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2010-2024 · 11 model years

Indian Roadmaster Problems by year

Owners have filed 19 complaints about the Indian Roadmaster across 11 model years, and it has 12 recalls. The 2016 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (4), while 2021 has far fewer than a typical year. The most reported problem area is the electrical system, followed by the transmission & drivetrain.

Most complaints for its age20164 complaints · 5 recallsSee the 2016
Complaints
19
Recalls
12
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Roadmaster complaints by model year

Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
20240200-F
20230100-C
20211000Electrical systemA
20190200-C
20182200Wheels & tiresC
20179300Electrical systemD
20164510Electrical systemF
20153500Electrical systemD
20140300-C
20110300-C
20100300-C

Most common Roadmaster problems

Indian Roadmaster recalls 12

Electrical system

19V77600052,745 vehicles affected

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...

Latest Roadmaster complaints

2018 Indian RoadmasterWheels & tires

The contact owns a 2018 Indian Roadster equipped with Metzeler Tires, Tire Line: CruiseTec, Tire Size: 180/60/R16, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while riding 75 MPH, the rear wheel was vibrating abnormally due to tread separation. The contact safely pulled over to the shoulder and had the motorcycle towed to a dealer. The dealer confirmed the tread separation and informed the contact that there was a crack on the front tire. The dealer recommended that both tires be replaced. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified and was coordinating with the tire manufacturer regarding the potential tire replacements. The failure mileage was 6,941.

Filed Incident TiresNHTSA 11751059
2015 Indian RoadmasterTransmission & drivetrainElectrical system

NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V776000 Was performed by Lonestar Powersport at 2565 S Danville Dr Abilene, TX 79605. They did not fully complete the recall as they were to legally do and skipped the final steps. All they did was replace the sensor. When I brought the bike back to them, letting them know I was having the same problems as described in the recall, they told me that it would cost me for them to even look at it because they completed the recall. I took it to another Indian dealer in Fort Worth, who opened...

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up a case with Polaris and they diagnosed that in fact, the recall was not completely done, but Polaris denied to pay them to properly complete the recall, and I had to pay out-of-pocket for the recall to be completely done the correct way to alleviate the issue with the bike.

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical systemNHTSA 11630705
2016 Indian RoadmasterElectrical systemLights

Backlights on instrument cluster went out. I can no longer see my speedometer, tachometer, or fuel guage on my hour ride home from work which is always in the dark. The backlights are nonservicable which makes no sense to me. I feel like this is dangerous not being able to tell how fast you are going, and the way people drive these days, you can't use them to pace yourself. I also feel that being stranded on the side of the road because you ran out of gas is not the safest place to be for a motorcyclists, but I...

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think that not knowing how fast you are going is the most dangerous. Making certain lights nonserviceable is a poor idea. It sure is an expensive motorcycle that I am afraid to ride now because I can't see everything I need to see in order to operate it safely.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Exterior lightingNHTSA 11573745
2016 Indian RoadmasterTransmission & drivetrainElectrical system

NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V776000 Your website says that the issue is repaired with my vehicle, which it has not been. Yes I have taken it to not only one, but two different dealers to have the issue resolved multiple times. The issue still continues and Indian Motorcycles, in my belief, refuses to fix the problem at hand under the recall. To the point where they have said it is no longer the gear positioning switch. And it has now started costing me money while they toss parts at it with hopes it'll repair the...

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issue. I can't afford to pay $1,000 plus each time I take it somewhere to have this recall repaired. This is a serious safety issue. Not only the possibility of the motorcycle being started while parked, but it also disengaged cruise control while being used. These motorcycles rapidly lose forward momentum when the throttle isn't applied creating a risk of being rear ended and or run over on the interstate while the operator is trying to investigate the loss of throttle.

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical system · Unknown or otherNHTSA 11542560
2017 Indian RoadmasterElectrical system

My motorcycle went in a couple of years ago for a check because it would show neutral but be in gear and vice versa. The dealer cleaned the contacts and pins. It was fine for a bit and now at 55K miles it's back to doing the same thing. It will show neutral and I'm on the highway doing 65 mph. The. Third gear and I'm stopped with the clutch out. The dealer is now saying we have to pay for this to be checked during routine servicing? 1.8 hours at $165.00 and hour? That's bs. They know the problem are the pins...

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and springs but they, the dealer, won't change them. Because parts, to me, are $130 then $$300 in labor. They're making a huge profit of their mistake. I've included a photo of the parts for the repair and the inflated prices for them.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11525199
2017 Indian RoadmasterElectrical system

The clutch switch has failed open. If the engine stalls while in traffic, the rider is required to shift the transmission into neutral before the engine will restart. This could be a dangerous situation depending on what terrane the bike and rider are on. The normal operation for restart of the engine in a stall situation is to simply pull the clutch lever in and hit the start button. The starter should engage regardless of where the gear selector is as long as the clutch lever is pulled in. When researching this problem on YouTube and the Indian Motorcycle Forum, it is wide spread.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11524391

Questions about the Indian Roadmaster

Which Indian Roadmaster years have the most problems?

By the number of complaints owners filed with NHTSA: 2017 (9), 2016 (4), 2015 (3). Allowing for how long each has been on the road, the 2016 stands out most. Complaint counts also rise with sales, so compare years of the same model rather than different models.

Which Indian Roadmaster years have the fewest complaints?

Among model years that have been on the road for at least three years, 2021 have the best Safety Index - the fewest complaints, crashes and recalls for their age compared with other Roadmaster years. Always check the exact vehicle's recalls by VIN before you buy.

What are the most common Indian Roadmaster problems?

Across every model year, owners report problems with the electrical system (11), transmission & drivetrain (4), engine & cooling (2) most often.

How many recalls does the Indian Roadmaster have?

NHTSA lists 12 recalls across all Indian Roadmaster model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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