RoadVitals

2017 Indian Springfield

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.
1
Latest Oct 15, 2024
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.
4
Latest Aug 19, 2022
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.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2017 Indian Springfield, most frequently naming the electrical and engine categories. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 35 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

  • Electrical150.0%
  • Engine150.0%

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

4 campaigns cover this model year

View all 4

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
22V635000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE

Aug 19, 2022
28,689 units potentially affected
The defect: Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2014 Chief, 2015 Chief Classic, 2014-2018 Chieftain, 2015-2020 Chief Vintage, 2016-2018 Chieftain Darkhorse, 2016-2020 Springfield, 2017-2018 Chieftain Limited, and 2018-2019 Chieftain Classic motorcycles. The electrical connection for the Vehicle Control Module (VCM) may fail, causing a loss of the front lights, including the headlight.
The risk: The loss of lighting can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of crash.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the electrical connection and VCM, as necessary. Dealers will update the VCM software, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 27, 2022. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-19-02. This recall replaces NHTSA recall number 19V-339.
Indian Motorcycle CompanyManufacturer number 1-19-02View on NHTSA.gov
19V776000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

Oct 29, 2019
52,745 units potentially affected
The defect: Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Chief, Chieftain, Roadmaster, and Springfield motorcycles. The gear position switch contacts may oxidize, causing the gear position display to inaccurately show that the motorcycle is in neutral when it is actually in gear.
The risk: If the transmission is not in neutral when the motorcycle is started, the motorcycle may move unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the switch free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2020. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-19-03.
Indian Motorcycle CompanyManufacturer number I-19-03View on NHTSA.gov
17V682000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

Oct 27, 2017
2,096 units potentially affected
The defect: Indian Motorcycles Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Chief, Chief Classic, Chief Dark Horse, Chief Vintage, Chieftain, Chieftain Classic, Cheiftain Dark Horse, Chieftain Elite, Chieftain Limited, Springfield, and Springfield Dark Horse motorcycles. These motorcycles may be equipped with a European-market, not US-market, halogen headlight assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk: The light output from the incorrect headlight can affect the motorcycle's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Indian will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the motorcycle and replace any incorrect headlight assembly, free of charge. The recall began on December 6, 2017. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-17-03.
Indian Motorcycle CompanyManufacturer number I-17-03View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

ElectricalEngine
Filed Oct 15, 2024

Traveling on Interstate at freeway speeds (65 mph) when instrument cluster lights all lit up, started flashing, motorcycle lost power and all electronics shut off. Fortunately was able to get to side of the interstate. Started bike back up but it kept failing in the same manner. Towed to dealer and they were unable to diagnose so they opened a ticket with Polaris Corporate Engineering. Ultimately, they determined that the issue was the 10 amp circuit breaker that was defective. I found that this was a previously known Safety Issue with Indian, supposedly only impacting built between 2/12/2019 and 7/31/2019. (Indian Safety Bulletin Communication #I-19-05-A). The replaced circuit breaker with updated (red dot non-defective) breaker fixed the problem. In reviewing various Indian motorcycle forums I don't believe this is an isolated problem. Indian has refused to consider this as part of the recall, nor will the cover the cost of the repair. I believe this is a serious safety issue and impacts ALL Indian Motorcycles with the older part number Eaton Circuit breaker. Finally, my motorcycle while 2017 has less than 20K miles on it.

NHTSA ID
11619954
Incident
Sep 3, 2024

Manufacturer communications

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

IND-02-14-2025-02

SERVICE BRAKES

This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding inspection and maintenance on the brake system for model year 2016 + Indian Springfield motorcycles.

IND-02.14.2025-03

POWER TRAIN

This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding inspection and tension adjustment of the drive belt on model year 2016+ Indian Springfield motorcycles.

IND-02.28.2025-04

POWER TRAIN

This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding inspection and tension adjustment of the drive belt on model year 2016+ Indian Springfield motorcycles.

IND-02.14.2025-05

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding the installation and removal of the battery on model year 2016+ Indian Springfield.

IND-02.10.2025

POWER TRAIN

This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding the inspection and adjustment of the clutch lever on model year 2016+ Indian Springfield motorcycles.

IND-02.10.2025

POWER TRAIN

This Indian Motorcycle help center article provides information regarding the inspection and adjustment of the clutch lever on model year 2016+ Indian Springfield motorcycles.

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 Springfield by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2025000—
2024020—
2023010—
2022000—
2021000—
2020010—
2019130—
2018040—
2017Viewing140—
2016330—
2015020—
2014020—

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.