Pre-purchase inspection checklist — 2017 Forest River Wildwood
The 2017 Forest River Wildwood has several recall issues related to electrical systems, labeling errors, and equipment installation. Despite these recalls, owner complaint frequencies are low, which suggests that the vehicle may generally perform reliably if these recalls are addressed. Buyers should ensure that electrical issues and recall corrections are confirmed during inspection.
Known issues to inspect
Wiring lacks over current protection
How to check: Inspect the distribution panel and battery connections.
Safety switch wired incorrectly
How to check: Verify break-away switch is wired to power.
Incorrect tire and rim information
How to check: Check Federal Placard for tire details.
Incorrect axle weight rating
How to check: Compare Federal Placard GAWR with actual axles.
Propane gas may enter vehicle
How to check: Inspect the refrigerator vent installation.
Test-drive walkthrough
- 01
Pre-start inspection
What to check: Check Federal Placard for accurate information.
Red flag: Incorrect tire or axle data
- 02
Cold start
What to check: Ensure all electrical components power up.
Red flag: Electrical system fails to respond
- 03
First minute idling
What to check: Listen for unusual noises from vents.
Red flag: Propane smell or gas leak sound
- 04
Initial movement
What to check: Ensure break-away switch engages properly.
Red flag: Breaks fail to engage
- 05
Highway acceleration
What to check: Monitor for tire imbalance or vibration.
Red flag: Unusual vibrations at speed
Questions for the seller
Use this exact phrasing.
- Have you addressed the electrical recalls?
- Is the break-away switch wired correctly?
- Were the Federal Placard issues fixed?
- Has the propane system been inspected?
- Are there any outstanding recalls?
Documents to request
Don't sign anything until you have these.
- Completed recall repair documentation
- Service history records
- Ownership history
- Title and registration
- Federal Placard for verification
Generated by gpt-4o on 8/23/2026. Grounded in the NHTSA recall corpus and owner-complaint patterns for the 2017 Forest River Wildwood.