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Big Dog RidgebackModel year report

2005 Big Dog Ridgeback Problems

Complaints
12filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
4,050miles, 10 complaints with mileage
Recalls
6campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2005 Big Dog Ridgeback (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 12 consumer complaints for the 2005 Big Dog Ridgeback. The part named most often is wheels, with 7 complaints (58% of the total), followed by electrical system (3) and brakes (2). 10 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 4,050 miles. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns and 23 technical service bulletins for this model year. Wheels complaints overlap with 2 recall campaigns filed under the same part. Electrical system complaints overlap with 2 recall campaigns and 7 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Wheels: “The contact owns a 2005 Bigdog Ridgeback motorcycle. He stated that the dealer repaired recall 09v147000 component: wheels:center section; however, the failure continued to occur. The dealer wasn't able to balance the wheels; therefore he was unable to drive the motorcycle. The current and the failure mileages were 1,520.”

NHTSA complaint #10281654, filed 2009-08, 1,520 miles

Electrical system: “Immediately after purchasing my 2005 big dog Ridgeback, multiple problems began to arise. The bike would randomly shut off for no apparent reason, also it had an ever increasing squeal that eventually became louder than the engine. The dealer that the bike was purchased from was unable to repair the issues and was dishonest about the service that they were supposed to do. Eventually that dealer refunded the money for my first service and paid me back for most of the damage that was done to my bike. Obviously I no longer wish to bring my bike there for service. …”

NHTSA complaint #10186711, filed 2007-04, 36 miles

Brakes: “The two bolts holding the front caliper on my 2005 Bigdog Ridgeback backed out. I discovered it after riding the motorcycle. The two bolts had backed out to where they were being held by a couple of threads. I then removed the bolts, and found that there was absolutely no locktite applied to either of the bolts. If the front caliper falls off while riding, it could be catastrophic. I purchased some locktite , and applied it to the bolt threads, and reinstalled the bolts.”

NHTSA complaint #10159108, filed 2006-06, 1,700 miles

Tires: “1 have an avon tire 300 av72 that has the tread separating down the center of the tire this is the second time this tire has done this to me with less than 3000 miles how many complaints will it take before someone gets killed with one of these tires !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

NHTSA complaint #10422289, filed 2011-08

Mileage when problems were reported

100% of the 10 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 1,700 and 8,000 miles.

90%0–100%10–2510%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (10 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 4,050 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

20062007200942010420112014
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2005 Big Dog Ridgeback → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 23 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 23 bulletins →

Other model years of the Big Dog Ridgeback

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2005124,0506———Not enough data

All Big Dog Ridgeback model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2005 Big Dog Ridgeback have?

NHTSA recorded 12 consumer complaints for the 2005 Big Dog Ridgeback as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2005 Big Dog Ridgeback is reported most often?

Wheels is named most often, in 7 complaints (58% of the total), followed by electrical system with 3.

Has the 2005 Big Dog Ridgeback been recalled?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2005 Big Dog Ridgeback reported?

Among the 10 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 4,050 miles and the middle half falls between 1,700 and 8,000 miles; 100% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.