By year
Owner complaints about Indian vehicles peaked at 35 in 2003
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
Indian
The complete NHTSA record for Indian vehicles: owner complaints, recall campaigns, defect investigations and manufacturer communications, for every model and model year on file.
Most Indian recalls are filed by Indian Motorcycle, part of Polaris.
Owner complaints in the last five years76245 on file in all, across 60 models
Recall campaigns5013 in five years
Severity index9.0Crash, fire, injury or death per 100 complaints
Investigations3263 service bulletins
Components
Electrical system draws the most owner complaints about Indian vehicles, 17% of them
Share of all owner complaints on file, by component.
Source: NHTSA ODI.
Models
The Chief has the most complaints of any Indian model
Every Indian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief | 1999 to 2025 | 70 | 7.1 | 30 | 6 |
| Scout | 1999 to 2025 | 40 | 20.0 | 33 | 9 |
| Roadmaster | 2010 to 2024 | 21 | 4.8 | 29 | 0 |
| Chieftain | 2013 to 2025 | 15 | 13.3 | 25 | 0 |
| Chief Vintage | 2002 to 2026 | 13 | 7.7 | 19 | 0 |
| Spirit | 1999 to 2003 | 12 | 0.0 | 17 | 9 |
| Scout Bobber | 2018 to 2024 | 10 | 10.0 | 6 | 0 |
| Challenger Dark Horse | 2020 to 2025 | 9 | 0.0 | 5 | 0 |
| Chieftain Dark Horse | 2016 to 2024 | 7 | 0.0 | 10 | 0 |
| Chief Dark Horse | 2010 to 2023 | 6 | 16.7 | 11 | 0 |
| Springfield | 2014 to 2024 | 5 | 20.0 | 22 | 0 |
| Challenger | 2020 to 2025 | 4 | 0.0 | 6 | 0 |
| Chief Roadmaster | 2009 to 2019 | 4 | 25.0 | 3 | 0 |
| Pursuit Dark Horse | 2022 to 2025 | 4 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 |
| FTR1200 | 2019 to 2024 | 3 | 0.0 | 8 | 0 |
| Chieftain Limited | 2017 to 2024 | 2 | 0.0 | 8 | 0 |
| Chieftan | 2014 to 2019 | 2 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 |
| Super Chief | 2022 to 2024 | 2 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 |
| Pursuit | 2020 to 2025 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Chieftain Powerplus | 2025 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Springfield Dark Horse | 2017 to 2025 | 1 | 0.0 | 8 | 0 |
| FTR 1200 S | 2019 to 2022 | 1 | 0.0 | 6 | 0 |
| Chieftain Classic | 2017 to 2019 | 1 | 0.0 | 5 | 0 |
| Challenger Limited | 2020 to 2024 | 1 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 |
| Roadmaster Elite | 2018 to 2025 | 1 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 |
| Chief Centennial | 1999 to 2001 | 1 | 100.0 | 3 | 0 |
| Chief Standard | 2009 | 1 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 |
| Pursuit Limited | 2022 to 2024 | 1 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 |
| Scout Bobber Sixty | 2020 to 2024 | 1 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 |
| Chief Bomber | 2010 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sport Chief | 2023 to 2024 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chief Classic | 2010 to 2021 | 0 | None | 16 | 0 |
| Vintage | 2010 to 2023 | 0 | None | 14 | 0 |
| Dark Horse | 2010 to 2016 | 0 | None | 12 | 0 |
| Chieftan Dark Horse | 2014 to 2017 | 0 | None | 7 | 0 |
| Scout Centennial | 1999 to 2003 | 0 | None | 7 | 0 |
| Classic | 2010 to 2011 | 0 | None | 6 | 0 |
| Scout Sixty | 2019 to 2025 | 0 | None | 5 | 0 |
| Chieftain Elite | 2017 to 2024 | 0 | None | 4 | 0 |
| FTR 1200 Rally | 2020 to 2022 | 0 | None | 4 | 0 |
| Blackhawk | 2011 | 0 | None | 3 | 0 |
| Blackhawk Dark | 2011 | 0 | None | 3 | 0 |
| Bomber | 2010 | 0 | None | 3 | 0 |
| Chief Bobber | 2022 to 2024 | 0 | None | 3 | 0 |
| Chief Bobber Dark Horse | 2022 to 2024 | 0 | None | 3 | 0 |
| Chief Deluxe | 2009 | 0 | None | 3 | 0 |
| Roadmaster Dark Horse | 2020 to 2024 | 0 | None | 3 | 0 |
| Roadmaster Limited | 2021 to 2024 | 0 | None | 3 | 0 |
| FTR 1200 R Carbon | 2022 | 0 | None | 2 | 0 |
| Scout Bobber Icon | 2021 to 2022 | 0 | None | 2 | 0 |
| Scout Bobber Twenty | 2021 to 2022 | 0 | None | 2 | 0 |
| Scout Icon | 2021 to 2022 | 0 | None | 2 | 0 |
| Super Chief Limited | 2022 to 2023 | 0 | None | 2 | 0 |
| Challenger Elite | 2020 to 2023 | 0 | None | 1 | 0 |
| Pursuit Dark Horse Premiu | 2022 | 0 | None | 1 | 0 |
| Pursuit Limited Premium | 2022 | 0 | None | 1 | 0 |
| Roadmaster Classic | 2018 | 0 | None | 1 | 0 |
| Roadmaster Icon | 2018 | 0 | None | 1 | 0 |
| Scout Rogue | 2022 | 0 | None | 1 | 0 |
| Scout Rogue Sixty | 2022 | 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 Indian product
- 26V-397 Jun 19, 2026
VIN label states the incorrect rear rim width
Equipment · 392 vehicles - 25V-108 Feb 20, 2025
Due to an incorrectly crimped wire, the fuel pump may fail and result in an engine stall during operation
Fuel system · 7 vehicles - 24V-970 Dec 23, 2024
Gear position display may falsely show that the motorcycle is in neutral
Engine and cooling · 4,926 vehicles - 24V-860 Nov 14, 2024
These motorcycles may have been assembled with an altered fuel tank containing holes that can leak fuel
Fuel system · 4 vehicles - 24V-550 Jul 23, 2024
Rear suspension pushrod may buckle under load
Suspension · 1,773 vehicles - 24V-069 Feb 2, 2024
Brake lights may illuminate unexpectedly and without brake application from the rider
Lighting · 12k vehicles - 23V-829 Dec 7, 2023
Crankshaft position sensor may have been routed improperly, which can result in an engine stall
Engine and cooling · 1,215 vehicles - 23V-582 Aug 15, 2023
Fuel line may have been improperly assembled, which can result in an engine stall
Fuel system · 45 vehicles - 23V-293 Apr 25, 2023
These motorcycles may be missing a belt guard reflector
Equipment · 4 vehicles - 22V-957 Dec 29, 2022
Kickstand may not properly retract upon ground contact when left extended while riding
Structure · 4,653 vehicles
Source: NHTSA ODI recalls file.