AI Damage2015 Indian Chief Vintage: common problems
Owners of the 2015 Indian Chief Vintage filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Structure 50% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 25% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 25% of all complaints
- 4 Wheels 25% of all complaints
- Structure: 2 complaints (50% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 1 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Wheels: 1 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
When in a accident the front of the frame breaks out. This causes the front end to separate from the motorcycle. Leaving the rider with no control of motorcycle. And exposure to body injury and possible death. In the last month I have located 6 bikes that have had the above problem. I have the vin # of 4 of then.
Saddlebag mounting system allows saddlebags to become disconnected and fall off vehicle. Latch mechanism appears to be ineffective when bags are loaded, or rough roads encountered. Right side saddlebag had come loose 3 times over a 2 month period.
While riding my indian 2015 vintage motorcycle, the right hand saddle bag fell off causing the vehicle following me to suddenly have to react to the hazard by swerving but hit the bag anyway, causing the bag to be completely destroyed and under carriage concerns for the other vehicle.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Chief Vintage has 2 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 4, above average.
What to check before buying
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Indian Chief Vintage?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, steering, suspension. Total complaints: 4.
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 Indian Chief Vintage?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2015 Indian Chief Vintage from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2015 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.