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1998 Forest River CardinalProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 2 owner complaints about the 1998 Forest River Cardinal, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints20 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem1Electrical system

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 7, 2022. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1998 Forest River Cardinal has problems

2 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system10
Structure10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1998 Forest River Cardinal recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Equipment: recreational vehicle/trailer

Recall 07V-085 · Mar 5, 2007 · 128,000 vehicles

Risk. RELEASE OF COOLANT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS COULD IGNITE AND RESULT IN A FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Forest River.

Best & worst years

1998 vs. every other Cardinal year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Cardinal median. How we score

'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'08'09'10'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What Cardinal owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The thermostat control wire running from my furnace to the AC melted inside the wall. Harper camper land in great bend Ks told the HVAC guys that came out to fix it that they have seen this issue on a lot of campers where it melted the ends of the wires.
Complaint 11496473 · Dec 7, 2022

Own a 1998 Cardinal?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.