Harley-Davidson FXDX problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
9 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
15,301 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1999 to 2003 model years. Data updated: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 9 complaints (55.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic
Matching reports
Share of complaints
Engine operation
1
11.1%
Braking behavior
1
11.1%
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
5
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
1
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys
1
Power Train:Axle Assembly:Axle Shaft
1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc
1
Suspension
1
Tires:Valve
1
Unknown Or Other
1
Component breakdown data
Category
Count
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
5
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
1
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys
1
Power Train:Axle Assembly:Axle Shaft
1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc
1
Suspension
1
Tires:Valve
1
Unknown Or Other
1
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 5; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys: 1; Power Train:Axle Assembly:Axle Shaft: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc: 1; Suspension: 1; Tires:Valve: 1; Unknown Or Other: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
Under 25,000
2
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
Category
Count
Under 25,000
2
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (2). 7 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
2000
2
2001
6
2005
1
Complaints over time data
Category
Count
2000
2
2001
6
2005
1
2000: 2; 2001: 6; 2005: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 890173 · 2001-06-12 (June 12, 2001)
WHILE TRAVELING ENGINE WAS MAKING A LOUD NOISE AND RUNNING ROUGH, AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATIION VEHICLE WOULD STALL. DEALER HAS REPLACED CAMSHAFT.*AK THE GEAR ON THE CRANK SHAFT TURNED ON THE DRIVE SURFACE OF THE CRANK SHAFT MAKING THE CRANK SHAFT UNSEVICEABLE. *YH
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
9 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
22.2%Usable mileage2 / 9 records
55.6%Valid incident date5 / 9 records
100.0%Valid filing date9 / 9 records
55.6%Ordered incident and filing dates5 / 9 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
Component complaint heatmap
Component
1999
2000
2001
2003
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
466.7%ODI 10006455 · 11,601 mi
THIS WAS ONE OF ELEVEN CAM BEARINGS ELYRIA H-D HAS DONE, THEY ONLY SELL 300 BIKES TOTAL A YEAR. APPROX. 1/3 OF THOSE DID NOT HAVE THE NEW TWIN CAM MOTOR. AK SCC ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*****752040
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT REPORTS OF CAM AND CAM BEARING FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMS INCIDENTS OF LESS THAN 1%. HOWEVER THE PEOPLE I TALK TO INDICATE POSSIBLY 25-30% FAILURE RATE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS OF A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING STRANDED IN REMOTE LOCATIONS. ANOTHER CONCERN IS BEING DISTRACTED BY AN ENGINE FAILURE WHICH COULD INCLUDE 200 DEGREE ENGINE OIL BEING SPRAYED ON MY LEGS AND UNDER MY REAR TIRE WHILE RIDING IN A CONGESTED TRAFFIC SITUATION.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys
116.7%ODI 560083
THE DRIVE BELT WAS LOOSE CAUSING ENGINE NOISE, AFTER THE DRIVE BELT WAS REPLACED THE NOISE PERSISTED, THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE REAR BEARING AND THERE HAS BEEN NO MORE PROBLEMS. NLM
THE DRIVE BELT WAS LOOSE CAUSING ENGINE NOISE, AFTER THE DRIVE BELT WAS REPLACED THE NOISE PERSISTED, THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE REAR BEARING AND THERE HAS BEEN NO MORE PROBLEMS. NLM
RUBBER VALVE STEM IS BEING SHEARED OFF BY RIM WHEN TURNS ARE BEING MADE WHILE DRIVING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER.*AK
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
Component failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
Too few reports for a range
15,301 mi
2 (sparse)
ODI 10006455 · 11,601 mi
THIS WAS ONE OF ELEVEN CAM BEARINGS ELYRIA H-D HAS DONE, THEY ONLY SELL 300 BIKES TOTAL A YEAR. APPROX. 1/3 OF THOSE DID NOT HAVE THE NEW TWIN CAM MOTOR. AK SCC ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*****752040
99 HARLEY DAVIDSON- CAM BEARING FAILURE- THE COMPANY EXTENDED THE WARRENTY TO 5YRS OR 50,000 MI. THE FAILURE OCCURED AFTER 7 YRS. UNDER NORMAL OPERATION & THE COMPANY HAS ONLY AGREED TO PAY FOR PARTS, NOT THE LABOR, WHICH IS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT. THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE MOTOR TO SEIZE WHILE IN OPERATION, POTENTIALLY CAUSING SERIOUS BODILY INJURY OR DEATH.
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month
Complaints
Campaigns announced
Examples
2024-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2024-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-10
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2001: 1 complaints · 2003: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
2001
1
1
1
2003
0
0
0
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
2001
0
1
0
2003
0
0
0
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
Component co-occurrence matrix
Component
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys
Power Train:Axle Assembly:Axle Shaft
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc
Suspension
Tires:Valve
Unknown Or Other
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
—
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
0
—
0
0
0
0
0
1ODI 559622
WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE WAS LEAKING HOT OIL WHICH COVERED THE MOTORCYCLE, DUE TO MOTOR FAILURE. CJ
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys
0
0
—
1ODI 560083
THE DRIVE BELT WAS LOOSE CAUSING ENGINE NOISE, AFTER THE DRIVE BELT WAS REPLACED THE NOISE PERSISTED, THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE REAR BEARING AND THERE HAS BEEN NO MORE PROBLEMS. NLM
THE DRIVE BELT WAS LOOSE CAUSING ENGINE NOISE, AFTER THE DRIVE BELT WAS REPLACED THE NOISE PERSISTED, THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE REAR BEARING AND THERE HAS BEEN NO MORE PROBLEMS. NLM
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Stalling or loss of power
1 mentions · 11.1% of complaints
Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).
ODI 890173
WHILE TRAVELING ENGINE WAS MAKING A LOUD NOISE AND RUNNING ROUGH, AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATIION VEHICLE WOULD STALL. DEALER HAS REPLACED CAMSHAFT.*AK THE GEAR ON THE CRANK SHAFT TURNED ON THE DRIVE SURFACE OF THE CRANK SHAFT MAKING THE CRANK SHAFT UNSEVICEABLE. *YH