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2009 Forest River CardinalProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 5 owner complaints about the 2009 Forest River Cardinal, most often about the tires. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints52 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage6kTires, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 27, 2012. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Forest River Cardinal has problems

5 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
Tires30
Equipment10
Suspension11

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

1 recall

2009 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

Other: labels

Recall 09V-148 · May 1, 2009 · 176 vehicles

Risk. FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROPER VEHICLE LOADING SPECIFICATIONS OR MISPRINT LABEL COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

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

2009 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 tires complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

ON APRIL 6, 2012 I WAS ON MY WAY TO A CAMP GROUND WHEN ONE OF THE TIRES ON MY CAMPER BLOW OUT. THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE TIRE. ON JULY 18, 2012 I AGAIN WAS ON MY WAY TO A CAMP GROUND AND THE SECOND TIRE CAME A PART. THIS TIME THE TIRE DAMAGED THE CAMPER. THE FOLLOWING IS TIRE INFORMATION: HERITAGE…
Complaint 10467964 · Jul 27, 2012 · 3,000 miles
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL TRAILER(NA). THE VEHICLE HAS KENDA KARRIER LOWSTAR TIRES, ST255/80/16(NA). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; THE TRAILER BEGAN TO SWAY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IN THE EMERGENCY LANE, SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND INSPECT…
Complaint 10289174 · Oct 20, 2009 · 6,000 miles

Own a 2009 Cardinal?

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