Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Sportster (XL) motorcycles and 796 headlight assemblies that may have been sold as replacement parts for 2005-2019 Sportster, 2005-2017 Softail, 2005-2017 Dyna, and 2005-2011 V-Rod motorcycles. The glass bulb within the headlight assembly may fail, causing a loss of both high and low beams.
Consequence: A loss of both headlight beams can reduce visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will install a headlamp bulb shield, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2021. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0177.
Reported: 2022-03-16 (March 16, 2022) · Model years: 2021, 2022
Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain 2021-2022 XL1200X, XL883N, and 2021 XL1200NS XL Sportster motorcycles. The brake fluid warning labels may detach from the brake fluid reservoir caps. As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 122, "Motorcycle Brake Systems."
Consequence: Missing brake fluid warning labels may lead to improper brake system maintenance, affecting brake performance and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Harley-Davidson will mail replacement labels to owners, free of charge. Owners may also take their motorcycles to a dealer for label inspection and replacement, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2022. Harley's number for this recall is 0632.
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
3 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
100.0%Usable mileage3 / 3 records
100.0%Valid incident date3 / 3 records
100.0%Valid filing date3 / 3 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates3 / 3 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
2010
2015
2016
2019
2020
2021
2022
Electrical System
1100.0%ODI 10335377 · 121 mi
BRAKE LIGHTS, HEADLIGHT, TURN SIGNALS AND TAIL-LIGHTS OF A NEW 2010 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER "48 (XL1200X) COMPLETELY FAILED ON THE ROAD AFTER JUST 121 MILES. REPLACED FUSE AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BECAME MORE ERRATIC. BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS AND HEADLIGHT JUST DOESN'T WORK. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HARLEY DAVIDSON FORTY-EIGHT N/A. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE RIDING AT 75 MPH, THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER WAITING FOR FIVE MINUTES, THE MOTORCYCLE WAS RESTARTED AND OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT RODE SAFELY TO HIS DESTINATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. ALLIGATOR ALLEY HARLEY-DAVIDSON LOCATED AT (201 INTERNATIONAL PKWY, SUNRISE, FL 33325, [phone removed]) WAS CONTACTED TWICE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE THROTTLE BODY POSITIONING SE…
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE WITH THE REAR BRAKE, THE FOOT PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE END WITH NO RESISTANCE. REAR BRAKE PROVIDED NO STOPPING POWER. I STOPPED USING THE FRONT BRAKE ONLY. I INSPECTED THE BIKE AND NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM THE CONNECTION OF THE BRAKE ROD AND THE REAR BRAKE RESERVOIR. MY BIKE HAS 60 MILES ON IT, IS PRACTICALLY BRAND NEW AND HAD ABS BRAKES FROM THE FACTORY.
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
Electrical System
Too few reports for a range
121 mi
1 (sparse)
ODI 10335377 · 121 mi
BRAKE LIGHTS, HEADLIGHT, TURN SIGNALS AND TAIL-LIGHTS OF A NEW 2010 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER "48 (XL1200X) COMPLETELY FAILED ON THE ROAD AFTER JUST 121 MILES. REPLACED FUSE AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BECAME MORE ERRATIC. BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS AND HEADLIGHT JUST DOESN'T WORK. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HARLEY DAVIDSON FORTY-EIGHT N/A. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE RIDING AT 75 MPH, THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER WAITING FOR FIVE MINUTES, THE MOTORCYCLE WAS RESTARTED AND OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT RODE SAFELY TO HIS DESTINATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. ALLIGATOR ALLEY HARLEY-DAVIDSON LOCATED AT (201 INTERNATIONAL PKWY, SUNRISE, FL 33325, [phone removed]) WAS CONTACTED TWICE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE THROTTLE BODY POSITIONING SE…
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE WITH THE REAR BRAKE, THE FOOT PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE END WITH NO RESISTANCE. REAR BRAKE PROVIDED NO STOPPING POWER. I STOPPED USING THE FRONT BRAKE ONLY. I INSPECTED THE BIKE AND NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM THE CONNECTION OF THE BRAKE ROD AND THE REAR BRAKE RESERVOIR. MY BIKE HAS 60 MILES ON IT, IS PRACTICALLY BRAND NEW AND HAD ABS BRAKES FROM THE FACTORY.
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.
2021: 0 complaints · 2022: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
2021
0
0
0
2022
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
2021
0
0
0
2022
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
Electrical System
Engine
Service Brakes
Electrical System
—
0
0
Engine
0
—
0
Service Brakes
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.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Stalling or loss of power
1 mentions · 33.3% of complaints
Median mileage: 6,500 mi (1 usable records).
ODI 11324433 · 6,500 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HARLEY DAVIDSON FORTY-EIGHT N/A. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE RIDING AT 75 MPH, THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER WAITING FOR FIVE MINUTES, THE MOTORCYCLE WAS RESTARTED AND OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT RODE SAFELY TO HIS DESTINATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. ALLIGATOR ALLEY HARLEY-DAVIDSON LOCATED AT (201 INTERNATIONAL PKWY, SUNRISE, FL 33325, [phone removed]) WAS CONTACTED TWICE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE THROTTLE BODY POSITIONING SE…