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2015 Forest River CardinalProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 11 owner complaints about the 2015 Forest River Cardinal, most often about the wheels. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 21V-523 the manufacturer reports only 29% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 29%Owner complaints110 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage7kWheels, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 9, 2021. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2015 Forest River Cardinal has problems

11 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
Wheels60
Structure30
Suspension30
Tires20
Visibility/wiper10

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

1 recall

2015 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.

29%repaired · 2023 Q4

Equipment: recreational vehicle/trailer

Recall 21V-523 · Jul 9, 2021 · 825 vehicles · 237 repaired

Risk. Adhesive failure may cause the vent portion of the window to detach, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

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

2015 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 wheels complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

2015 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL 3 OF THE 4 TIRES HAVE FAILED GOODYEAR MARATHON ONE TIRE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED WHEN I GOT TRAILER THE OTHER 2 BLEW AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF ABOUT 60 MPH I AM SURE THIS HAPPENS MORE THAN IS REPORTED
Complaint 11022059 · Sep 7, 2017 · 6,000 miles
WHILE TRAVELING EAST ON INTERSTATE I80 THE RIGHT REAR TIRE ON MY FIFTH WHEEL BLEW OUT, I CHANGED TIRE AND CONTINUED TO NORTH PLATT NEBRASKA, I PURCHASED A NEW TIRE AND CONTINUED OUR JOURNEY BACK TO PA. I DROVE APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES WHEN BOTH TIRES ON THE LEFT SIDE BLEW OUT AT THE SAME TIME. AFTER…
Complaint 10881733 · Jun 30, 2016 · 3,000 miles
ON NOV. 30, 2015 WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH AN ORIGINAL PURCHASED, GOODYEAR MARATHON TRAILER TIRE, ST235/80R16, FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY WITH APPROXIMATELY 7500 MILES OF TRAVEL ON THE RV. THE BLOWOUT CAUSED MODERATE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WHEEL WELL AREA. ON DEC. 3, 2015 WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY…
Complaint 10808694 · Dec 7, 2015 · 7,500 miles

Own a 2015 Cardinal?

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