Use cautionVehicle recall · NHTSA · Published December 17, 2021
Forest River 2020 Cardinal RV Recall: Carbon Monoxide Risk
Forest River recalls 2020-2022 Cardinal RVs due to potential carbon monoxide leaks from generator compartments. Owners must have generator compartment inspected by dealers for proper sealant.
Forest River is recalling certain 2020-2022 Cardinal fifth wheel RVs because the generator compartment may not be sealed properly, allowing carbon monoxide to enter the vehicle. This poses a risk of injury or death if carbon monoxide builds up inside the RV. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/79519-forest-river-2020-cardinal-rv-recall-carbon-monoxide-risk.
“Forest River 2020 Cardinal RV Recall: Carbon Monoxide Risk.” GovInfoNow, updated August 18, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/79519-forest-river-2020-cardinal-rv-recall-carbon-monoxide-risk. Based on NHTSA recall #21V988000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=21V988000).
Forest River, Inc. recalled certain 2020-2022 Cardinal fifth wheel recreational vehicles because improper sealing of the generator compartment allows carbon monoxide to enter, increasing the risk of injury or death. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the recall on December 17, 2021.
How to tell if you have it
Forest River Cardinal, 2020-2022
What to do
Dealers will inspect the generator compartment for proper sealant and apply sealant if necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-296-7700 using recall number 15-1444.
The hazard
The generator compartment may not be sealed properly, allowing carbon monoxide to enter the vehicle. This condition increases the risk of injury or death.
Context
GovInfoNow's records show Forest River, Inc. has 411 other recalls on file since September 30, 2009. Other recent recalls of similar products include a Forest River Cedar Creek Trailer recall for fire risk from wiring (October 16, 2026), a Forest River 2026 Forester recall for incorrect tire inflation risk (October 5, 2026), and a Forest River Cedar Creek recall for blocked door hazard (September 23, 2026). Other recent recalls of similar products include a REV 2026 Fleetwood Fortis recall for carbon monoxide risk from garage generator (April 23, 2026), a Winnebago 2025 Ekko Motorhome recall for carbon monoxide risk from generator (July 30, 2026), and another Winnebago 2025 Ekko Motorhomes recall for carbon monoxide risk from generator (April 22, 2026).
How to tell if you have this one
This recall applies to Forest River Cardinal fifth wheel RVs from 2020 to 2022. The generator compartment may not be sealed properly, allowing carbon monoxide to enter the vehicle.
Brand
Forest River
Category
Vehicle
Based on the official NHTSA remedy
What to do — step by step
Inspect Generator Compartment
Dealers will inspect the generator compartment for proper sealant and apply sealant if necessary, free of charge.
Official remedy
What NHTSA says to do
Dealers will inspect the generator compartment for proper sealant and apply sealant if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 5, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-296-7700. Forest River's number for this recall is 15-1444.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
Owners were mailed letters 19 days after NHTSA received the defect report.
1NHTSA received the defect report
2Owner letters mailed
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
Take action
Contact Forest River
We’ve drafted a message you can send Forest River to request your refund or repair — edit it as you like.
Subject: Recall 21V988000 — Forest River 2020 Cardinal RV Recall: Carbon Monoxide Risk
Hello,
I own a Forest River 2020 Cardinal RV Recall: Carbon Monoxide Risk that is covered by recall 21V988000 from Forest River.
The official recall notice states: Dealers will inspect the generator compartment for proper sealant and apply sealant if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 5, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-296-7700. Forest River's number for this recall is 15-1444.
I’m writing to arrange the remedy described in the recall (a refund, repair, or replacement as applicable). Could you please tell me the next steps to resolve this?
Thank you.
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on August 18, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.