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2020 Forest River CardinalProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 2020 Forest River Cardinal, most often about the structure. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 21V-988 the manufacturer reports only 40% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 40%Owner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage0kStructure, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 17, 2021. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2020 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
Structure10

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

1 recall

2020 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.

40%repaired · 2024 Q1

Electrical: accessory generator

Recall 21V-988 · Dec 17, 2021 · 111 vehicles · 44 repaired

Risk. Carbon monoxide inside the vehicle can increase the risk of injury or death.

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

2020 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 structure complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT ANCHOR LEGS ATTACHED TO THE FRONT END OF THE RV INDEPENDENTLY LOWERED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH RATES OF SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT…
Complaint 11337763 · Jul 6, 2020 · 200 miles

Own a 2020 Cardinal?

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