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2017 Forest River CardinalProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 7 owner complaints about the 2017 Forest River Cardinal, most often about the tires. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, 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 recalls3Lowest repair rate 29%Owner complaints70 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage4kTires, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 19, 2025. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2017 Forest River Cardinal has problems

7 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
Structure20
Wheels20
Equipment10
Suspension10

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

3 recalls

2017 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 →

100%repaired · 2017 Q4

Other: labels

Recall 17V-336 · May 24, 2017 · 17 vehicles · 17 repaired

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

100%repaired · 2017 Q3

Other: labels

Recall 16V-258 · Apr 29, 2016 · 38 vehicles · 38 repaired

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…

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

2017 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.

WE HAVE A 2017 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL. WE HAVE ONLY TAKEN OUR TRAILER OUT FIVE TIMES FOR APPROXIMATELY 3900 MILES. THE LAST TRIP TO ARIZONA ON INTERSTATE 40 TOWARD FLAGSTAFF. THE TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 80 DEGREES WITH LIGHT RAIN. THE PSI WAS 80 LBS IN THIS TIRE WHEN IT BLEW OUT ON JULY 12TH, 2019.…
Complaint 11234914 · Jul 25, 2019 · 3,900 miles
PURCHASED NEW 5TH WHEEL TRAILER IN DECEMBER OF 2017 WITH GOODYEAR MARATHON ST235/80R16, LOAD RANGE E TIRES INSTALLED. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH ON A SOMEWHAT CURVY AND HILLY STATE HIGHWAY WITH 4800 MILES ON RV, THE LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD CAME COMPLETELY OFF THE TIRE DAMAGING THE RV IN THE PROCESS. I…
Complaint 11218821 · Jun 9, 2019 · 4,800 miles
WE HAVE A 2017 CARDINAL 5TH WHEEL, AND IN JUNE 2018 WE GOT BACK FROM CAMPING AND WHILE IN TRAILER EMPTYING OUR THINGS OUT WE HEARD A LOUD BAND. IT ENDED UP BEING THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT GOOD YEAR MARATHON ST TIRE THAT BLEW DUE TO A LARGE BULGE ON THE INNER SIDE OF THE TIRE. WE CALLED GOODYEAR AND…
Complaint 11128375 · Sep 9, 2018 · 3,000 miles

Own a 2017 Cardinal?

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