2000 Indian Chief: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2000 Indian Chief. The newest campaign is 03V191000. NHTSA received the report on 5 May 2003. The NHTSA record gives the component Visibility / Windshield. NHTSA has 40 complaints on file for this model year. 2 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 03V191000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will replace the brackets and bolts on the windshield. Owner notification began may 30, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact indian motorcycle at 1-888-899-2997.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 15 May 2019. Recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

4 campaigns, newest first. 20,927 units in total.

03V1910005 May 2003Visibility / Windshield
03V03900010 Feb 2003Electrical System / Alternator/Generator/Regulator
02V14400030 May 2002Steering / Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
02V1240003 May 2002Suspension / Rear

03V191000Received 5 May 2003. 3,625 units.
Visibility / Windshield
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Certain windshields that were sold as standard equipment on these motorcycles or sold as accessories for all other chief models may have defective brackets. The brackets that attach the windshield to the motorcycle are formed such that the mounting bolts are not flush with the bracket. This could place excessive stress on the bolts causing them to break.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Broken mounting bolts could lead to the windshield coming loose and even falling off the bike, potentially striking the rider or otherwise causing the rider to lose control of the motorcycle and crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the brackets and bolts on the windshield. Owner notification began may 30, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact indian motorcycle at 1-888-899-2997.
Report filed by INDIAN MOTORCYCLE COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number IMCSB-056. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 30 May 2003.
03V039000Received 10 Feb 2003. 7,947 units.
Electrical System / Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain motorcycles equipped with compufire brand series type voltage regulators, if damaged, the voltage regulator can become stuck in an open mode that allows battery voltage to flow back through the regulator.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This condition can potentially cause the regulator to catch on fire.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will inspect the motorcycle and, if necessary, replace the regulator. Owner notification began february 14, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact indian motorcycle at 1-888-899-2997.
Report filed by INDIAN MOTORCYCLE COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number IMCSB-045. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 14 Feb 2003.
02V144000Received 30 May 2002. 4,765 units.
Steering / Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain motorcycles, the handle bar riser top clamp could allow excessive movement of the handle bars.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Loss of control of the motorcycle could occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will fit the motorcycles with a new riser top clamp. Owner notification began may 31, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact indian motorcycle at 1-408-846-7228.
Report filed by INDIAN MOTORCYCLE COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number IMCSB-040. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 31 May 2002.
02V124000Received 3 May 2002. 4,590 units.
Suspension / Rear
Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain motorcycles equipped with rear shock absorbers made by sway-a-way, the bolts that mount the rear shock absorbers to the swing arm could break.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This could result in the collapse of the rear suspension, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will inspect the rear shock absorbers and replace them if necessary. Owner notification is expected to begin during may 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact indian at 1-408-846-7228.
Report filed by INDIAN MOTORCYCLE COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number IMCSB-039. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 8 May 2002.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

40 complaints, 52 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

2000 Indian Chief
All 2000 vehicles

2000 Indian Chief: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	2000 Chief	All 2000 vehicles	Chief, all years	Mentions
Suspension	211.5	80.5	204.3	11
Engine and Engine Cooling	115.4	116	139.8	6
Electrical System	115.4	99.3	107.5	6
Exterior Lighting	96.2	32.8	75.3	5
Steering	96.2	45.7	86	5
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	96.2	108.3	150.5	5
Structure	76.9	65.9	53.8	4
Equipment	38.5	17.5	32.3	2
Unknown or Other	38.5	18.9	21.5	2
Power Train	38.5	83.9	53.8	2

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 13.

Complaints that report a crash: 3
Complaints that report a fire: 1
Injuries in the complaints: 4
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 11 Oct 2003

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 2000 Indian Chief, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2002, with 15 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 2000 Indian Chief
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
PE02037	Preliminary evaluation	HANDLEBAR LOOSENING	Structure	26 Mar 2002	24 May 2002	02V144000
PE01039	Preliminary evaluation	REAR SUSPENSION COLLAPSE	Suspension	21 Nov 2001	30 Apr 2002	02V124000

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

19994
20004
20012
20024
20032
20121
20131
20142
20151
20161
20172
20183
20191
20222

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2000 Indian ChiefThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2000 Indian Chief: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/indian/chief/2000/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 29 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 15 May 2019
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: INDIAN MOTORCYCLE COMPANY

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2000 Indian Chief?: 20,927 units in 4 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Indian Chief have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns for the Indian Chief, model years 1999 to 2022. 4 of them name the 2000 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2000 Indian Chief name most often?: Suspension: 11 of 52 component mentions, or 211.5 per 1,000. For all 2000 vehicles the figure is 80.5 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2000 Indian Chief open?: No. Each of the 2 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.