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2017 Indian Roadmaster

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 4 of 9 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Engine complaints

1 reports
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837 miles · Feb 28, 2017
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

POLARIS CASE # 4018942. ON FEBRUARY 3, 2017 AT ABOUT 5:00 ' 5:30PM EST, MY 2017 INDIAN ROADMASTER (THE 'BIKE') RETURNED THREE COMPUTER ERRORS AND FAILED TO START WHILE I WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT LOCATED AT 4260 PEACHTREE RD NE IN BROOKHAVEN, GA. THE INFORMATION CENTER ON THE BIKE DIRECTED ME TO 'CONTACT DEALER' (THE 'INCIDENT…

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POLARIS CASE # 4018942. ON FEBRUARY 3, 2017 AT ABOUT 5:00 ' 5:30PM EST, MY 2017 INDIAN ROADMASTER (THE 'BIKE') RETURNED THREE COMPUTER ERRORS AND FAILED TO START WHILE I WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT LOCATED AT 4260 PEACHTREE RD NE IN BROOKHAVEN, GA. THE INFORMATION CENTER ON THE BIKE DIRECTED ME TO 'CONTACT DEALER' (THE 'INCIDENT'). AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE BIKE HAD 837 MILES ON IT. I CONTACTED DEALER AS INSTRUCTED, WHO REFERRED ME TO DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT PARTNER ("SERVICE"). SERVICE INSTRUCTED ME THAT THERE WERE KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE ('ECM') AND MAIN WIRING HARNESS ('MAIN HARNESS') DISCONNECT THROUGH VIBRATION, BUT SUCH ISSUES ARE REPAIRED OSTENSIBLY BY A NYLON ZIP-TIE AS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION AWAITING MANUFACTURER ACTIONS. THE ECM HAS NO POSITIVE LATCHING COMPONENT ON IT TO SECURE THE MAIN HARNESS TO THE ECM AND THUS MAINTAIN A SOLID CONNECTION. THE MAIN HARNESS VIBRATES LOOSE OVER TIME, IN MY CASE 837 MILES, FROM THE ECM AND THUS KILLS THE BIKE, JUST AS I EXPERIENCED. DEALER REPORTED THAT MY INCIDENT IS ONE OF AT LEAST TWO THAT HAVE OCCURRED WITH THE ECM AND MAIN HARNESS ON A BRAND-NEW CHIEFTAIN AND MY ROADMASTER (DOP 12/2/2016), SINCE ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER, 2016; DEALER HAVING SOLD ABOUT 20 MOTORCYCLES SINCE OCTOBER, 2016. THAT IS A FAILURE RATE OF 10% FROM DEALER ALONE OVER A ROUGHLY 1/3 OF A YEAR. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT THE BIKE IS COMPLETELY POWERED OFF WHEN THE MAIN HARNESS DISCONNECTS FROM THE ECM: THE ENGINE DIES, NO TURN SIGNALS FUNCTION, NO EMERGENCY FLASHERS, NO HEADLIGHTS OR TAILLIGHTS. I HAPPENED TO BE IN A PARKING LOT AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE. HOWEVER, WERE THIS TO HAPPEN AT SPEED ON A FREEWAY, OR ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY ON WHICH THERE IS NO SHOULDER, A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE IN THIS PART OF GEORGIA, SUCH FAILURE COULD HAVE MORE DIRE CONSEQUENCES. IN MY VIEW, LIVES ARE AT RISK.

NHTSA ODI #10957550

Official recalls

3

19V776000 · Electrical System; Power Train:manual Transmission

Oct 29, 2019

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the transmission is not in neutral when the motorcycle is started, the motorcycle may move unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System

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.

Consequence: If the transmission is not in neutral when the motorcycle is started, the motorcycle may move unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Power Train:manual Transmission

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.

Consequence: If the transmission is not in neutral when the motorcycle is started, the motorcycle may move unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

18V055000 · Electrical System:wiring: Rear Compartment/trunk

Jan 16, 2018

Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Roadmaster motorcycles. Water may enter the trunk wiring harness, potentially causing the brake light to remain illuminated even when the brakes are not applied.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the brake light remains illuminated when the brakes are not applied, a vehicle behind the motorcycle may not know when the motorcycle is actually slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Indian will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trunk wiring harness with an updated harness that contains sealing plugs in the connectors, free of charge. The recall began on January 30, 2018. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-18-01.

16V877000 · Fuel System, Gasoline

Dec 6, 2016

Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain model year 2014-2017 Chief Classic, Chief Dark Horse, Vintage, Chieftan, Chieftan Dark Horse, Springfield and Roadmaster motorcycles manufactured April 15, 2013, to July 15, 2016. In the affected motorcycles, the fuel rail may contact other components and result in a fuel leak.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Indian will notify owners, and dealers will install a bracket that will limit movement of the fuel rail, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2016. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-16-03.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.