- The problem
- Forest river is recalling certain recreational vehicles equipped with dimplex electraflame, symphony, or optiflame branded electric fireplaces, stoves, and fireplace inserts. The plug in remote control receiver for the fireplace can overheat.
- The risk
- AN OVERHEATED RECEIVER COULD CAUSE A FIRE.
- The fix
- Forest river is working with dimplex and dimplex will provide owners a free replacement plug-in remote control kit. The safety recall began on january 28, 2011. Owners may contact dimplex north america customer service at 1-888-346-7539.
Vehicle safety record
2004 Forest River Cardinal Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2004 Forest River Cardinal with NHTSA, most often about the equipment & accessories (1) and the wheels & tires (1). It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in October 2010 for the equipment. For comparison, the 2003 has 1 and the 2005 has 6.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical Cardinal year, for its age
#364 most complained-about 2004 vehicle
- Complaints
- 2
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2004 Forest River Cardinal problems
Share of all 2 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2004 Forest River Cardinal recalls 2
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Forest river is recalling certain my 2003-2006 motor homes, fifth wheel and travel trailers equipped with a two-door refrigerator manufactured by the dometic corporation. The refrigerator may have a defect in the boiler tube. Pressurized coolant solution could be released into an area where an ignition source (gas flame) is present.
- The risk
- If this solution is exposed to an ignition source under certain specific circumstances, it can result in a vehicle fire.
- The fix
- Forest river is working with dometic to repair these refrigerators (please see 08e032). Dometic will repair these refrigerators by installing a secondary burn housing, a thermal fuse, and a melt fuse free of charge. Dometic has retained stericycle inc. To manage this campaign. Stericycle will assist the owner in locating dealerships or service centers and will provide assistance with scheduling of appointments. Owners may contact dometic/stericycle at 1-888-446-5157 or forest river at 1-574-389-4600.
What owners say
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2 complaints about the 2004 Forest River Cardinal
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
We have a 2004 cardinal 5th wheel that had kenda tires lt23585r16 on a short trip we blew a tire on the way to n.H(7/27/10) and one on the way back to ma(8/3/10). We were going through a toll 10mph when the first tire blew, there was a huge hole with pieces of the belt hanging out.It seems that the individual pieces they use to make the belt were not glued together properly or they used cheap pieces and they gave way. These tires are made at a kenda rubber factory in taiwan. The second tire blew when we were going...
Read the full complaint
the speed limit, the tire shredded into pieces and caused damage to the side of the camper. The tire has plenty of tread and it is obvious that the tire is not made properly and is defective. These tires need to be recalled and the company needs to stand behind their product .Kenda will not admit that there is a problem with their product and it will have to take a death and a law suit for them to admit and fix the problem. We now have to replace all the tires in order to keep our family safe. If you have these tires take them off.... *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 forest river cardinal fifth wheel trailer. The contact stated that the refrigerator does not work due to a manifold crack. As a result, ammonia leaked out. There was a recall and a technician came out and repaired the vehicle in 2007. In the beginning of 2008, the refrigerator stopped working. Dometic stated that they repaired the unit. The contact stated that the refrigerator was not working due to the crack manifold that they refuse to replace. Updated 2/9/09 *cn updated 02/13/09. 8Bj
Forest River Cardinal: every year compared
All Cardinal years2004 Forest River Cardinal vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Forest River Cardinal | 2 | 2 | C | |
| 2004 Forest River Georgetown | 10 | 4 | C | Compare |
| 2004 Forest River Forester | 3 | 2 | C | Compare |
| 2004 Forest River Cedar Creek | 3 | 4 | C | Compare |
| 2004 Forest River Flagstaff | 2 | 1 | B | Compare |
| 2004 Forest River Cherokee | 1 | 2 | C | Compare |
| 2004 Forest River All American Sport RV | 1 | 1 | D | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2004 Forest River Cardinal
Does the 2004 Forest River Cardinal have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2004 Forest River Cardinal: equipment (October 2010); recreational vehicle / trailer (July 2008). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Forest River Cardinal?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the equipment & accessories (1), wheels & tires (1).
How many complaints has the 2004 Forest River Cardinal had?
2 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on December 12, 2008 and the latest on August 10, 2010. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2004 Forest River Cardinal a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 52 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Forest River Cardinal year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Forest River Cardinal years have the most complaints?
2015 (11), 2006 (7), 2017 (7). See every Forest River Cardinal year compared.
What should I do if my 2004 Forest River Cardinal has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data