RoadVitals

2019 Indian Chief Roadmaster

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.
3
Latest May 15, 2023
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.
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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.
0
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.
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Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2019 Indian Chief Roadmaster, most frequently naming the electrical and powertrain (other) categories. 2 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

  • Electrical375.0%
  • Powertrain (other)125.0%

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.

Recent owner complaints

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

Electrical
Filed May 15, 2023

I was almost killed when my gear indicator switch suddenly went from 6th gear to neutral, therefore disengaging the cruise control. This caused a sudden decrease in speed due to engine braking which almost resulted in me getting rear ended. I could hear tires chirping behind me but luckily, I was able to regain my speed. This issue happens without warning and I have previously tried to get this fixed 3 times. All they do for the "fix" is clean the switch. This only lasts for about 8k miles. This is the same switch that was previously recalled due to a potential startup in 2nd gear. It is still "oxidizing" as stated in the original recall. IMO, they have made the issue even worse where the issue now occurs at speed. It also causes the bike to indicate 2nd gear when you are indeed, in neutral. Indian knows about this and has come up with a fix for mid 2019 models and subsequent. The crankcase and gear shift part numbers were changed and the gear indicator switch is clearly different. But it is apparently, not retrofittable to 2014 through early 2019 bikes. This is gross misconduct, IMO, and Indian is knowingly putting riders at risk. I am including an Indian forum thread to show that I am not the only one with this problem, https://www.indianmotorcycles.net/threads/gear-indicator-issue.338723/ There are many more threads on this issue besides this one. Please investigate this matter. I don't think I should have to call Indian or let them call this a maintenance item I have to pay for every 8k miles. This amounts to twice a year for me. That is very excessive. It is also rewarding them for their defective part. The "maintenance" is not easy or cheap. Multiple parts have to come off the bike to even get to the switch. It also takes me two months to get an appointment at my dealer so it is not getting fixed promptly. Mine, and others, safety is at risk. Please help. Thanks - [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID
11522014
Incident
May 8, 2023
ElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed May 10, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chief Roadmaster Motorcycle. The contact stated that while riding 60 MPH with the cruise control activated, the cruise control erroneously deactivated causing the motorcycle to suddenly decelerate. During the failure another vehicle nearly crashed into the rear of the motorcycle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that the failure started after the motorcycle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V776000 (Electrical System, Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 9,000.

NHTSA ID
11521350
Incident
Dec 1, 2020
Mileage
9,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jun 3, 2021

The gear position sensor will go from 6th gear to neutral causing you to either drop out of cruise control (if engaged) or a momentary loss of power, if the cruise is not engaged. This can create a dangerous condition due to a sudden decrease in speed, if anybody is behind you. This is a motorcycle so there is nothing between you and any other vehicle. This was already supposed to have been fixed based on a recall I believe initiated here. That was for people accidentally starting their motorcycles in gear. As alleged on the internet, all Indian did was switch resistance values so now the issue I am reporting here is occurring. People are living (I hope!) with this condition as they were either told by Indian they are out of warranty or they are out of warranty and don't think anything can be done. Since there is no word of Indian supplying a new, improved gear position sensor to those afflicted, I can only assume that Indian is still producing thousands of new bikes that will have this problem. Looking at the additional details below. This occurs every time I ride my bike. The speed it occurs at 50+ mph as that is when you would be in 6th gear. This started occurring at about 11k miles. Thank you - George

NHTSA ID
11419512
Incident
Jun 3, 2021

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

I-22-03-02

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Indian Motorcycle identified that on Indian Scout Models there is a potential for damage to occur to electrical hardware or the vehicle harness if the battery ground cable and ground joint is not connected properly. Damage can occur during procedures that require the battery cable to be disconnected or during battery removal and installation.

IND-02-14-2022

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Best practices for gauges, speedometers, and tachometers providing information regarding how to clean and maintain. The version has been translated into French.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Indian Chief Roadmaster by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2019Viewing300—
2010000—
2009130—

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.