2003 American Ironhorse Texas Chopper Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2003 American Ironhorse Texas Chopper, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes250.0%
- Body & structure125.0%
- Suspension125.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
COMPLAINT IS A RESULT TO DAMAGE DONE TO VEHICLE STEMMING FROM WORK DONE BY DEALER DURING SAFETY RECALL REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE ROTORS. VEHICLE FRAME HAS BEEN LEFT EXPOSED TO CORROSION SHORTENING THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF VEHICLE FRAME. JAN. 31, 2004: I RECEIVED A NHTSA SAFETY RECALL NOTICE {NHTSA RECALL NO. 03V521}. APR. 1, 2004: THE DEALER NOTIFIED ME THAT THE WORK WAS COMPLETED. APR. 30, 2004: I DISCOVERED THAT THE POLISHED BILLET ALUMINUM CENTERS OF THE NEWLY INSTALLED LEFT FRONT BRAKE ROTOR AND REAR BRAKE ROTOR WERE SCRATCHED. THE POLISHED BILLET ALUMINUM REAR WHEEL WAS ALSO SCRATCHED AND GOUGED IN NUMEROUS LOCATIONS. I CONTACTED THE DEALER DURING THE WEEK OF MAY 3 TO INFORM THEM OF WHAT I FOUND. MAY 17, 2004: AMERICAN IRONHORSE WAS CONTACTED, VIA EMAIL, ABOUT THE DAMAGE. MAY 19, 2004: I WAS CONTACTED BY AMERICAN IRONHORSE AND WAS INFORMED THAT ARRANGEMENTS WERE BEING MADE TO HAVE THE DEALER REMOVE THE FRONT & REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLIES AND SHIP THEM TO AMERICAN IRONHORSE. MAY 29, 2004: THE DAMAGE TO THE ROTORS AND REAR WHEEL WAS SATISFACTORILY REPAIRED, HOWEVER; I DISCOVERED THAT THE POWDER COAT FINISH ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME RAILS AND CENTER CROSS MEMBER WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED (SCRATCHES AND ABRASIONS). IN ADDITION, A PIECE OF THE FRAME ASSEMBLY WAS BROKEN AT THE WELD. MAY 31, 2004: BIKERS DREAM (DENVER) & AMERICAN IRONHORSE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DAMAGE I DISCOVERED. JUN. 9, 2004: AMERICAN IRONHORSE PICKED UP MY MOTORCYCLE AT BIKERS DREAM (DENVER) AND TRANSPORTED IT TO THEIR FACTORY IN FT. WORTH, TX. JULY. 19, 2004: WHAT IS DISCOVERED IS MISMATCH OF COLOR AND FINISH, OVER SPRAY OF PAINT & CLEAR COAT, DAMAGE DONE TO PREVIOUSLY UNDAMAGED AREAS BY SANDING, AREAS OF PREVIOUS DAMAGE NOT ADDRESSED BY RESTORAL AND NEW DAMAGE IN THE FORM OF SCRATCHES & GOUGES IN THE OUTER PRIMARY COVER. JUL. 20, 2004: AMERICAN IRONHORSE IS CONTACTED ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE MOTORCYCLE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE TO MAKE THIS RIGHT BY ME. *JB
NHTSA RECALL 03V521000 CONCERNING BRAKE ROTOR FAILURE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER IN FEBRUARY AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. MECHANIC COULD NOT TELL THE CONSUMER WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
POOR DESIGN IN MOTORCYCLE SHOCK MOUNT LED TO FAILURE OF WELD AND BREAKAGE CAUSING REAR WHEEL OF MOTORCYCLE TO LOCK AGAINST FENDER RESULTING IN A CRASH AND INJURIES. SAME MAKE AND MODEL MOTORCYCLES HAS A HISTORY OF FAILURE IN SAME AREA. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
POOR DESIGN IN MOTORCYCLE SHOCK MOUNT LED TO FAILURE OF WELD AND BREAKAGE CAUSING REAR WHEEL OF MOTORCYCLE TO LOCK AGAINST FENDER RESULTING IN A CRASH AND INJURIES. SAME MAKE AND MODEL MOTORCYCLES HAS A HISTORY OF FAILURE IN SAME AREA. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .