2017 Heartland Wilderness

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Exterior Lighting1
010
Electrical System1
010

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Exterior Lighting16V566000
Filed Aug 1, 20164,585 vehiclesHeartland Recreational Vehicles, Llc

Defect. Heartland Recreational Vehicles, LLC (Heartland) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Wilderness and Mallard travel trailers, 2015-2017 Elkridge fifth wheel travel trailers, and 2017 Sundance and Torque travel trailers. The affected vehicles have an LED light on the front cap of the camper that may short circuit and overheat.

Risk. If the light overheats there would be an increased risk of a fire.

Remedy. Heartland will notify owners, and dealers will replace the light with one that has built-in voltage protection. The recall began on September 1, 2016. Owners may contact Heartland customer service at 1-877-262-8032.

Equipment › Other › Labels16V332000
Filed May 20, 2016618 vehiclesHeartland Recreational Vehicles, Llc

Defect. Heartland Recreational Vehicles (Heartland) is recalling certain model year 2017 trailers manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 5, 2016. The certification labels have incorrect tire pressure information, failing to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."

Risk. Improper inflation can cause the trailer tires to become overloaded, resulting in poor handling and increased risk of a crash.

Remedy. Heartland will notify owners, and dealers will replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2016. Owners may contact Heartland customer service at 1-877-262-8032. Heartland's number for this recall is 99-01-25.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Exterior LightingFire
Filed Aug 24, 2026AZ

The contact owns a 2017 Heartland Wilderness RV. The contact stated that the exterior LED lights caught on fire after being left on for an extended period. Neighbors alerted the owner, who discovered flames coming from the passenger’s side light assembly. The driver’s side assembly was melted. The owner disconnected the battery, and a bystander extinguished the fire with water. There was no injury sustained. The Fire Department was not notified of the issue. The contact stated that pictures of the damage were taken, and the damaged assembly was removed. The manufacturer was unreachable. The contact discovered an open recall, NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V566000 (Exterior Lighting and Electrical System); but was not notified of the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

Electrical SystemFire
Filed Aug 12, 2016120 milesFL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 HEARTLAND WILDERNESS CAMPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OUTDOOR SECURITY LIGHT CAUGHT FIRE AND CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE CAMPER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120.

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2017
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20210200Routine
20200200Routine
20191210Routine
20180100Routine
2017 — this page2220Routine
20161210Routine
20141100Routine
20130100Routine
20120100Routine

Compare every Wilderness year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Aug 1, 2016. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.