2021 Forest River Cardinal

Routine

Owners filed 1 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the unknown or other. It has been recalled 6 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Unknown or Other1
000

6 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Equipment › Electrical24V272000
Filed Apr 17, 20244,480 vehiclesForest River, Inc.

Defect. 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 Europa, Forest River NOBO, 2022-2023 Forest River Sandstorm, Shockwave, Stealth, and 2021-2023 Dynamax Force trailers. The LED backlight circuit board in the cooktop range may fail, causing the board to overheat.

Risk. A circuit board that overheats increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy. Dealers will disconnect and cut the circuit powering the LED backlights and terminate the wiring, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed by May 14, 2024. Owners may contact Suburban customer service at 1-574-247-9235 option 5; Cardinal & Wildcat customer service at 1-574-296-7700; Cedar Creek customer service at 1-260-593-4000; Columbus customer service at 1-574-821-1487; Continental Cargo customer service at 1-254-420-0171; Dynamax customer service at 1-574-264-6664; Ibex & Nobo customer service at 1-574-6421612; and Sandstorm & Shockwave customer service at 1-909-873-3777. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1760.

Tires › Tread/Belt22V004000
Filed Jan 7, 20221,164 vehiclesForest River, Inc.

Defect. 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 may experience a belt separation.

Risk. Belt separation could lead to loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect the tire DOT codes, and replace the tires as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 1, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-4995. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1449.

Equipment › Electrical › Accessory Generator21V988000
Filed Dec 17, 2021111 vehiclesForest River, Inc.

Defect. 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.

Risk. Carbon monoxide inside the vehicle can increase the risk of injury or death.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect the generator compartment for proper sealant and apply sealant if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 5, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-296-7700. Forest River's number for this recall is 15-1444.

Tires › Temporary/Emergency Spare Tire21V145000
Filed Mar 8, 2021309 vehiclesForest River, Inc.

Defect. 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.

Risk. A detached spare tire carrier can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy. Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will secure the spare tire carrier, free of charge. The recall began March 24, 2021. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-574-296-7700. Forest River's number for this recall is 15-1304.

Equipment21V141000
Filed Mar 5, 202121 vehiclesForest River, Inc.

Defect. 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 travel.

Risk. A misaligned furnace flue can allow furnace exhaust to leak into the living space, increasing the risk of injury or death.

Remedy. Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will secure the furnace and align the flue, free of charge. The recall began March 24, 2021. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-296-7700. Forest River's number for this recall is 15-1302.

Equipment › Recreational Vehicle/Trailer › Lpg Systems › Furnace20V655000
Filed Oct 26, 202069 vehiclesForest River, Inc.

Defect. 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 trailer.

Risk. If exhaust enters the trailer, it can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, which can increase the risk of injury or death.

Remedy. Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will install the correct intake sleeve to allow for proper connection on the furnace, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2020. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-296-7700. Forest River's number for this recall is 15-1245.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 13, 2025TX

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 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.

1 of 1 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2015
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20240100Routine
20231000Routine
20220500Routine
2021 — this page1600Routine
20201100Routine
20191100Routine
20180300Routine
20177300Routine
20162400Routine
201511100Routine
20141400Routine
20132200Routine
20121000Routine
20103000Routine
20095100Routine
20081000Routine
20067100Routine
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: Apr 17, 2024. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.