Indian Motorcycle Company: Fuel System, Gasoline
Indian Motorcycle Company reported this defect to federal regulators on May 5, 2003 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 1,979. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, DUE TO THE POSITIONING OF THE GAS TANK VENT TUBE, THE VENT TUBE CAN BECOME CLOGGED WITH DEBRIS, PARTICULARLY IN WET WEATHER. VENT TUBE CLOGGING CAN CAUSE INTERRUPTION OF FUEL FLOW TO THE CARBURETOR, CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE TO STOP. A CLOGGED VENT TUBE MAY ALSO CAUSE PRESSURE TO BUILD UP IN THE GAS TANK AND PUSH A SMALL AMOUNT OF GAS OUT OF THE FUEL FILLER CAP SEAL.
The risk
FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENT OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT VENT TUBE WITH A LONGER TUBE REPOSITIONED TO PREVENT CLOGGING. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 13, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE AT 1-888-899-2997.
4 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Indian Chief | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 Indian Chief Vintage | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 Indian Chief | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 Indian Chief Vintage | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 03V173000.
Full record for the 2003 Indian Chief → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →