How many recalls does the 2004 Big Dog Ridgeback have?

The 2004 Big Dog Ridgeback has 1 NHTSA safety recall campaign on record.

How do I check if my 2004 Big Dog Ridgeback has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 2004 Big Dog Ridgeback?

Of 3 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is electrical system.

2004 Big Dog Ridgeback Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2004 Big Dog Ridgeback has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 1,895 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10V180000 2010-05-03 1,895 affected

Defect

BIG DOG IS RECALLING CERTAIN 2004 CHOPPER, BULLDOG, RIDGEBACK, MASTIFF, BOXER, AND PITBULL MOTORCYCLES. THERE IS A POSSIBLE LOOSE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE HARNESS CONNECTOR AND THE ELECTRONIC HARNESS CONTROLLER.

Consequence

THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE THE MOTORCYCLE TO EXPERIENCE INTERMITTENT LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER TO VARIOUS COMPONENTS, WHICH CAN LEAD TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, A LOSS OF HEADLAMP FUNCTION OR A VEHICLE STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy

BIG DOG WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE MOTORCYCLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 24, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BIG DOG AT 1-316-219-9121.

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Total complaints3

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Apparently there was a recall I was never informed of. Now the company is no longer in business, so what am I to do? I have no headlight, horn, and the bike won't start. *tr”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2013-05-01

“Ehc module on 2004 big dog ridgeback motorcycles, it occurs everytime I try to ride the motorcycle it is very dangerous, the engine stalled going down the highway at 65 mph and almost didn't get out of traffic, the lights, speedometer and other safety signals stop working and I am told other years…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2010-05-15

“Tl*the contact owns a 2004 big dog ridgeback motorcycle. The contact was driving approximately 60 mph, the engine completely stalled without warning. The vehicle was cautiously coasted to the side of the road. The engine restarted after waiting between thirty minutes to a hour. The vehicle was…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 2010-03-10

Defect investigations

Investigation RQ10002 Opened 2010-01-27 · closed 2010-05-10

Motorcycle Stalling

This RQ was opened based on seemingly related owner complaints involving motorcycles outside the scope of 06V-301.During the course of subsequent discussions with the company, we learned that the earlier model year Big Dogs had a problem with the electronic harness control module connector that they'd previously…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2004 Big Dog Ridgeback as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.