HEARTLAND Complaints

Please see attachment named "RV axle and frame issues for NHTSA" for detailed account of what happened. The answers to the specific questions are below. •What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Dexter rear axle bent and Lippert Frame cracked on the rear axle above the shackle points causing the tires to wear unevenly prematurely ending the tire life. •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The structural integrity of the camper is now compromised creating a potential to cause unwarranted catastrophic damage to myself and others. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes •Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, only our RV dealership and passed NYS inspection in October 2020 for the 2021 year before the major problems were known. •Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Uneven tire wear was the first noticeable symptom in late summer of 2020.

2020 HEARTLAND RECREATIONAL TRAILER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 21V-428. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME COMPLETING THE RECALL REPAIR.

The contact owns 2018 Heartland Road Warrior RV. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the RV drove over a bump on the road and the contact felt that the RV was dragging and not accelerating as fast as before. The contact looked in the rear-view mirror and noticed that the RV was pulling towards the right side instead of driving straight. The contact to pulled over to the side of the road. The contact noticed that the rear passenger’s side spring hanger had fractured causing the rear axle to pull the RV sideways. The RV was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the rear hanger needed to be replaced. The mechanic repaired the RV by welding the hanger back in place for the contact to continue to be able to drive to his residence. The vehicle was not fully repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2019 Heartland Sundance. The contact stated that when inspecting the vehicle, the furnace was not anchored securely. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed that the furnace and toilet had been incorrectly installed by the manufacturer. The areas had to be anchored and sealed correctly. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2021 Heartland Cyclone. The contact stated that the RV was parked at a campground charging station when the contact noticed there was dark grey smoke coming from inside of the RV under the bar area in the vehicle. The contact unplugged the main power from the vehicle and removed the fireplace station where the smoke was coming from to see that the outlet plugs and outlet box connection were burnt. The contact had a technician at the site inspect the RV and diagnosed the failure as a faulty outlet box and needed to be replaced. The contact was concerned that the failure was caused due to water dripping from the sink next to the outlet box that caused the failure. The RV was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2021 Heartland Cyclone travel trailer. The contact stated that the two axles that support the weight of the trailer were bent. The axles only supported 14,000 pounds however, the trailer weighs 15,320 pounds, which caused the axles to bend. The travel trailer was taken to an independent mechanic and the axles were straightened. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they would send out replacement axles. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Heartland Big Horn. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph when they noticed smoking coming from the left rear-axel. The contact got flagged by another vehicle to pull over. Once they did so the vehicle was then set on fire. The contact stated they put out the fire with their own extinguisher. A police report was not filed. They were unable to have the vehicle towed therefore it remains where they had to pull over. There were no injuries and no medical attention was needed. A certified mechanic informed the contact that the rear-axel had failed and needed to be replaced. The rear axle had been replaced however the cease hub and bearing had been replaced twice. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000.

2021 HEARTLAND MALLARD. CONSUMER WRITES IN REAFRDS TO AXLE SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE LOWER METAL SIDING SEPARATED FROM THE TRAILER AND BEGAN SCRAPING THE TIRES. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE LARGER TIRES RECOMMENDED BY THE RECALL NOTICE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED ALONG WITH THE TRAILER'S DELAMINATING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL 21V-009.

The contact owns a 2019 Heartland Trail Runner. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V428000 (Equipment) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2018 Heartland Elkridge. The contact stated that upon cleaning the RV, he discovered that a fuse was not installed on the RV propane gas detector. The contact was concerned that if there was a propane leak inside the RV, he would not be warned of the gas leak. The contact made multiple attempts to reach the manufacturer however, each time, the contact was placed on an extended hold. The RV was not yet repaired. The contact had not experienced a failure.