2002 Forest River CardinalProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 2002 Forest River Cardinal, most often about the equipment. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 1, 2010. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 Forest River Cardinal has problems

1 complaint 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
Equipment10

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

2 recalls

2002 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

2002 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 equipment complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL FIFTH WHEEL RV. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2852. THE REFRIGERATOR WAS LEAKING A YELLOW LIQUID THAT FILLED THE ENTIRE TRAILER WITH AN AMMONIA ODOR AND CAUSED THE PET DOG TO BECOME ILL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT…
Complaint 10276773 · Jul 14, 2009

Own a 2002 Cardinal?

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