2021 Forest River Cardinal Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cardinal years
- Not enough data 13th of 26 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA about the 2021 Forest River Cardinal. That ranks 13th out of 26 Cardinal model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (1 complaints, 100%). There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 1owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 Forest River Cardinal problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 1 | 100% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 100% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
2021 Forest River Cardinal recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:electrical
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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/belt
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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 generator
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:recreational vehicle/trailer; tires:temporary/emergency spare tire
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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:furnace
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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…
Other Forest River Cardinal years
← 2020 Cardinal · 2022 Cardinal →
See all Forest River Cardinal problems by year, every Forest River model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Forest River models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Forest River Cardinal?
Owners most often report structure, unknown or other problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 1 complaint.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Forest River Cardinal?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 Forest River Cardinal a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Cardinal model years, the 2021 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.