RoadVitals

2013 Heartland Elk Ridge

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest Apr 30, 2016
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Jul 30, 2015
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2013 Heartland Elk Ridge, most frequently naming the tires & wheels, brakes and suspension categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Tires & wheels250.0%
  • Brakes125.0%
  • Suspension125.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
15V482000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Jul 30, 2015
1,680 units potentially affected
The defect: Heartland Recreational Vehicles, LLC (Heartland) is recalling certain trailers of various models and model years. Click on "All Products Associated With This Recall" for a complete list. The tire certification labels applied to the vehicles may contain inaccurate tire sizing and/or inflation information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
The risk: An owner or operator could rely on the inaccurate information in inflating the tires which could cause under or over inflation which, in turn, could lead to a tire failure or crash.
The remedy: Heartland will notify owners, and dealers will send a replacement label with the correct information, free of charge. The recall began on September 29, 2015. Owners may contact Heartland customer service at 1-574-266-3988.
Heartland Recreational Vehicles, LLCManufacturer number 99-01-23View on NHTSA.gov
13V181000

EQUIPMENT

May 7, 2013
890 units potentially affected
The defect: Heartland Recreational Vehicles is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Big Country, Bighorn, Elk Ridge, Elk Ridge Express, Landmark, Prowler, Sundance, Sundance XLT, and Silverado fith wheel and travel trailers manufactured February 13, 2013, through April 16, 2013. If the awning installation sequence was not completely followed, the awning motor may unknowingly become damaged.
The risk: If motor damage has occurred, it is possible that the awning can unfurl unexpectedly, either while the trailer is at rest or while in transit, increasing the risk of personal injury or a vehicle crash.
The remedy: Heartland will notify owners and Dometic staff will replace the affected motors with a design that is not subject to an out-of-sequence installation error. The recall began on May 20, 2013. A notification schedule has not yet been provided. Owners may contact Heartland Recreational Trailers at 1-888-262-5992 or Dometic at 1-888-447-0003 for more information. Owners are being instructed not to drive their vehicle until repairs can be performed. Heartland's recall campaign number is 99-01-11.
Heartland Recreational Vehicles, LLCManufacturer number 99-01-11View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Tires & wheels
Filed Apr 30, 2016

WHILE TOWING MY FIFTH WHEEL RV ON I40 APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES EAST OF SEVIERVILLE, TN. I HAD A BLOWOUT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE ON MY FIFTH WHEEL. MY SPEED WAS AROUND 60 MPH AND THE TIRES HAD LESS THAN 1500 TOTAL MILES SINCE NEW. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE AND PHONE FOR SERVICE.

NHTSA ID
10862339
Incident
Apr 20, 2016
Mileage
1,400 mi
Suspension
Filed Oct 9, 2014

WHILE DRIVING ON HWY 101 THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS ON THE REAR AXLE SNAPPED. NOT A CLEAN BREAK BY A JAGGED ONE. THE REMAINING LEAF SPRINGS HELD. THE LEAF SPRINGS ACCORDING TO THE DEALER ARE RATED AT 3000 ON EACH SPRING. TOTAL 12000 LBS FOR A GVWR TRAILER OF 14600 LBS. I WOULD SAY THAT IS UNDER SPRUNG AND NO ROOM FOR ERROR. YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THIS. SPRINGS MADE BY LIPPERT COMPONENTS AND MADE IN CHINA. DEALER AND HEARTLAND BOTH DOING THE DANCE ON WARRANTY COVERAGE ECT ECT. THANKS *TR

NHTSA ID
10643720
Incident
Sep 26, 2014
Mileage
4,500 mi
BrakesTires & wheels
Filed Oct 7, 2014

I HAVE A HEARTLAND TRAILER WHICH I PURCHASED NEW IN NOV OF 2012. ON OUR FIRST TRIP THE TIRE BLEW ON THE TRAILER. TRADED IT FOR THE SPARE AND THE WARRANTY COMPANY TREDIT REPLACED THE TIRE. TWO MONTHS LATER ANOTHER BLOWOUT WITH TWO OTHER TIRES. I REPLACED AL FOUR TIRE WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND. IN ASKING THE HEARTLAND OWNERS FORUM ABOUT THIS PROBLEM THE PAGE EXPLODED WITH MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT TOWMAX TIRES. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY PROBLEM WHICH NO ONE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10643181
Incident
Dec 26, 2013
Mileage
1,200 mi

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Heartland Elk Ridge by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2023010—
2022020—
2021010—
2020030—
2019020—
2018110—
2017120—
2016140—
2015130—
2014120—
2013Viewing320—
2012020—
2011140—
2010020—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.