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2015 Indian Chief Vintage Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

6 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious15V721000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder

full or partial loss of rear braking power may lengthen the distance needed to slow or stop the motorcycle, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Indian will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear brake master cylinder piston assembly, free of charge. The recall began on November 5, 2015. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-15-04.

Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Chief Classic, Chief Vintage, Chieftain, Roadmaster, and 2016 Dark Horse motorcycles manufactured January 2, 2015, to October 23, 2015. Due to a problem with the rear brake master cylinder, the motorcycles may have a reduction in, or a complete loss of, rear brake power.

Serious22V635000

Exterior Lighting:Lighting Control Module:Software

The loss of lighting can reduce visibility, raises the risk of crash.

Remedy & full details

Dealers will inspect and replace the electrical connection and VCM, as necessary. Dealers will update the VCM software, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 27, 2022. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-19-02. This recall replaces NHTSA recall number 19V-339.

Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2014 Chief, 2015 Chief Classic, 2014-2018 Chieftain, 2015-2020 Chief Vintage, 2016-2018 Chieftain Darkhorse, 2016-2020 Springfield, 2017-2018 Chieftain Limited, and 2018-2019 Chieftain Classic motorcycles. The electrical connection for the Vehicle Control Module (VCM) may fail, causing a loss of the front lights, including the headlight.

Complaint volume

6 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

3Crashes
0Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 6 complaints. Severity Index 1.00.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Structure · Body2 · 33%Steering1 · 17%Suspension1 · 17%Wheels1 · 17%Unknown Or Other1 · 17%
  1. Structure:Body — 2 reports
  2. Steering — 1 reports
  3. Suspension — 1 reports
  4. Wheels — 1 reports
  5. Unknown Or Other — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2014 · 2015 · 2016 (2) · 2017 (2) · 2018 (3)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.