Indian CHIEFTAIN DARK HORSE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
7 owner complaints analyzed
6 distinct recall campaigns
6,348 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2016 to 2024 model years. Data updated: . 2 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 7 complaints (42.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic
Matching reports
Share of complaints
Engine operation
3
42.9%
Transmission and shifting
1
14.3%
Fuel system concerns
1
14.3%
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
3
Power Train
2
Unknown Or Other
2
Engine
1
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump
1
Visibility/Wiper
1
Component breakdown data
Category
Count
Electrical System
3
Power Train
2
Unknown Or Other
2
Engine
1
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump
1
Visibility/Wiper
1
Electrical System: 3; Power Train: 2; Unknown Or Other: 2; Engine: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump: 1; Visibility/Wiper: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
Under 25,000
2
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
Reported problems by failure mileage data
Category
Count
Under 25,000
2
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: 2; 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 (2). 5 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.
2020
1
2021
2
2022
1
2023
1
2024
2
Complaints over time data
Category
Count
2020
1
2021
2
2022
1
2023
1
2024
2
2020: 1; 2021: 2; 2022: 1; 2023: 1; 2024: 2
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 3 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 1 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.
NHTSA, My 2019 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse had stage 2 Cams installed and tune on November 24, 2021, by an approved Indian dealership of Peoria. Since then my motorcycle has been shutting off while driving on city streets when downshifting while slowing down or upshifting when taking off from a stop position. I have brought it to the attention of the dealer but found no issue and no trouble codes found from the motorcycle. The only correction was a reflash for the ECM. Spoke to the national Indian Motorcycle customer service about my issue …
The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chieftain Darkhorse. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into the next gear, the gear shift lever was not showing which gear the vehicle was driving in. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was occurring at various speeds and caused the vehicle to stall while slowing for traffic. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator indicated that the vehicle was in second gear and the vehicle was in third gear and the engine became bogged down and the vehicle stalled …
The contact owns a 2020 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse Motorcycle. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while her son was riding at undisclosed speeds, the motorcycle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the motorcycle. No warning light was illuminated. The motorcycle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The motorcycle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. A…
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
7 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
28.6%Usable mileage2 / 7 records
100.0%Valid incident date7 / 7 records
100.0%Valid filing date7 / 7 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates7 / 7 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.
Component complaint heatmap
Component
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2023
2024
Electrical System
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
3100.0%ODI 11447437
NHTSA, My 2019 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse had stage 2 Cams installed and tune on November 24, 2021, by an approved Indian dealership of Peoria. Since then my motorcycle has been shutting off while driving on city streets when downshifting while slowing down or upshifting when taking off from a stop position. I have brought it to the attention of the dealer but found no issue and no trouble codes found from the motorcycle. The only correction was a reflash for the ECM. Spoke to the national Indian Motorcycle customer service about my issue …
I am in cruise control 6th gear and it turns off and the bike is in neutral. I have to shift to 5th. The gear indicator is also slow to change to what gear I am in. I had the gear sensor replaced under a recall but it seems to be the cause of this.
The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chieftain Darkhorse. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into the next gear, the gear shift lever was not showing which gear the vehicle was driving in. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was occurring at various speeds and caused the vehicle to stall while slowing for traffic. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator indicated that the vehicle was in second gear and the vehicle was in third gear and the engine became bogged down and the vehicle stalled …
I HAVE HAD THIS MOTORCYCLE FOR LESS THAN 1 YEAR AND THE KICKSTAND SPRING BROKE INTO TWO PIECES. LUCKILY I WAS NOT RIDING WHEN IT HAPPENED BECAUSE THE KICKSTAND WILL NOT STAY UP AND IF I WAS RIDING AND MADE A LEFT TURN WITHOUT KNOWING IT WAS DOWN I COULD HAVE BEEN THROWN FROM THE BIKE AND KILLED
NHTSA, My 2019 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse had stage 2 Cams installed and tune on November 24, 2021, by an approved Indian dealership of Peoria. Since then my motorcycle has been shutting off while driving on city streets when downshifting while slowing down or upshifting when taking off from a stop position. I have brought it to the attention of the dealer but found no issue and no trouble codes found from the motorcycle. The only correction was a reflash for the ECM. Spoke to the national Indian Motorcycle customer service about my issue …
The contact owns a 2020 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse Motorcycle. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while her son was riding at undisclosed speeds, the motorcycle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the motorcycle. No warning light was illuminated. The motorcycle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The motorcycle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. A…
While riding the motorcycle the windshield adjustment motor failed to raise the windshield from a lowered position to a raised position resulting in exposing my head to road hazards. The worm gear carrier that articulates the windshield is made of weak plastic.
