Forest River Cardinal Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 36 consumer complaints across the 5 model years of the Forest River Cardinal (2005–2017) that have at least 5 complaints. 2015 has the most, with 11. Across all years, the part named most often is tires (15 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Cardinal model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 7 | 3,950 | 3 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2015 | 11 | 6,000 | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2009 | 5 | 4,500 | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2006 | 7 | 7,000 | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2005 | 6 | 5,000 | 2 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Tires15 33%
- Wheels8 17%
- Body and structure8 17%
- Suspension5 11%
- Other or unknown4 8.7%
- Equipment4 8.7%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)1 2.2%
- Interior lighting1 2.2%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2009: “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 trail trac ap lt235/85r16e DOT oj or4jov 5207 pressure 80 lbs.”
NHTSA complaint #10467964, filed 2012-07, 3,000 miles2017: “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. The second tire blow out on interstate 40 near yucca rest stop around 20 miles from needles, california. Psi was 80 lbs when this second tire blew out. The temperature was around 102 degrees. …”
NHTSA complaint #11234914, filed 2019-07, 3,900 miles2015: “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”
NHTSA complaint #11022059, filed 2017-09, 6,000 milesOther Forest River models
136 complaintsForest River Rockwood
108 complaintsForest River Georgetown
99 complaintsForest River Wildwood
80 complaintsForest River Salem
71 complaintsForest River Shasta
46 complaintsForest River Flagstaff
45 complaintsForest River Travel Trailer
40 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology