RecallMyCar

2009 Forest River Cardinal Recalls, Complaints & Specs

1 safety recall lists the 2009 Forest River Cardinal, and owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

1
safety recall
5
owner complaints to NHTSA
1 / 0
complaints citing a crash / fire

1 safety recall for the 2009 Forest River Cardinal

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Labels (equipment)

    NHTSA 09V148000 Reported 176 vehicles potentially affected FOREST RIVER, INC.

    Forest river is recalling 176 my 2009 cardinal fifth wheel trailers. These trailers fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars." due to faulty scales in the production facility, the label for the cargo carrying capacity…

    Remedy: Forest river will be mailing corrected labels to retail purchasers, and/or to dealers. The safety recall began on april 15, 2009. Owners may contact forest river at 1-574-206-7600.

5 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2009 Forest River Cardinal have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash. Reports cite 2 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 3,925 miles. Complaints peaked in 2009 with 2 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“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 t”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 27, 2012 · Tires

“Tl*the contact owns a 2011 forest river cardinal rv equipped with a dometic awning. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the awning opened. The contact was able to drive onto the emergency la”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, November 29, 2010 · Equipment

Compare Forest River Cardinal model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Forest River Cardinal model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1997 Forest River Cardinal10
1998 Forest River Cardinal12
1999 Forest River Cardinal12
2000 Forest River Cardinal12
2001 Forest River Cardinal21
2002 Forest River Cardinal21
2003 Forest River Cardinal31
2004 Forest River Cardinal22
2005 Forest River Cardinal26
2006 Forest River Cardinal17
2008 Forest River Cardinal01
2009 Forest River Cardinal15
2010 Forest River Cardinal03
2012 Forest River Cardinal01
2013 Forest River Cardinal22
2014 Forest River Cardinal41
2015 Forest River Cardinal111
2016 Forest River Cardinal42
2017 Forest River Cardinal37
2018 Forest River Cardinal30
2019 Forest River Cardinal11
2020 Forest River Cardinal11
2021 Forest River Cardinal61
2022 Forest River Cardinal50
2023 Forest River Cardinal01
2024 Forest River Cardinal10

Checking a specific 2009 Forest River Cardinal

How do I know if my 2009 Forest River Cardinal has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 1 campaign currently lists the 2009 Forest River Cardinal; your car may already have been repaired under it.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Forest River dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 09V148000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Forest River models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.