problems?
Which Forest River Cardinal years have the fewest complaints?
What are the most common Forest River Cardinal problems?
Across every model year, owners report problems with the wheels & tires (27), body, doors & structure (15), equipment & accessories (10) most often.
How many recalls does the Forest River Cardinal have?
NHTSA lists 22 recalls across all Forest River Cardinal model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data