2014 Indian Chief Vintage 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 2014 Indian Chief Vintage, 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
- Engine233.3%
- Fuel system233.3%
- Body & structure116.7%
- Other / unspecified116.7%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE IN MOTION AT 65 MPH ON A CROWDED HIGHWAY THE MOTORCYCLE LOST POWER. THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THE BIKE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP TWO TIMES. AFTER EACH REPAIR THE BIKE WAS OKAY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAN THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED REPEATEDLY. PROBLEM COULD HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED.
RECALL NOT PERFORMED AND MOTORCYCLE SOLD WITHOUT REPAIRS. DEALER IS DESERT THUNDER INDIAN MOTORCYCLE IN KINGMAN, AZ. MOTORCYCLE DID NOT START AND WAS TRAILED TO INDIAN MOTORCYCLE WHO SERVICED THE MOTORCYCLE IN LAS VEGAS. RECALLS WERE PREFORMED AND BATTERY POST REPLACED AFTER PURCHASING A NEW BATTERY DUE TO DEAD BATTERY FROM SELLER. SELLER WAS CALLED REGARDING RECALL AND STATED THE RECALL NOTICE IS NOT SENT TO THE DEALERS AND THE RECALL NOTICES WAS SENT TO THE PRIOR OWNER. ALSO STATED THAT HE DID NOT LOOK UP THE RECALL AND ADMITTED THAT HE WAS WRONG. THE DEALER WANTS A COPY O F THE SERVICE BILL SENT TO HIM FOR REVIEW AND REFUSES TO OFFER ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR THE ERROR. I WOULD LIKE THE SADDLEBAGS AND THE PASSENGER SEAT AS COMPENSATION FOR MY INCONVENIENCE. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAS TOLD ME THAT I AM THREATENING HIM WHEN I SAID I WOULD CONTACT AN ATTORNEY AND YOUR AGENCIES. HE STARTED YELLING AT ME AND TELLING ME THAT I WAS THREATENING SO THAT I WOULD NOT ASK FOR ANY COMPENSATION. I HAVE CONTACTED INDIAN CORPORATION AND OPENED A COMPLAINT #4367648. THIS PURCHASE WAS ON 12-12-17 AND THE SERVICE WAS ON 12-14-17.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
RECALL NOT PERFORMED AND MOTORCYCLE SOLD WITHOUT REPAIRS. DEALER IS DESERT THUNDER INDIAN MOTORCYCLE IN KINGMAN, AZ. MOTORCYCLE DID NOT START AND WAS TRAILED TO INDIAN MOTORCYCLE WHO SERVICED THE MOTORCYCLE IN LAS VEGAS. RECALLS WERE PREFORMED AND BATTERY POST REPLACED AFTER PURCHASING A NEW BATTERY DUE TO DEAD BATTERY FROM SELLER. SELLER WAS CALLED REGARDING RECALL AND STATED THE RECALL NOTICE IS NOT SENT TO THE DEALERS AND THE RECALL NOTICES WAS SENT TO THE PRIOR OWNER. ALSO STATED THAT HE DID NOT LOOK UP THE RECALL AND ADMITTED THAT HE WAS WRONG. THE DEALER WANTS A COPY O F THE SERVICE BILL SENT TO HIM FOR REVIEW AND REFUSES TO OFFER ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR THE ERROR. I WOULD LIKE THE SADDLEBAGS AND THE PASSENGER SEAT AS COMPENSATION FOR MY INCONVENIENCE. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAS TOLD ME THAT I AM THREATENING HIM WHEN I SAID I WOULD CONTACT AN ATTORNEY AND YOUR AGENCIES. HE STARTED YELLING AT ME AND TELLING ME THAT I WAS THREATENING SO THAT I WOULD NOT ASK FOR ANY COMPENSATION. I HAVE CONTACTED INDIAN CORPORATION AND OPENED A COMPLAINT #4367648. THIS PURCHASE WAS ON 12-12-17 AND THE SERVICE WAS ON 12-14-17.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 INDIAN CHIEF VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V877000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 INDIAN CHIEF VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE QUICK RELEASE LATCH THAT ATTACHED THE CONTACT'S SADDLE BAGS TO THE VEHICLE BECAME FRACTURED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CONTACT DID NOT INSTALL THE SADDLE BAGS CORRECTLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,400.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 INDIAN CHIEF VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE N14CCVAARB. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH THE SADDLE BAG FELL OFF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT OFFER A REMEDY. THERE WAS NO DIAGNOSIS MADE ON THE MOTORCYCLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,100. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,175.
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 .