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
7,695 mi
1 (sparse)
ODI 11577177 · 7,695 mi
The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chieftain Darkhorse. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into the next gear, the gear shift lever was not showing which gear the vehicle was driving in. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was occurring at various speeds and caused the vehicle to stall while slowing for traffic. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator indicated that the vehicle was in second gear and the vehicle was in third gear and the engine became bogged down and the vehicle stalled …
The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chieftain Darkhorse. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into the next gear, the gear shift lever was not showing which gear the vehicle was driving in. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was occurring at various speeds and caused the vehicle to stall while slowing for traffic. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator indicated that the vehicle was in second gear and the vehicle was in third gear and the engine became bogged down and the vehicle stalled …
I HAVE HAD THIS MOTORCYCLE FOR LESS THAN 1 YEAR AND THE KICKSTAND SPRING BROKE INTO TWO PIECES. LUCKILY I WAS NOT RIDING WHEN IT HAPPENED BECAUSE THE KICKSTAND WILL NOT STAY UP AND IF I WAS RIDING AND MADE A LEFT TURN WITHOUT KNOWING IT WAS DOWN I COULD HAVE BEEN THROWN FROM THE BIKE AND KILLED
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
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
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
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.
2020: 0 complaints · 2023: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
2020
0
0
0
2023
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
1
0
0
2023
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
Power Train
Unknown Or Other
Engine
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump
Visibility/Wiper
Electrical System
—
1ODI 11577177 · 7,695 mi
The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chieftain Darkhorse. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into the next gear, the gear shift lever was not showing which gear the vehicle was driving in. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was occurring at various speeds and caused the vehicle to stall while slowing for traffic. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator indicated that the vehicle was in second gear and the vehicle was in third gear and the engine became bogged down and the vehicle stalled …
NHTSA, My 2019 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse had stage 2 Cams installed and tune on November 24, 2021, by an approved Indian dealership of Peoria. Since then my motorcycle has been shutting off while driving on city streets when downshifting while slowing down or upshifting when taking off from a stop position. I have brought it to the attention of the dealer but found no issue and no trouble codes found from the motorcycle. The only correction was a reflash for the ECM. Spoke to the national Indian Motorcycle customer service about my issue …
The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chieftain Darkhorse. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into the next gear, the gear shift lever was not showing which gear the vehicle was driving in. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was occurring at various speeds and caused the vehicle to stall while slowing for traffic. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator indicated that the vehicle was in second gear and the vehicle was in third gear and the engine became bogged down and the vehicle stalled …
NHTSA, My 2019 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse had stage 2 Cams installed and tune on November 24, 2021, by an approved Indian dealership of Peoria. Since then my motorcycle has been shutting off while driving on city streets when downshifting while slowing down or upshifting when taking off from a stop position. I have brought it to the attention of the dealer but found no issue and no trouble codes found from the motorcycle. The only correction was a reflash for the ECM. Spoke to the national Indian Motorcycle customer service about my issue …
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.
2 patterns with matching reports.
Stalling or loss of power
3 mentions · 42.9% of complaints
Median mileage: 7,695 mi (1 usable records).
ODI 11447437
NHTSA, My 2019 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse had stage 2 Cams installed and tune on November 24, 2021, by an approved Indian dealership of Peoria. Since then my motorcycle has been shutting off while driving on city streets when downshifting while slowing down or upshifting when taking off from a stop position. I have brought it to the attention of the dealer but found no issue and no trouble codes found from the motorcycle. The only correction was a reflash for the ECM. Spoke to the national Indian Motorcycle customer service about my issue …
The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chieftain Darkhorse. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into the next gear, the gear shift lever was not showing which gear the vehicle was driving in. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was occurring at various speeds and caused the vehicle to stall while slowing for traffic. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator indicated that the vehicle was in second gear and the vehicle was in third gear and the engine became bogged down and the vehicle stalled …
The contact owns a 2020 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse Motorcycle. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while her son was riding at undisclosed speeds, the motorcycle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the motorcycle. No warning light was illuminated. The motorcycle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The motorcycle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. A…
Matching rule\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b
Warning lights and dashboard alerts
2 mentions · 28.6% of complaints
Median mileage: 7,695 mi (1 usable records).
ODI 11577177 · 7,695 mi
The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chieftain Darkhorse. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into the next gear, the gear shift lever was not showing which gear the vehicle was driving in. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was occurring at various speeds and caused the vehicle to stall while slowing for traffic. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator indicated that the vehicle was in second gear and the vehicle was in third gear and the engine became bogged down and the vehicle stalled …
The contact owns a 2020 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse Motorcycle. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while her son was riding at undisclosed speeds, the motorcycle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the motorcycle. No warning light was illuminated. The motorcycle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The motorcycle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. A…