2017 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL Complaints and Recall Information
The 2017 Forest River Cardinal has 2 complaints and 7 recalls filed with NHTSA. Owners most frequently report windows detaching while driving or becoming loose, requiring repairs or temporary fixes. There were no warning lights or indicators related to these failures.
- Window detachment. Front emergency exit windows detached while driving at speeds around 60-65 MPH. The rear window also detached under unspecified conditions.
- Loose sleeping quarter window. The sleeping quarter window was reported loose and temporarily secured with tape by the owner’s husband.
- No warning indicators. Complaints indicate no warning lights or alerts preceded the window failures.
The vehicle has 7 recalls affecting various structural components, equipment, labels, and tires. These recalls address issues with window adhesive failure, incorrect weight ratings, and tire placards that could impact vehicle safety and handling.
- Window adhesive failure. NHTSA recall 21V523000 affects 825 vehicles including the 2017 Cardinal. The adhesive bonding the vented window portion may fail causing detachment and increased crash or injury risk. Dealers will inspect and replace faulty windows free of charge. No "Do Not Drive" or "Park Outside" advisory was issued.
- Incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating. Recall 17V336000 covers 17 units of 2016-2018 Cardinal trailers. The Federal Placard overstates GAWR by 840 lbs per axle, leading to inaccurate cargo carrying capacity labels and potential overloading. Corrected placards will be provided free of charge.
- Incorrect tire placard. Recall 16V258000 includes 38 vehicles and identifies Federal Placards with incorrect tire and rim combination information, showing lower tire pressure than required. This mismatch increases risk of tire blowouts due to under-inflation. Owners will receive corrected placards at no cost.
- Tire safety issue. The same recall 16V258000 highlights the risk of tire blowouts if tires are inflated to incorrect PSI listed on labels. The manufacturer will provide corrected information to prevent premature tire wear and crashes.
Owners dealing with repeated window detachment repairs, structural defects, or unresolved recall issues may have rights under state lemon laws. Consulting with a qualified attorney can help determine available remedies.
2017 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL Summary
2017
Model Year
2
Total Complaints
3
Total Recalls
880
Vehicles Affected
Recalls
2017 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL
825 vehicles affected
STRUCTURE
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Coachmen Cross Country, 2015 Coachmen Encore, 2016-2020 Coachmen Mirada, 2018-2021 Coachmen Sportscoach, 2019-2021 Forest River Berkshire, 2011-2016 Forest River Blue Ridge, 2014-2019 Forest River Cardinal, 2014-2020 Forest River Cedar Creek, 2014-2021 Forest River Georgetown, 2019 Forest River Legacy, and 2017-2018 Forest River Riverstone recreational vehicles equipped with Hehr 6400 Series windows. The adhesive that bonds the vented portion of the window may fail.
Risk: Adhesive failure may cause the vent portion of the window to detach, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
2017 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL
17 vehicles affected
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cardinal recreational trailers, model CAF3250RL. The Federal Placard on these vehicles overstates the Gross Axle Weight Rating capacity (GAWR) by 840lbs. for each axle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
Risk: The incorrect GAWR makes the Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC) label incorrect and may result in the vehicle being overloaded, affecting the vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
2017 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL
38 vehicles affected
TIRES
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Cardinal recreational vehicles, models CAF3455RL, CAF3825FL and CAF3850RL, manufactured from November 20, 2015, through April 1, 2016. These vehicles may be equipped with a Federal Placard that indicates an incorrect tire and rim combination. The placard states the tire and rim combination is ST235/80R16 LRE Tires with 80 PSI and a rim designation of 16X6.00JJ, when the actual combination on the vehicle is LT235/85T16 LRG Tires with 110 PSI and a rim designation of 16X6.00HD. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: If the operator inflates the tires to the PSI indicated on the label, the tires will be operated while being under-inflated causing pre-mature wear and a possible tire blow out, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Complaints
2017 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL
ID: 2066659STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2017 Forest River Cardinal. The contact stated that while her husband was hauling the fifth wheel at approximately 60-65 MPH, the two front emergency exit windows detached. While driving at undisclosed speeds, the rear window detached from the RV. The contact stated that the sleeping quarter window was loose. The contact's husband used tape to secure the window. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V523000 (Equipment, Structure). The RV was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the windows. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage on the RV for the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
2017 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL
ID: 2066658EQUIPMENT
The contact owns a 2017 Forest River Cardinal. The contact stated that while her husband was hauling the fifth wheel at approximately 60-65 MPH, the two front emergency exit windows detached. While driving at undisclosed speeds, the rear window detached from the RV. The contact stated that the sleeping quarter window was loose. The contact's husband used tape to secure the window. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V523000 (Equipment, Structure). The RV was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the windows. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage on the RV for the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.