What Indian Chief owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See Indian Chief safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 2016 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 |
| 2015 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
The vehicle systems named most often in Indian Chief complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
The motorcycle has developed corrosion and rust on all bolts and exposed metal. There is rust and corrosion coming through the paint and powder coat, including on the frame in the recesses and bolt holes where the frame is bolted together; threads inside the frame where foot pegs and floor boards and accessories are installed; the shock mounts. I called Indian/Polaris about the issues and was told to take the motorcycle to a dealership so a case could be opened. Indian/Polaris denied any warranty work for being "to far outside warranty". The motorcycle has always been kept in an enclosed garage and cleaned and maintained. The rust and corrosion are not from environmental issues, the rus…
This vehicle has an issue with the gear position switch, which causes the wrong gear to display on the info screen intermittently. Sometimes at highway speed, with cruise control engaged, the bike will think it's in neutral, which cancels the cruise abruptly. The bike has been in for service for this issue many times, including a recall, but the issue persists, and the manufacturer has no more interest in trying to fix it on their dime. This is a huge safety issue and I think they should continue to pay to service the bike until this problem is fixed once and for all.
The unit stalls upon startup, within minutes of takeoff from a start (both cold and warm), and even occasionally while riding and decelerating. Unsolicited stalling of unit creates unpredictable riding conditions and immediate loss of power and control while riding. Independent shop notated that the unit stalled on them both before and after a service (oil and plugs). Dealer may not admit but I witnessed numerous times from two different dealers in which they started it up in the back of the shop and I heard it stall on them as they were bringing it out to me. I have video of the unit stalling immediately after startup. Two dealers claim to have inspected and looked over unit but have failed…
I was almost killed when my gear indicator switch suddenly went from 6th gear to neutral, therefore disengaging the cruise control. This caused a sudden decrease in speed due to engine braking which almost resulted in me getting rear ended. I could hear tires chirping behind me but luckily, I was able to regain my speed. This issue happens without warning and I have previously tried to get this fixed 3 times. All they do for the "fix" is clean the switch. This only lasts for about 8k miles. This is the same switch that was previously recalled due to a potential startup in 2nd gear. It is still "oxidizing" as stated in the original recall. IMO, they have made the issue even worse where…
The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chief Roadmaster Motorcycle. The contact stated that while riding 60 MPH with the cruise control activated, the cruise control erroneously deactivated causing the motorcycle to suddenly decelerate. During the failure another vehicle nearly crashed into the rear of the motorcycle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that the failure started after the motorcycle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V776000 (Electrical System, Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 9,000.
The bike in question has given multiple issues and safety concerns. I would ride and the bike would die. I would be in the middle of an intersection and the engine would die leaving me in the middle with no power. It would happen in parking lots and on the highway as well. It's been in the shop and had the recall completed in november/December. I was told that would solve the issue. It was dropped off at my house after that, and I still was getting the same issues. I was riding around and it still died on me. I almost was hit more than once while trying to turn through intersections. I was within inches of having other vehicles hit me. Polaris and Indian are not stepping up and solving the …
At 70mph on I-95 in the outside lane between Rt 50 and Rt 46 in Titusville FL, the vehicle tipover sensor triggered causing the motorcycle to engine to shut down. The roads were clear and dry, it was night time with no streetlights. The motorcycle immediately began to slow down, causing cars to veer around us as we coasted off the road and onto the shoulder. We were able to clear the alert and get the motorcycle to our FL residence (We winter in FL, reside in MA). On the way home, it triggered two more times, but we were on surface roads with light traffic and were able to safely stop the motorcycle. The motorcycle was subsequently trailered to the closest Indian dealer (Daytona Beach, FL),…
The contact owns a 2016 Indian Motorcycle Chief Dark Horse. The contact stated while riding approximately 55-60 MPH on a rainy night, the motorcycle headlight turned off inadvertently. The high beam indicator warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact's son met him at the scene and brought an electrical wire that the contact connected to the light bulbs, and the headlights started working as needed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The motorcycle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
This Indian motorcycle help center article provides information regarding how to adjust the rear shocks on Indian Vintage and Chief motorcycles.
This Ask Polaris article provides details for troubleshooting and remediation of model year 2022+ Chief motorcycles that exhibit a whistling noise coming from the engine or intake tract during operation.
Indian Motorcycles is releasing a guide to aid in misfire diagnosis on heavyweight air and liquid cooled motorcycles. This Team Tip provides additional details on the systems and components that may contribute to misfire or runabillity concern, along with how to repair them.
This Indian motorcycle help center article provides information regarding belt inspection and tension adjustment for model year 2022-2025 Indian Chief motorcycles.
This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding maintenance and adjustment of the clutch lever on model year 2022+ Indian Chief Motorcycles.
This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding changing the engine oil on 2022+ Chief motorcycles.
Indian Motorcycle has determined that model year 2020-2024 Challenger, 2022-2024 Pursuit and 2024 Chief motorcycles may encounter a scenario in which the Vehicle Control Module (VCM) or Wireless Control Module (WCM) may not fully power off, resulting in unnecessary current draw from the battery. To address this concern, Indian Motorcycle has released this Service Bulletin with instructions to update the VCM and/or WCM software. Revision 4 Added notice that bulletin part I-24-08-CA should not be performed on Japan models.
Approximately 300 affected 2025 Chief motorcycles that are shipping to dealers over the coming weeks will require a RIDE COMMAND 4â Round Display software update. With significant improvements available in this software release, Indian Motorcycle is asking dealers to proactively update 2025 Chief displays prior to sale to ensure customers are getting the best display experience possible on their new motorcycle. Follow the procedure outlined in this Dealer Hold to update the RIDE COMMAND software.
Indian Motorcycle has determined that model year 2020-2024 Challenger, 2022-2024 Pursuit and 2024 Chief motorcycles may encounter a scenario in which the Vehicle Control Module (VCM) or Wireless Control Module (WCM) may not fully power off, resulting in unnecessary current draw from the battery. To address this concern, Indian Motorcycle has released this Service Bulletin with instructions to update the VCM and/or WCM software.
Indian Motorcycle has determined that model year 2020-2024 Challenger, 2022-2024 Pursuit and 2024 Chief motorcycles may encounter a scenario in which the Vehicle Control Module (VCM) or Wireless Control Module (WCM) may not fully power off, resulting in unnecessary current draw from the battery. To address this concern, Indian Motorcycle has released this Service Bulletin with instructions to update the VCM and/or WCM software.
This is a communication to Indian Motorcycle Technicians and Set Up Technicians which provides details regarding RIDE COMMAND software updates.
Indian Motorcycle has determined that some Model Year 2024 Chief motorcycles may not have the evaporative hose routing decal installed. This bulletin affects less than 80 motorcycles. To address this concern, Indian Motorcycle has released this Service Bulletin to install the missing evaporative hose routing decal.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2010–2025, owners most often name: electrical system, unknown or other, power train. 28 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.