Reliability & cost of ownership
Indian Chieftain Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Indian Chieftain? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Indian Chieftain problems by model year
22 recall entries and 15 owner complaints on file across 6 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Chieftain | 3 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2018 Chieftain | 4 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2017 Chieftain | 3 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2016 Chieftain | 4 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2015 Chieftain | 4 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 Chieftain | 4 | 6 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Indian Chieftain, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- power train5 complaints
- electrical system4 complaints
- exterior lighting3 complaints
- vehicle speed control2 complaints
- engine2 complaints
- service brakes1 complaint
- unknown or other1 complaint
- structure1 complaint