Harley-Davidson XL SERIES recalls by model year
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
5 owner complaints analyzed
6 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1982 to 1999 model years. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1984 | 1 |
| 1987 | 2 |
| 1989 | 1 |
| 1991 | 1 |
| 1992 | 0 |
| 1995 | 0 |
| 1999 | 0 |
1984: 1; 1987: 2; 1989: 1; 1991: 1; 1992: 0; 1995: 0; 1999: 0
Year-by-year records
Recall history
6 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
82V044000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper
Reported: 1982-05-04 (May 4, 1982) · Model years: 1982
THE REAR HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM MIGHT BE CAPABLE OF GENERATING EXCESSIVE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE WHICH COULD EXCEED THE BURST STRENGTH OF SOME OF THE REAR BRAKE CALIPERS. THIS COULD CAUSE CALIPER FRACTURE AND TOTAL LOSS OF REAR BRAKES.
Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND MODIFY THE BRAKE SYSTEM AT NO COST TO OWNER.
NHTSA campaign record ↗84V056000 · Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Reported: 1984-05-02 (May 2, 1984) · Model years: 1984
PARTS IN THE ALTERNATOR MAY BREAK OFF AND CAUSE THE ALTERNATOR TO STOP FUNCTIONING, WHICH WILL ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO OPERATE ONLY UNTIL THE BATTERY IS EXHAUSTED. ALSO, SHEARED ALTERNATOR MOUNTING BOLTS MAY CAUSE THE DRIVE TRAIN AND REAR WHEEL TO LOCK UP.
Remedy: MOTORCYCLES WILL BE SERVICED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM IN THE ALTERNATOR, WITHOUT CHARGE.
NHTSA campaign record ↗86V153000 · Power Train
Reported: 1986-11-13 (November 13, 1986) · Model years: 1987
A PIECE OF GEAR COULD BREAK AT THE MAINSHAFT FIRST GEAR IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF GEAR TOOTH BECOMES LODGED BETWEEN TRANSMISSION GEARS, DRIVE TRAIN AND REAR WHEEL COULD LOCK UP POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE GEAR WITH ONE THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN AND TESTED.
NHTSA campaign record ↗87V129000 · Wheels
Reported: 1987-08-14 (August 14, 1987) · Model years: 1987
CRACKS IN FRONT AND REAR WHEELS COULD DEVELOP AND CONTINUE THROUGH WHEEL SPOKES.
Consequence: HUB AND RIM COULD SEPARATE CREATING HANDLING PROBLEMSWHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL.
Remedy: REPLACE WHEELS WITH DIFFERENT TESTED WHEELS.
NHTSA campaign record ↗89V069000 · Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery:Cables
Reported: 1989-05-02 (May 2, 1989) · Model years: 1989
THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE COULD DEVELOP A SHORT CIRCUIT DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR AND CHAFING IF ROUTED IN A CERTAIN POSITION.
Consequence: IF THIS CONDITION EXISTS, THE CABLE MIGHT OVERHEAT,POSSIBLY TO A DEGREE WHICH MIGHT CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy: THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE WILL BE REPLACED ON ALL SUBJECT VEHICLES.
NHTSA campaign record ↗90V182000 · Unknown Or Other
Reported: 1990-10-16 (October 16, 1990) · Model years: 1991
RIGHT SIDE FOOTREST MOUNTS MAY FRACTURE IF SUBJECTED TO HEAVY IMPACT LOADS, SUCH AS WHEN A PARKED MOTORCYCLE FALLS ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.
Consequence: SUCH FRACTURES MIGHT RESULT IN LOSS OF RIGHT SIDEFOOTREST AND WILL HINDER THE ABILITY OF THE RIDER TO CONTROL THE FUNCTION OF THE REAR BRAKES.
Remedy: REPLACE RIGHT SIDE FOOTREST MOUNT.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
5 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
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 | 1987 | 1989 | 1991 | 1992 | 1995 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 885581WHEN TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE WILL SHUTDOWN WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, AND THERE WILL BE NO POWER TO START VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 1100.0%ODI 725906THE PART MANUFACTURED FROM JIMSUSA FAILED CAUSING A DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE. THIS COULD HAVE LOCKED THE MOTOR CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. A JIMSUSA EMPLOYEE COLIN KATELY CLAIMED THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT THE DEFECT AS THEY HAD LET THEIR TOOLING BECOME WORN. THEY REQUESTED RETURN OF THE UNSAFE PART AND NOW ARE REFUSING TO GIVE IT BACK. THEY AUTHORIZED REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE AND THEN REFUSED TO PAY THE BILL COMMITTING CONSUMER FRAUD. THESE PARTS CONSTITUTE AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY HAZARD. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 721542RECALL RECEIVED 11/99 DEALERSHIP CLAIMS CANNOT GET REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM MANUFACTURER TO FIX PEOBLEM PLEASE HELP. NO SAFETY DEFECT DISCUSSED IN SUMMARY. *AK |
| Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 854704VEHICLE EXPERIENCES PROBLEM WITH MIRRORS BREAKENG OFF AT THE SEAM, ESPECIALLY ON THE LEFT SIDE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK |
| Wheels:Rim | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 970821CAST ALUMINUM RIMS RIGHT SIDE HALF BROKE AWAY RESULTING IN IMMEDIATE TUMBLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
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 | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
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
| 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.
1995: 1 complaints · 1999: 2 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1999 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 1 | 1 | 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 | Electrical System | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar | Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices | Wheels:Rim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Wheels:Rim | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
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.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.