NHTSA Safety Recalls
2016 Forest River Cardinal Recalls
The 2016 Forest River Cardinal has 4 NHTSA safety recalls on file. Recall repairs are always free, whatever the RV's age or mileage.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every Forest River Cardinal built. Check your own 17-character VIN before assuming yours is affected.
- Recalls
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 2
- Crashes reported
- 0
- NHTSA crash test
- Not rated
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
in complaints
4 recalls on the 2016 Forest River Cardinal
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
NHTSA 17V336000- The defect
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cardinal recreational trailers, model CAF3250RL. The Federal Placard on these vehicles overstates the Gross Axle Weight Rating capacity (GAWR) by 840lbs. for each axle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
- The 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 increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Forest River will notify owners, and dealers will provide a new Federal Placard with the correct GAWR and a new CCC label, free of charge. The recall began on June 6, 2017. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 15-05192017-0412.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
NHTSA 15V860000- The defect
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2016 Cardinal fifth wheel travel trailers, model CAF3850RL. The affected vehicles have Federal Certification Placards that list an incorrect gross axle weight from what is actually installed on the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
- The risk
- Incorrect placards may result in improper trailer loading. Improper loading may increase the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Forest River will notify owners and mail them a corrected Federal placard label, free of charge. The recall began on January 13, 2016. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 15-12112015-0122.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
NHTSA 16V258000- The defect
- Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Cardinal recreational vehicles, models CAF3455RL, CAF3825FL and CAF3850RL, manufactured from November 20, 2015, through April 1, 2016. These vehicles may be equipped with a Federal Placard that indicates an incorrect tire and rim combination. The placard states the tire and rim combination is ST235/80R16 LRE Tires with 80 PSI and a rim designation of 16X6.00JJ, when the actual combination on the vehicle is LT235/85T16 LRG Tires with 110 PSI and a rim designation of 16X6.00HD. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
- The 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 possible tire blow out, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Forest River will notify owners, and provide a new corrected Federal Placard, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on, or about, June 23, 2016. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-206-7600. Forest River's number for this recall is 15-04172016-0179.
EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER
NHTSA 21V523000- 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 fix
- 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.
Reported September 7, 2021 by Forest River, Inc.
What owners report about the 2016 Forest River Cardinal
Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2016 Forest River Cardinal with NHTSA.
Most complained about
- Unknown Or Other1
- Electrical System1
- Structure1
- Wheels1
Complaints are owner reports, not verified defects, and a popular model collects more of them than a rare one. They show what to ask about, not what is certain to fail.
Checking your own RV
A recall applies to a range of VINs, not to every 2016 Forest River Cardinal built. To confirm whether yours is affected, find the 17-character VIN, on a plate near the entry door, inside a cabinet, or on the trailer tongue for a towable, and enter it in NHTSA's official lookup.
Repairs for safety recalls are free and never expire. A dealer cannot charge you, and cannot refuse on the grounds that the RV is old or out of warranty. If one does, call the NHTSA hotline on 1-888-327-4236.