Model year record

2021 FOREST RIVER Cardinal

6 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 4 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 24V272000

Equipment: electrical

Component
Equipment: electrical
Manufacturer
Forest River, Inc.
Vehicles affected
4,480
Reported to NHTSA
2024-04-17
Owners notified
2024-05-14

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 22V004000

Tires: tread/belt

Component
Tires: tread/belt
Manufacturer
Forest River, Inc.
Vehicles affected
1,164
Reported to NHTSA
2022-01-07
Owners notified
2022-02-01

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V988000

Equipment: electrical: accessory generator

Component
Equipment: electrical: accessory generator
Manufacturer
Forest River, Inc.
Vehicles affected
111
Reported to NHTSA
2021-12-17
Owners notified
2022-01-05

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V145000

Equipment: recreational vehicle/trailer

Component
Equipment: recreational vehicle/trailer
Manufacturer
Forest River, Inc.
Vehicles affected
309
Reported to NHTSA
2021-03-08
Owners notified
2021-03-24

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V141000

Equipment

Component
Equipment
Manufacturer
Forest River, Inc.
Vehicles affected
21
Reported to NHTSA
2021-03-05
Owners notified
2021-03-24

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 20V655000

Equipment: recreational vehicle/trailer: LPG systems: furnace

Component
Equipment: recreational vehicle/trailer: LPG systems: furnace
Manufacturer
Forest River, Inc.
Vehicles affected
69
Reported to NHTSA
2020-10-26
Owners notified
2020-11-06

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer 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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Structure2
Unknown or other2

The 2020 model has 4 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.