By year
Owner complaints about Bigdog vehicles peaked at 11 in 2005
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, 2000 to 2026. 2026 runs through October.
Source: NHTSA ODI complaints and recalls files. Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.
Make
Bigdog
The complete NHTSA record for Bigdog vehicles: owner complaints, recall campaigns, defect investigations and manufacturer communications, for every model and model year on file.
Most Bigdog recalls are filed by Big Dog Motorcycles, part of Bigdog.
Owner complaints in the last five years050 on file in all, across 16 models
Recall campaigns260 in five years
Severity index4.0Crash, fire, injury or death per 100 complaints
Investigations140 service bulletins
Components
Electrical system draws the most owner complaints about Bigdog vehicles, 21% of them
Share of all owner complaints on file, by component.
Source: NHTSA ODI.
Models
The Chopper has the most complaints of any Bigdog model
Every Bigdog model with complaints or recalls on file, by complaints. Counts are not rates: NHTSA publishes no sales volumes.
| Model | Model years | Complaints | Severity index | Recalls | Investigations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chopper | 2003 to 2007 | 21 | 4.8 | 22 | 0 |
| Pitbull | 1998 to 2007 | 11 | 0.0 | 15 | 0 |
| Mastiff | 2003 to 2008 | 4 | 0.0 | 23 | 0 |
| Daytec Chopper | 2004 | 4 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 |
| Ridgeback | 2004 to 2008 | 3 | 0.0 | 14 | 0 |
| Bull DOG | 2002 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| PIT Bull | 1999 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| BIG DOG | 2005 to 2006 | 1 | 100.0 | 1 | 0 |
| BDM | 2002 to 2003 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulldog | 2004 to 2007 | 0 | None | 16 | 0 |
| Boxer | 2002 to 2004 | 0 | None | 6 | 0 |
| Motorcycle | 2002 | 0 | None | 2 | 0 |
| Chopper - DT | 2004 | 0 | None | 1 | 0 |
| DT Chopper | 2005 | 0 | None | 1 | 0 |
| Husky | 2002 | 0 | None | 1 | 0 |
| Mutt | 2008 | 0 | None | 1 | 0 |
Source: NHTSA ODI. Recall counts add campaigns across model years, so a campaign covering three years counts three times.
Latest recalls
Recent campaigns listing a Bigdog product
- 10V-180 May 3, 2010
There is a possible loose connection between the harness connector and the electronic harness controller
Electrical system · 1,895 vehicles - 09V-147 May 1, 2009
Rear wheel may have weak spots in the design, which may cause the wheel to crack under certain operating conditions
Wheels · 1,257 vehicles - 08E-022 Mar 17, 2008
Subject passenger peg assemblies may resonate and cause disproportionate and/or inappropriate loading on the mounting bolts
Equipment · 38 vehicles - 07V-580 Dec 18, 2007
On certain motorcycles, the rear fender strut attaching bolts can fail allowing the rear fender to detach from the motorcycle
Structure · 8,061 vehicles - 07V-460 Sep 27, 2007
On certain motorcycles, the fuel line can potentially contact heated metal parts of the motorcycle and melt
Fuel system · 104 vehicles - 07E-058 Aug 15, 2007
Certain big dog aftermarket sissy bar assemblies sold as an accessory part for the motorcycles listed above
Equipment · 1,800 vehicles - 07V-356 Aug 8, 2007
On certain motorcycles, a warped bus bar within the voltage regulator can cause a short circuit
Electrical system · 7,611 vehicles - 07V-355 Aug 8, 2007
On certain motorcycles, the tachometer board may have been improperly installed
Electrical system · 181 vehicles - 06V-389 Oct 12, 2006
On certain motorcycles, the long pivot bolt may bend or break during normal operation of the motorcycle
Structure · 2,494 vehicles - 06V-305 Aug 11, 2006
On certain motorcycles, the electronic harness control (ehc) module can fail resulting in a total shut down of the vehicle's electronic power
Electrical system · 2,101 vehicles
Source: NHTSA ODI recalls file.