RoadVitals

2003 Independence Freedom Express

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest May 27, 2005
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Independence Freedom Express, most frequently naming the brakes and fuel system categories. 1 NHTSA investigation names it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes150.0%
  • Fuel system150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE05045ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

MOTORCYCLE TAG BRACKET SEPARATION

Opened Aug 19, 2005
Closed Dec 13, 2005

ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AFTER TWO OWNERS OF MOTORCYCLES PRODUCED BY INDEPENDENCE MOTORCYCLE COMPANY OF TUCSON, ARIZONA, ALLEGED THAT THE SIDE MOUNT LICENSE PLATE BRACKET (SECURED AT THE REAR AXLE) SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE DUE TO METAL FATIGUE.WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE BRACKET REMAINED CONNECTED TO THE MOTORCYCLE BY THE TAILLIGHT WIRING.ODI HAS INSPECTED SUBJECT MOTORCYCLES AND PEER MODELS AND MET WITH THEIR OWNERS.ODI ALSO HAS DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH THE MANUFACTURER, SUBJECT MOTORCYCLE DEALERS, SERVICE PERSONNEL, AND AFTERMARKET COMPONENT SUPPLIERS.DURING THESE DISCUSSIONS AND MEETINGS, ODI BECAME AWARE OF TWO ADDITIONAL ALLEGATIONS OF TAG BRACKET FAILURE.BASED ON ODI'S REVIEW, IT APPEARS THAT THE ALLEGED BRACKET SEPARATION RESULTS FROM UNINTENDED CONTACT BETWEEN A DISC LOCK (INSTALLED BY OWNERS TO PREVENT THEFTS) AND THE TAG BRACKET.THIS OCCURS WHEN OPERATORS FORGET TO REMOVE THE DISC LOCK PRIOR TO RIDING.IF NOT FRACTURED IMMEDIATELY, THE BRACKET MAY BE WEAKENED AND SUBSEQUENTLY FAIL WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE IS UNDERWAY.BASED ON THE INFORMATION CURRENTLY KNOWN TO ODI, A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND DOES NOT EXIST.THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Brakes
Filed May 27, 2005

RIGHT SIDE MOUNT LED LICENSE PLATE/BRAKE LIGHT. MOUNT CRACKED DUE TO VIBRATION? WIRES WERE ATTACHED TO PLATE, WAS FLYING BEHIND ME ON BIKE. BROKE FREE, CARS BEHIND ME TO SWERVED TO AVOID LICENSE PLATE MOUNT (2 LBS) ALSO COULD OF GOT STUCK IN MY REAR WHEEL CAUSING ME TO CRASH. BILDER OF BIKE HUNGUP ON ME WHEN ASK FOR A FIX TO THE PROBLEM. (ROSEMARY TUSEN)

NHTSA ID
10122342
Incident
May 25, 2005
Mileage
1,870 mi
Fuel system
Filed Dec 20, 2004

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED CONSUMER NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK.......THE GAS TANK IS A HAZARD ON THIS MOTORCYCLE, AND THE COMPANY IS LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE. THE GAS TANK HAS A SMALL HOLE WHICH LEAKS FLUID AND COULD CAUSE A FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10105094
Incident
Apr 5, 2004

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Independence Freedom Express by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2005001—
2004301—
2003Viewing201—
2002001—
2001110—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.