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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.

Most complaints for its age20211 complaint · 6 recallsSee the 2021
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.

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
20240200-F
20231000Body, doors & structureA
20220500-F
20211600Body, doors & structureF
20201100Body, doors & structureB
20191100Body, doors & structureB
20180300-C
20177300Wheels & tiresD
20162400Body, doors & structureD
201511100Wheels & tiresD
20141400Visibility & wipersD
20132200Body, doors & structureC
20121000Wheels & tiresA
20103000Wheels & tiresA
20095110Wheels & tiresD
20081000Electrical systemA
20067100Wheels & tiresC
20056201Body, doors & structureD
20042200Equipment & accessoriesC
20031300Equipment & accessoriesC
20021200Equipment & accessoriesC
20011201Equipment & accessoriesC
20002100Equipment & accessoriesB
19992101Equipment & accessoriesC
19982100Body, doors & structureB
19970100-A

Most common Cardinal problems

Forest River Cardinal recalls 22

Equipment: recreational vehicle / trailer

21V523000825 vehicles affected

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...

Latest Cardinal complaints

2021 Forest River CardinalBody, doors & structure

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.

Filed Incident Unknown or other · StructureNHTSA 11680535
2023 Forest River CardinalSuspensionBody, doors & structure

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.

Filed Incident Suspension · Structure · Latches / locks / linkagesNHTSA 11648972
2017 Forest River CardinalBody, doors & structureEquipment & accessories

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.

Filed Incident Structure · EquipmentNHTSA 11643651
2001 Forest River CardinalEquipment & accessoriesFire

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.

Filed Incident EquipmentNHTSA 11600215
2019 Forest River CardinalBody, doors & structure

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

Filed Incident Structure · Unknown or otherNHTSA 11570369
1998 Forest River CardinalElectrical system

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.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11496473

Questions about the Forest River Cardinal

Which Forest River Cardinal years have the most problems?

By the number of complaints owners filed with NHTSA: 2015 (11), 2006 (7), 2017 (7). Allowing for how long each has been on the road, the 2021 stands out most. Complaint counts also rise with sales, so compare years of the same model rather than different models.

Which Forest River Cardinal years have the fewest complaints?

Among model years that have been on the road for at least three years, 2008, 2012, 2023 have the best Safety Index - the fewest complaints, crashes and recalls for their age compared with other Cardinal years. Always check the exact vehicle's recalls by VIN before you buy.

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

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