Indian Motorcycle celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Chief nameplate by introducing an all-new Chief platform in February, 2021. Released as a 2022 model, the revamped cruiser doubled down on both old-school styling and new-age performance. As most brand-new platforms go, the Chief has experienced some teething issues in its first few years.
In November, 2022, the American OEM issued a recall for a failed fuel pump (PN 2521733 and PN 2522501) on select Chiefs. While the recall only impacted units produced between specific dates, it encompassed the base model, Bobber, Bobber Dark Horse, Dark Horse, Super Chief, and Super Chief Limited variants. The manufacturer’s latest recall, however, applies to the whole Chief lot.
On December 29, 2022, Indian formally notified the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the faulty kickstand installed on all 2022 Chiefs. According to the agency, the “kickstand may not properly retract upon ground contact when left extended while riding.” As a result, the recalled models don’t comply with the Motorcycle Controls and Displays regulations under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.
Fortunately, the recall doesn’t concern any 2023 Chief owners, as the firm implemented a different frame and side stand combination for the new model year. On the other hand, Indian doesn't currently have a remedy for the defective kickstands on all 4,653 recalled 2022 Chief units. While the company develops a plan of action in the coming weeks, it intends to send owner notification letters by February 17, 2023.
In the meantime, 2022 Chief owners can contact Indian Motorcycle customer service at 1-877-204-3697 (recall ID: I-23-01) or reach out to the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153). Of course, owners may want to garage their 2022 Chief models until Indian distributes notification letters and devises a way to replace the faulty part.
