2006 Forest River Cardinal

Routine

Owners filed 7 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the tires. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Tires6
000
Interior Lighting1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Equipment › Recreational Vehicle/Trailer08V346000
Filed Jul 7, 2008107,417 vehiclesForest River, Inc.

Defect. 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.

Risk. IF THIS SOLUTION IS EXPOSED TO AN IGNITION SOURCE UNDER CERTAIN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES, IT CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.

Remedy. 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 reported

Newest filings
Tires
Filed Aug 7, 20097,000 milesCA

FOUR FAILED TIRES ON 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. *TR

Tires
Filed Aug 7, 20097,000 milesCA

TIRE FAILURE ON 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. *TR

Tires
Filed Aug 7, 20097,000 milesCA

TIRE FAILURE ON 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. *TR

Tires
Filed Aug 7, 20097,000 milesCA

TIRE FAILURE ON 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. *TR

Tires
Filed Feb 14, 200910,000 milesTX

BLOWN TIRE ON RV FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN ST TIRES NOT FIT BY KARRIER TO PROFIED A SAFE TIRE UNDER LOAD CONDITIONS AND CURRENT SPEED LIMITS. FORREST RIVER SHOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND RECALL TIRES. MY TIRES ARE BY KARRIER LOAD STAR CARILES WAS ALL THAT WAS LISTED. *TR

Interior Lighting
Filed Dec 16, 2008TX

THE OVERHEAD DC LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING AND THE BULB WAS NOT BURNED OUT. I TOOK THE LIGHT FIXTURE DOWN AND FOUND A LARGE SCORCHED AREA ON THE SOFT CEILING. THE PHINALIC (SPELLED WRONG) SPACER IN THE LIGHT FIXTURE HAD CRUMBLED AND THIS WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE BULB NOT WORKING BUT THIS FAILURE DID NOT CAUSE THE SCORCHING ON THE SOFT CEILING. I TOOK PICTURES AND SENT THEM TO A FOREST RIVER REPRESENTATIVE BUT NEVER HEARD BACK FROM THEM. I TOOK THE FIXTURE AND THE PICTURES TO THE DEALER I HAD PURCHASED THE RV FROM AND THEY DID NOTHING. I HAVE SINCE PUT MY OWN MAKESHIFT WOOD SPACER IN BETWEEN THE SOFT CEILING AND THE LIGHT FIXTURE. IF THE PHINALIC SPACER HAD NOT BURNED OUT I BELIEVE THE CEILING WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY IGNITED. THE SCORCHING WAS SIGNIFICANT. THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THIS AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A RESOLUTION BEFORE THERE IS A FIRE. *TR

Tires
Filed Oct 8, 2008GA

OUR CAMPER, 2006 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL, CAME WITH KENDRA KARRIER LOADSTAR ST 235/80 R16 TIRES (DOT 7YHJ ANB 4404). WE BOUGHT CAMPER USED IN AUGUSTA, GA DURING MAY 2007. CAMPER IS IN GREAT SHAPE HAVING BEEN KEPT UNDER COVER AT ALL TIMES. TIRES HAD PLENTY OF THREAD, WERE PROPERLY INFLATED, AND LOOKED GOOD. WE HAVE TAKEN 4 OR 5 SMALL TRIPS WITH THE CAMPER DURING THE PAST 15 MONTHS. WHILE DRIVING FROM COLUMBIA, SC TO CHARLESTON, SC WE STOPPED FOR LUNCH THEN CONTINUED OUR TRIP (MEANING TIRES WERE NOT HOT). ALMOST AS SOON AS WE GOT BACK ON THE ROAD ONE OF OUR LOADSTAR TIRES DETREADED ON US. TREAD CAME OFF ONE OF OUR FRONT RIGHT TIRE JUST LIKE IT WAS A RETREAD. THE TREAD THEN ACTED LIKE A CHAIN SAW THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE CAMPER. PIECES OF RUBBER AND STEEL WIRE WERE EMBEDDED ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF THE CAMPER. BIG HOLE IN CAMPER FLOOR, DAMAGE TO INSULATION, WIRES, RIPPED FIRE EXTINGUISHER OFF WALL, DAMAGE TO DOOR AND CAMPER OUTSIDE. TIRE NEVER WENT FLAT. KENDRA KARRIER LOADSTAR WARRANTY IS NON-EXISTENT. THEY MAKE BAD TIRES THEN DON?T STAND BEHIND THEM. I HAVE PICTURES OF TIRE AND CAMPER DAMAGE. *TR

7 of 7 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2015
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20240100Routine
20231000Routine
20220500Routine
20211600Routine
20201100Routine
20191100Routine
20180300Routine
20177300Routine
20162400Routine
201511100Routine
20141400Routine
20132200Routine
20121000Routine
20103000Routine
20095100Routine
20081000Routine
2006 — this page7100Routine
20056210Routine
20042200Routine
20031300Routine
20021200Routine
20011210Routine
20002100Routine
19992110Routine
19982100Routine
19970100Routine

Compare every Cardinal year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jul 7, 2008. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.