U.S. public vehicle records

Heartland WILDERNESS problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

5 owner complaints analyzed

8 distinct recall campaigns

120 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2012 to 2021 model years. Data updated: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 5 complaints (60.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Electrical and battery issues	2	40.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

Exterior Lighting

Power Train:Axle Hubs

Structure:Body

Suspension:Rear:Axle:Spindle

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System: 3; Exterior Lighting: 2; Power Train:Axle Hubs: 1; Structure:Body: 1; Suspension:Rear:Axle:Spindle: 1; Unknown Or Other: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 4 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2015

2016

2024

2026

2015: 1; 2016: 2; 2024: 1; 2026: 1

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10933832 · 2016-12-08 (December 8, 2016)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HEARTLAND WILDERNESS. WHILE THE RV WAS PARKED AND THE CONTACT WAS ASLEEP IN THE CAMPER, THE RV CAUGHT ON FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE RV WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V566000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10933832 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11759225 · 2026-08-24 (August 24, 2026)

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…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11759225 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

From yearThrough year

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

2012

2013

2014

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2012: 1; 2013: 1; 2014: 1; 2016: 2; 2017: 2; 2018: 1; 2019: 2; 2020: 2; 2021: 2

First model yearSecond model year

Year-by-year records

Heartland WILDERNESS model-year comparison
Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Change in recalls
2012	0	1	Not available
2013	0	1	0
2014	1	1	0
2016	1	2	Not available
2017	2	2	0
2018	0	1	-1
2019	1	2	+1
2020	0	2	0
2021	0	2	0

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

5 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.

20.0%Usable mileage1 / 5 records

100.0%Valid incident date5 / 5 records

100.0%Valid filing date5 / 5 records

100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates5 / 5 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	2012	2013	2014	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Electrical System	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 10933832 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HEARTLAND WILDERNESS. WHILE THE RV WAS PARKED AND THE CONTACT WAS ASLEEP IN THE CAMPER, THE RV CAUGHT ON FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE RV WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V566000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED. Look up ODI 10933832 at NHTSA ↗	2100.0% ODI 10895376 · 120 mi 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. Look up ODI 10895376 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Exterior Lighting	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 10933832 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HEARTLAND WILDERNESS. WHILE THE RV WAS PARKED AND THE CONTACT WAS ASLEEP IN THE CAMPER, THE RV CAUGHT ON FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE RV WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V566000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED. Look up ODI 10933832 at NHTSA ↗	150.0% ODI 11759225 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… Look up ODI 11759225 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Power Train:Axle Hubs	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 11622870 The contact owns a 2019 Heartland Wilderness Travel Trailer. The contact stated while pulling into the driveway, there was smoke coming from the hubs. The contact stated that upon inspecting the trailer, the contact noticed that the bearings and races had failed, causing the axle spindle to be damaged. A mobile independent mechanic replaced the axle assembly, the bearings, the races, and the backing plate; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, another driver alerted the contact that there was smoke coming from… Look up ODI 11622870 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Structure:Body	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 10744967 THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE FALLEN OFF OF MY BRAND NEW HEARTLAND WILDERNESS RV, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE WHILE IN TRANSIT ON THE HIGHWAY: SPARE TIRE COVER, HOLDING TANK DRAIN CAP, EXTERNAL PROPANE GAS QUICK CONNECT COUPLING, STABILIZER MOUNTING SCREWS, BUMPER END CAP, LICENSE PLATE MOUNTING BRACKET, GATE VALVE T-HANDLE. THESE ITEMS FELL OFF OVER A PERIOD OF TIME SINCE I PURCHASED THE RV NEW IN APRIL OF 2014. WHETHER THIS IS DUE TO LACK OF DEALER PREPARATION(CAMPING WORLD OF ASHEVILLE, NC OR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS(HEARTLAND) I CAN NOT THEORIZE.… Look up ODI 10744967 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Suspension:Rear:Axle:Spindle	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 11622870 The contact owns a 2019 Heartland Wilderness Travel Trailer. The contact stated while pulling into the driveway, there was smoke coming from the hubs. The contact stated that upon inspecting the trailer, the contact noticed that the bearings and races had failed, causing the axle spindle to be damaged. A mobile independent mechanic replaced the axle assembly, the bearings, the races, and the backing plate; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, another driver alerted the contact that there was smoke coming from… Look up ODI 11622870 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Unknown Or Other	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 10744967 THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE FALLEN OFF OF MY BRAND NEW HEARTLAND WILDERNESS RV, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE WHILE IN TRANSIT ON THE HIGHWAY: SPARE TIRE COVER, HOLDING TANK DRAIN CAP, EXTERNAL PROPANE GAS QUICK CONNECT COUPLING, STABILIZER MOUNTING SCREWS, BUMPER END CAP, LICENSE PLATE MOUNTING BRACKET, GATE VALVE T-HANDLE. THESE ITEMS FELL OFF OVER A PERIOD OF TIME SINCE I PURCHASED THE RV NEW IN APRIL OF 2014. WHETHER THIS IS DUE TO LACK OF DEALER PREPARATION(CAMPING WORLD OF ASHEVILLE, NC OR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS(HEARTLAND) I CAN NOT THEORIZE.… Look up ODI 10744967 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.

Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
Component	Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)	Median	Usable records	Examples
Electrical System	Too few reports for a range	120 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10895376 · 120 mi 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. Look up ODI 10895376 at NHTSA ↗

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples

Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month	Complaints	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-11	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	1	None	ODI 11759225 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… Look up ODI 11759225 at NHTSA ↗
2026-09	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)	0	None	No examples available for this selection.

Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.

Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

2020: 0 complaints · 2021: 0 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
2020	0	0	0
2021	0	0	0

Date coverage across each selected cohort

Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year	Incident dates used	Filing date fallbacks	Excluded dates
2020	0	0	0
2021	0	0	0

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
Component	Electrical System	Exterior Lighting	Power Train:Axle Hubs	Structure:Body	Suspension:Rear:Axle:Spindle	Unknown Or Other
Electrical System	—	2 ODI 10933832 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HEARTLAND WILDERNESS. WHILE THE RV WAS PARKED AND THE CONTACT WAS ASLEEP IN THE CAMPER, THE RV CAUGHT ON FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE RV WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V566000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED. Look up ODI 10933832 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11759225 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… Look up ODI 11759225 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	0
Exterior Lighting	2 ODI 10933832 TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HEARTLAND WILDERNESS. WHILE THE RV WAS PARKED AND THE CONTACT WAS ASLEEP IN THE CAMPER, THE RV CAUGHT ON FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE RV WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V566000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED. Look up ODI 10933832 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11759225 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… Look up ODI 11759225 at NHTSA ↗	—	0	0	0	0
Power Train:Axle Hubs	0	0	—	0	1 ODI 11622870 The contact owns a 2019 Heartland Wilderness Travel Trailer. The contact stated while pulling into the driveway, there was smoke coming from the hubs. The contact stated that upon inspecting the trailer, the contact noticed that the bearings and races had failed, causing the axle spindle to be damaged. A mobile independent mechanic replaced the axle assembly, the bearings, the races, and the backing plate; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, another driver alerted the contact that there was smoke coming from… Look up ODI 11622870 at NHTSA ↗	0
Structure:Body	0	0	0	—	0	1 ODI 10744967 THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE FALLEN OFF OF MY BRAND NEW HEARTLAND WILDERNESS RV, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE WHILE IN TRANSIT ON THE HIGHWAY: SPARE TIRE COVER, HOLDING TANK DRAIN CAP, EXTERNAL PROPANE GAS QUICK CONNECT COUPLING, STABILIZER MOUNTING SCREWS, BUMPER END CAP, LICENSE PLATE MOUNTING BRACKET, GATE VALVE T-HANDLE. THESE ITEMS FELL OFF OVER A PERIOD OF TIME SINCE I PURCHASED THE RV NEW IN APRIL OF 2014. WHETHER THIS IS DUE TO LACK OF DEALER PREPARATION(CAMPING WORLD OF ASHEVILLE, NC OR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS(HEARTLAND) I CAN NOT THEORIZE.… Look up ODI 10744967 at NHTSA ↗
Suspension:Rear:Axle:Spindle	0	0	1 ODI 11622870 The contact owns a 2019 Heartland Wilderness Travel Trailer. The contact stated while pulling into the driveway, there was smoke coming from the hubs. The contact stated that upon inspecting the trailer, the contact noticed that the bearings and races had failed, causing the axle spindle to be damaged. A mobile independent mechanic replaced the axle assembly, the bearings, the races, and the backing plate; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, another driver alerted the contact that there was smoke coming from… Look up ODI 11622870 at NHTSA ↗	0	—	0
Unknown Or Other	0	0	0	1 ODI 10744967 THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE FALLEN OFF OF MY BRAND NEW HEARTLAND WILDERNESS RV, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE WHILE IN TRANSIT ON THE HIGHWAY: SPARE TIRE COVER, HOLDING TANK DRAIN CAP, EXTERNAL PROPANE GAS QUICK CONNECT COUPLING, STABILIZER MOUNTING SCREWS, BUMPER END CAP, LICENSE PLATE MOUNTING BRACKET, GATE VALVE T-HANDLE. THESE ITEMS FELL OFF OVER A PERIOD OF TIME SINCE I PURCHASED THE RV NEW IN APRIL OF 2014. WHETHER THIS IS DUE TO LACK OF DEALER PREPARATION(CAMPING WORLD OF ASHEVILLE, NC OR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS(HEARTLAND) I CAN NOT THEORIZE.… Look up ODI 10744967 at NHTSA ↗	0	—

Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

Search patterns

0 patterns with matching reports.

No narratives match the published patterns.