RoadVitals

2012 Victory High-Ball

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 Jul 6, 2025
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.
1
Latest Sep 18, 2012
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 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Victory High-Ball, most frequently naming the engine and other / unspecified categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 1 manufacturer communication is 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

  • Engine150.0%
  • Other / unspecified150.0%

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

1 campaign cover this model year

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
12V457000

EQUIPMENT

Sep 18, 2012
6,618 units potentially affected
The defect: Polaris is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Victory motorcycles manufactured from January 3, 2012, through August 15, 2012. A torqueing procedure may have been missed on some throttle cable retention nuts. On certain motorcycles, the throttle cable retention nuts for either the pull or push throttle cable may have not been torqued correctly.
The risk: If the torqueing is missed and the retention nuts are loose, the retention nuts closest to the throttle body can become dislodged and interfere with the throttle function, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Victory will notify owners and dealers will correctly torque the fasteners free of charge. The safety recall began on October 4, 2012. Owners may contact Victory consumer service department by calling 1-888-704-5290.
POLARIS INDUSTRIES, INC.Manufacturer number V-12-01View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Engine
Filed Jul 6, 2025

Some victory motorcycles with the 106 ci engine have problems with a retainer C clip in the gears in the transmission, failing and said C clip coming loose potentially locking up the engine while running I had it happen to me 7/05/25 while riding. I’m not the only one this has happened to many victory owners experience this failure and Polaris industries will not to anything about it. Now I have transmission failure and the repair cost more than the motorcycle is worth.

NHTSA ID
11671469
Incident
Jul 5, 2025
Other / unspecified
Filed May 13, 2015

WHILE RIDING TO WORK TODAY BACK WHEEL STARTED FEELING LOOSE .STOPPED AND CHECKED WHEEL AND FOUND TWO BROKEN SPOKE AND SOME BENT SPOKES.I CALLED THE DEALER THEY STATED NO KNOWLEDGE OF OTHER BIKES HAVING AN ISSUE BUT WHEN I CHECKED THE INTERNET I FOUND MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY POLARIS.

NHTSA ID
10716174
Incident
May 12, 2015
Mileage
4,883 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

TSB-V-14-01

EQUIPMENT

VICTORY MC: A DEFECT IN CHASSIS MOUNTING POINT, MAY CRACK WHEN USED WITH ACCESSORY LUGGAGE RACK OF PASSENGER BACKREST AND WOULD LOSE SUPPORT FOR PASSENGER TO REMAIN ON MOTORCYCLE. *PE

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

Victory High-Ball by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2015110—
2014020—
2013020—
2012Viewing210—

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.