RoadVitals

2014 Forest River Cardinal

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Mar 31, 2017
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
4
Latest Jul 9, 2021
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2014 Forest River Cardinal, most frequently naming the visibility category. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Visibility1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

4 campaigns cover this model year

View all 4

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
21V523000

EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER; STRUCTURE

Jul 9, 2021
825 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Coachmen Cross Country, 2015 Coachmen Encore, 2016-2020 Coachmen Mirada, 2018-2021 Coachmen Sportscoach, 2019-2021 Forest River Berkshire, 2011-2016 Forest River Blue Ridge, 2014-2019 Forest River Cardinal, 2014-2020 Forest River Cedar Creek, 2014-2021 Forest River Georgetown, 2019 Forest River Legacy, and 2017-2018 Forest River Riverstone recreational vehicles equipped with Hehr 6400 Series windows. The adhesive that bonds the vented portion of the window may fail.
The risk: Adhesive failure may cause the vent portion of the window to detach, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect the windows, and replace the vent if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 2, 2021. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-8600. Forest River's number for this recall is 51-1380.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 51-1380View on NHTSA.gov
15V273000

EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

May 11, 2015
689 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Dynamax, 2014 Cardinal trailers, and 2015 Cedar Creek, Sierra and Sandpiper trailers. In the affected vehicles, a rivet for the quad entry steps may shear and fail, causing the steps to give when being used.
The risk: If the rivet shears causing the quad step to fail, the step user may fall, increasing the risk of personal injury.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will remove the rivets and the step sections will be bolted together, free of charge. The recall began on June 11, 2015. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-389-4600. Forest River's number for this recall is 15-05062015-0034.
Forest River, Inc.Manufacturer number 15-05062015-0034View on NHTSA.gov
14V449000

EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

Jul 23, 2014
1,041 units potentially affected
The defect: Forest River Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Georgetown, Sunseeker, Forester, Cross Country, Pathfinder, Cardinal, Blue Ridge, Cedar Creek, and Brookstone recreational vehicles manufactured March 11, 2013, through April 26, 2013 and equipped with certain Frigidaire Convection Microwave models CFMV152CLB and CFMV154CLS. The microwave may start on it's own and begin heating when unattended.
The risk: If the microwave starts on its own and there are contents inside, a fire could result.
The remedy: Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will repair the membrane/keypad component, free of charge. The recall began in February 2015. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-800-353-7383.
Forest River, Inc.View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Visibility
Filed Mar 31, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FOREST RIVER CARDINAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE RV WAS BEING DRIVEN AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE EMERGENCY EXIT WINDOW INDEPENDENTLY DETACHED FROM THE RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON REACHING THEIR DESTINATION THEY WERE INFORMED THAT THE WINDOW WAS MISSING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
10969728
Incident
Mar 29, 2017
Mileage
200 mi

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Forest River Cardinal by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2024010—
2023100—
2022050—
2021160—
2020110—
2019110—
2018030—
2017730—
2016240—
20151110—
2014Viewing140—
2013220—
2012100—
2010300—
2009510—
2008100—
2006710—
2005620—
2004220—
2003130—
2002120—
2001120—
2000210—
1999210—
1998210—
1997010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.