2019 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse 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 2019 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse, 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
- Electrical360.0%
- Engine120.0%
- Powertrain (other)120.0%
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
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chieftain Darkhorse. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into the next gear, the gear shift lever was not showing which gear the vehicle was driving in. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was occurring at various speeds and caused the vehicle to stall while slowing for traffic. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator indicated that the vehicle was in second gear and the vehicle was in third gear and the engine became bogged down and the vehicle stalled in traffic. The contact was able to restart the vehicle but was having difficulty locating neutral(N). The contact stated that the vehicle had to be placed in neutral(N) to start the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the gear shift sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure reoccurred; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 7,695.
Gear shifter had a recall that was fixed however I just purchased this bike and is having the same issues again. The display indicates the wrong gear.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
NHTSA, My 2019 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse had stage 2 Cams installed and tune on November 24, 2021, by an approved Indian dealership of Peoria. Since then my motorcycle has been shutting off while driving on city streets when downshifting while slowing down or upshifting when taking off from a stop position. I have brought it to the attention of the dealer but found no issue and no trouble codes found from the motorcycle. The only correction was a reflash for the ECM. Spoke to the national Indian Motorcycle customer service about my issue and was told that there will have another update ECM flash for the stage 2 cams. My bike has stalled/shut down on Dec 15, Jan 3, and Jan 6. I own another motorcycle and never had an issue with my Harley Davidson motorcycle. I have spoken to other motorcyclists on the Indian motorcycle forum who had stage 2 done and it seems a small percentage of riders have experienced the issue that I run into. I wanted to write to you before something happens to me in the event I get rear-ended by a motorist on the road. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2019 Indian Chieftain Darkhorse. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and shifting into the next gear, the gear shift lever was not showing which gear the vehicle was driving in. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was occurring at various speeds and caused the vehicle to stall while slowing for traffic. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator indicated that the vehicle was in second gear and the vehicle was in third gear and the engine became bogged down and the vehicle stalled in traffic. The contact was able to restart the vehicle but was having difficulty locating neutral(N). The contact stated that the vehicle had to be placed in neutral(N) to start the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the gear shift sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure reoccurred; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 7,695.
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 .