Indian Chief Vintage Recalls

The Indian Chief Vintage has 5 recalls spanning 2002 through 2020, with the most serious recent issue being a rear brake master cylinder defect on 2015-2016 models that can reduce or completely eliminate rear braking power, lengthening stopping distances and raising the risk of a crash.

The 2015-2020 model years are also subject to a vehicle control module electrical connection that can fail and cut power to the front lights, including the headlight, leaving the rider without forward illumination. On 2018 models, a separate electrical fault can cause the engine to start on its own; if the motorcycle is parked in an enclosed space at the time, carbon monoxide can accumulate and pose a risk to anyone nearby. The 2017-2018 model years may have been fitted with a European-specification halogen headlight assembly rather than the correct US-market unit, producing light output that does not meet domestic standards and reduces how well the motorcycle is seen by other road users.

Going back to the earliest production, the 2002 model year has a gas tank vent tube that can clog with debris, starving the carburetor of fuel and stalling the engine. A clogged tube can also build pressure in the tank and push fuel past the filler cap seal, creating a fire risk if that fuel contacts an ignition source.