U.S. public vehicle records

Indian CHIEFTAIN DARK HORSE recalls by model year

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: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 2 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

From yearThrough year

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2023

2024

2016: 1; 2017: 2; 2018: 3; 2019: 1; 2020: 0; 2023: 1; 2024: 2

First model yearSecond model year

Year-by-year records

Indian CHIEFTAIN DARK HORSE model-year comparison
Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Change in recalls
2016	0	1	Not available
2017	0	2	+1
2018	3	3	+1
2019	3	1	-2
2020	1	0	-1
2023	0	1	Not available
2024	0	2	+1

Recall history

6 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

22V635000 · Exterior Lighting:Lighting Control Module:Software | Exterior Lighting:Headlights

Reported: 2022-08-19 (August 19, 2022) · Model years: 2016, 2017, 2018

Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2014 Chief, 2015 Chief Classic, 2014-2018 Chieftain, 2015-2020 Chief Vintage, 2016-2018 Chieftain Darkhorse, 2016-2020 Springfield, 2017-2018 Chieftain Limited, and 2018-2019 Chieftain Classic motorcycles. The electrical connection for the Vehicle Control Module (VCM) may fail, causing a loss of the front lights, including the headlight.

Consequence: The loss of lighting can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the electrical connection and VCM, as necessary. Dealers will update the VCM software, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 27, 2022. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-19-02. This recall replaces NHTSA recall number 19V-339.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

17V682000 · Exterior Lighting:Headlights

Reported: 2017-10-27 (October 27, 2017) · Model years: 2017, 2018

Indian Motorcycles Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Chief, Chief Classic, Chief Dark Horse, Chief Vintage, Chieftain, Chieftain Classic, Cheiftain Dark Horse, Chieftain Elite, Chieftain Limited, Springfield, and Springfield Dark Horse motorcycles. These motorcycles may be equipped with a European-market, not US-market, halogen headlight assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence: The light output from the incorrect headlight can affect the motorcycle's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Indian will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the motorcycle and replace any incorrect headlight assembly, free of charge. The recall began on December 6, 2017. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-17-03.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

18V228000 · Electrical System

Reported: 2018-04-10 (April 10, 2018) · Model years: 2018

Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2018 Indian Chief, Chief Classic, Chief Dark Horse, Chief Vintage, Chieftain, Chieftain Classic, Chieftain Dark Horse, Chieftain Elite, Chieftain Limited, Springfield, Springfield Dark Horse, Roadmaster, Roadmaster Elite, Roadmaster Icon, and Roadmaster Classic motorcycles. Corrosion may develop within the right combination switch, potentially resulting in the motorcycle starting without the user's intent if the key fob is near the motorcycle and the required safety interlock conditions are met.

Consequence: If the motorcycle starts unintentionally and is parked in an enclosed space, exposure to carbon monoxide may increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Indian will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right hand combination switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-18-04.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

19V882000 · Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers

Reported: 2019-12-11 (December 11, 2019) · Model years: 2019

Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2019 Chieftain, Vintage, Roadmaster, Dark Horse, Springfield, and FTR1200 motorcycles. A 10A circuit breaker may be defective, tripping unexpectedly and causing a sudden loss of power and an engine stall.

Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Indian will notify owners and provide a new 10A circuit breaker and installation instructions. Owners may choose to have the part installed at a dealership, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2020. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-19-05.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

23V829000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Crank/Camshaft Position Sensor

Reported: 2023-12-07 (December 7, 2023) · Model years: 2023, 2024

Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2023 Chieftain Elite, 2023-2024 Chieftain Dark Horse, Chieftain Dark Horse Icon, Chieftain Limited, Chieftain, Roadmaster Limited, Roadmaster Dark Horse, Roadmaster, Springfield, Springfield Dark Horse, and 2024 Roadmaster Elite motorcycles. The crankshaft position sensor may have been routed improperly, which can result in an engine stall.

Consequence: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reroute, or replace the crankshaft position sensor as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2023. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-23-07.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

24V550000 · Suspension:Rear

Reported: 2024-07-23 (July 23, 2024) · Model years: 2024

Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2024 Chieftain, Challenger, Pursuit, Roadmaster, and Springfield motorcycles. Please refer to the recall report for a complete list of model names. The rear suspension pushrod may buckle under load.

Consequence: A rear suspension pushrod that buckles may pinch the main chassis harness, damage the coolant reservoir, damage the rear tire, or cause the motorcycle to bottom out under load. Any of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear suspension pushrod, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 22, 2024. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-24-07.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

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.

From model yearThrough model year

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 … Look up ODI 11447437 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Power Train	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	133.3% ODI 11422889 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. Look up ODI 11422889 at NHTSA ↗	133.3% 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 … Look up ODI 11577177 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Unknown Or Other	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	133.3% ODI 11316833 · 5,000 mi 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 Look up ODI 11316833 at NHTSA ↗	133.3% ODI 11574983 Gear shifter had a recall that was fixed however I just purchased this bike and is having the same issues again. The display indicates the wrong gear. Look up ODI 11574983 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Engine	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	133.3% 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 … Look up ODI 11447437 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 11541115 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… Look up ODI 11541115 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.
Visibility/Wiper	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	133.3% ODI 11426413 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. Look up ODI 11426413 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.

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 … Look up ODI 11577177 at NHTSA ↗
Power Train	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 … Look up ODI 11577177 at NHTSA ↗
Unknown Or Other	Too few reports for a range	5,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 11316833 · 5,000 mi 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 Look up ODI 11316833 at NHTSA ↗

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

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	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)	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.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

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	—	1 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 … Look up ODI 11577177 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 11574983 Gear shifter had a recall that was fixed however I just purchased this bike and is having the same issues again. The display indicates the wrong gear. Look up ODI 11574983 at NHTSA ↗	1 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 … Look up ODI 11447437 at NHTSA ↗	0	0
Power Train	1 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 … Look up ODI 11577177 at NHTSA ↗	—	0	0	0	0
Unknown Or Other	1 ODI 11574983 Gear shifter had a recall that was fixed however I just purchased this bike and is having the same issues again. The display indicates the wrong gear. Look up ODI 11574983 at NHTSA ↗	0	—	0	0	0
Engine	1 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 … Look up ODI 11447437 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	—	0	0
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump	0	0	0	0	—	0
Visibility/Wiper	0	0	0	0	0	—

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.

Search patterns

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 …

Look up ODI 11447437 at NHTSA ↗

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 …

Look up ODI 11577177 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 11541115

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…

Look up ODI 11541115 at NHTSA ↗

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

Look up ODI 11577177 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 11541115

Look up ODI 11541115 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(warning light\w*|check engine|dashboard warning\w*|malfunction indicator)\b