Harley-Davidson Harley Davidson Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 84 consumer complaints across the 8 model years of the Harley-Davidson Harley Davidson (1994–2003) that have at least 5 complaints. 2000 has the most, with 20. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (38 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Harley Davidson model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 7 | 418 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2002 | 8 | 9,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2000 | 20 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1999 | 14 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1998 | 8 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1997 | 11 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1996 | 9 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1994 | 7 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine cooling38 46%
- Transmission and drivetrain10 12%
- Suspension9 11%
- Electrical system8 9.8%
- Fuel system5 6.1%
- Brakes5 6.1%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)4 4.9%
- Vehicle speed control3 3.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2003: “My 2003 fatboy Harley Davidson had a plastic screen fail in the gas tank. This then made the fuel pump fail while also damaging the liner on the inside of the tank. Just to repair the plastic screen and fuel pump cost in excess of $ 700. There must be mant cases such as mine. I have less than 2000 miles on my bike and feel this was a factory defect. The chandler hd dealer wouldn't help me. The only thing in my tank was gasoline and for this to fail this soon indicates the need for a recall.”
NHTSA complaint #10196787, filed 2007-07, 647 miles1998: “Since purchasing the motorcycle in september of 1997 I have experienced repeated failures when shifting into forth gear, it will act as if it goes into a false neutral. I've had motorcycle to the dealership at least seven times for the same problem since it's original purchase, and in all cases even with a harley representative checking the transmission were unable to corect the problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #745680, filed 2001-051999: “Harley has had failure on this they are extending the warranty on this for 5 years or 50,000 thousand miles and they have made a change in the 2000 model year . I would like this checked out I believe they are doing this so that they don't have to make a recall but I believe that there are more failures than they will admit and don't want to spend the money fixing all of there 1999 bikes. …”
NHTSA complaint #743294, filed 2001-03Other Harley-Davidson models
263 complaintsHarley-Davidson Flhx
174 complaintsHarley-Davidson Flhtk
147 complaintsHarley-Davidson Flhtcui
100 complaintsHarley-Davidson XG750
85 complaintsHarley-Davidson Flhtc
82 complaintsHarley-Davidson Flhtcutg
76 complaintsHarley-Davidson Flhr
52 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology