2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER
0 recalls — 11 complaints — 2 TSBs
No recalls found for this vehicle.
Complaint Statistics
11 total complaints
Top Reported Components
| Component | Complaints |
|---|---|
| VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 |
| STRUCTURE | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
STRUCTURE
May 29, 2007
Incident date: May 3, 2004
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER SPORT. THE FRAME BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED DUE TO METAL FATIGUE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PART BUT IT FAILED AGAIN AFTER 2,500 MILES. THE PART WAS REPLACED A THIRD TIME AND HAS FAILED AGAIN. THE # OF CYLINDERS WAS UNKNOWN. THE ... Read more
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Jun 28, 2004
Incident date: May 1, 2004
SPEEDOMETER-TACHOMETER BRACKET BREAKS FROM EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION THROUGH MOUNTING BOLT HOLES CAUSING GAUGE ASSEMBLY TO FALL OFF WHILE RIDING. UNIT HANGS BY THE WIRES & INTERFERES WITH THE STEERING FORKS & CONTROL OF VEHICLE. ALSO EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION AS DEEMED NORMAL BY THE MANUFACTURER C... Read more
STEERING
Jun 28, 2004
Incident date: May 1, 2004
SPEEDOMETER-TACHOMETER BRACKET BREAKS FROM EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION THROUGH MOUNTING BOLT HOLES CAUSING GAUGE ASSEMBLY TO FALL OFF WHILE RIDING. UNIT HANGS BY THE WIRES & INTERFERES WITH THE STEERING FORKS & CONTROL OF VEHICLE. ALSO EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION AS DEEMED NORMAL BY THE MANUFACTURER C... Read more
STRUCTURE
Jun 28, 2004
Incident date: May 1, 2004
SPEEDOMETER-TACHOMETER BRACKET BREAKS FROM EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION THROUGH MOUNTING BOLT HOLES CAUSING GAUGE ASSEMBLY TO FALL OFF WHILE RIDING. UNIT HANGS BY THE WIRES & INTERFERES WITH THE STEERING FORKS & CONTROL OF VEHICLE. ALSO EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION AS DEEMED NORMAL BY THE MANUFACTURER C... Read more
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Mar 30, 2004
Incident date: May 18, 2002
OK, MY COMPLAINT IS ON A 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM SPORTSTER. THE FRONT HEADLIGHT HAS FALLEN OFF DUE TO THE BOLT SHEARING FROM VIBRATION AND SO HAS THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ON THE LEFT SIDE. HARLEY HAS REPLACED THE ENGINE AT ABOUT 1300 MILES, STATING THAT IT HAD AN UNSAFE VIBRATION. THE ENGINE... Read more
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 10, 2003
Incident date: Aug 12, 2003
WHILE RIDING SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER THE CORRECT RATE OF SPEED. WHEN THIS OCCURS CONSUMER HAS TO REACH DOWN AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF WHILE STILL RIDING, AND TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN BEFORE THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHOW THE CORRECT THE RATE OF SPEED. VEHICLE HAD BEEN AT REPAIR SHOP FOUR TIMES FO... Read more
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
Sep 2, 2003
2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER LEAKING OIL OUT OF THE AIR CLEANER.*MR *TS
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
Aug 18, 2003
Incident date: Aug 16, 2003
LEFT REARVIEW MIRROR STEM BROKE AND MIRROR FELL OFF. THIRD TIME A MIRROR ON THE SAME SIDE HAS BROKE OFF OF MY 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM SPORTSTER. THE MIRRORS ARE FACTORY AND ARE LONG STEMMED.*AK
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
Aug 11, 2003
Incident date: Jul 1, 2003
MIRRORS ON 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM DO NOT SIT OUT WIDE ENOUGH TO SEE WHAT IS BEHIND YOU. HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN TWO ACCIDENTS BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE BEHIND ME. SPENT 200.00 ON AFTERMARKET MIRRORS AND HAVE SAME PROBLEM. *NLM
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
May 2, 2003
THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKE BUT THERE WAS NO REACTION. THE CONSUMER ALMOST REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER LATER NOTICED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT SOMEONE FORGOT TO PUT THE WASHERS IN THE BRAKE LINE. *NLM
EQUIPMENT
May 2, 2003
Incident date: Apr 27, 2003
THE MIRRORS HAVE A TENDENCY TO SHEAR OFF WHILE RIDING. BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE MIRRORS HAVE EACH SHEARED OFF 2 TIMES WHILE RIDING. THIS MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED IN 8/1998 AND THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 10/1998 WITH THE RIGHT SIDE MIRROR. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 4/2000 WITH THE LEFT S... Read more
Technical Service Bulletins — 2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER
2 manufacturer communications from 2 unique bulletins. TSBs describe known problems and recommended fixes from the manufacturer.
Most Affected Components
| Component | Bulletins |
|---|---|
| 200000 WHEELS | 1 |
| 355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL | 1 |
1133
Mar 4, 2003
355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
SERVICE MANUAL INCORRECTLY DESCRIBED THE REAR BELT DEFLECTION ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE. *SCC
1131
Feb 7, 2003
200000 WHEELS
REAR WHEEL SPACER IDENTIFICATION. *TT
NHTSA Safety Investigations — HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER
Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.
PE02083
Opened: Nov 12, 2002 — Closed: Feb 26, 2003
REAR VIEW MIRROR STEM FAILURES
PROMPTED BY THE REFERENCED OWNER COMPLAINT, ODI OPENED THIS PE AFTER DETERMINING THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERS HAD FREQUENTLY REPLACED THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (OE) MIRRORS ON 2002 SPORTSTER 1200 CUSTOM MODEL MOTORCYCLES BECAUSE OF STEM FRACTURES ON THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY.THE STEMBEING THE TUBULAR STRUCTU... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER — All Years Overview
Complete safety history for the HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER across all model years (1971–2005).
7
Total Recalls
81
Total Complaints
1
Investigations
9
Reported Crashes
0
Reported Fires
4
Reported Deaths
HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER — Year by Year
Compare recalls and complaints across model years. Click any year to see full details.