- Vehicles
- 3,594
- Built between
- Nov 2017 – Jul 2019
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 18 September 2019
- Repaired
- 88%
- Unrepaired
- 443
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 2017 and July 2019. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2019 Indian ChieftainBuilt November 2017 to July 2019
Repair progress
443 of 3,594 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q4 2020.
88% repaired — 3,151 of 3,594 reported
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain 2019 Chieftain motorcycles. The tail lights may be too bright, exceeding the maximum light output allowed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
What could happen
Due to increased brightness, other drivers may have difficulties discerning the brake light from the tail light, and thus may be unaware that the motorcycle is braking, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
Indian will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine control module software to correct the rear tail light's intensity, free of charge. The recall began September 18, 2019.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 2017 to July 2019
- Recall reported to NHTSA29 August 2019
- Owners notified18 September 2019
- Latest repair reportQ4 2020 — 88% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 29 August 2019.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-19-04.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- I-19-04
- Recalling manufacturer
- Indian Motorcycle Company
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 108
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.