Harley-Davidson XL883L recalls by model year
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
2 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
1,100 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2007 to 2019 model years. Data updated: . 1 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 |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
2007: 3; 2013: 0; 2019: 1
Year-by-year records
Recall history
4 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
06V476000 · Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Reported: 2006-12-19 (December 19, 2006) · Model years: 2007
ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, AS A RESULT OF A GREATER BODY THICKNESS THAN USED IN PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS, THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR MAY CONTACT THE FRONT FENDER UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. IN SOME CASES THIS CONTACT MAY ALLOW THE FRONT FENDER TO CATCH ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE REGULATOR BODY WHICH COULD IMPEDE THE OPERATOR'S ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE.
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WHICH COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH TO THE RIDER.
Remedy: ON MOTORCYCLES WHICH DO NOT HAVE ACCESSORY ENGINE GUARDS, DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN INTERMEDIATE MOUNTING BRACKET THAT WILL RELOCATE THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR TO A POSITION WHICH PROVIDES MORE CLEARANCE FROM THE FRONT FENDER. ON VEHICLES WITH AN ACCESSORY ENGINE GUARDS, DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE THINNNER DIMENSION VOLTAGE REGULATOR TO AVOIDE THE FRONT FENDER CLEARANCE PROBLEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 22, 2007. A SECOND CUSTOMER LETTER REFLECTING THE ABOVE REMEDY WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS ON MARCH 16, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.
NHTSA campaign record ↗07V025000 · Tires
Reported: 2007-02-01 (February 1, 2007) · Model years: 2007
CERTAIN SPORTSTER AND DYNA MODEL MOTORCYCLES WERE BUILT WITH AN INCORRECT FRONT TIRE.
Consequence: THIS INCORRECT TIRE COULD CAUSE PERFORMANCE ISSUES, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FRONT TIRE AND REPLACE IT IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 5, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.
NHTSA campaign record ↗07V296000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Reported: 2007-07-11 (July 11, 2007) · Model years: 2007
CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES WERE BUILT WITH A CONDITION WHEREBY THE PANT LEG OF SOME RIDERS CAN HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE EXHAUST PIPE.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE PANT LEG TO CHAR OR BURN, WHICH COULD LEAD TO THE POSSIBILITY OF INJURY TO THE RIDER.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL ADD A NEW EXHAUST SHIELD WHICH PROVIDES ADDITIONAL COVERAGE OFTHE EXHAUST PIPE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.
NHTSA campaign record ↗21V225000 · Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Bulbs
Reported: 2021-03-31 (March 31, 2021) · Model years: 2019
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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
2 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 | 2007 | 2013 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | 1100.0%ODI 10194810 · 1,100 miLESS THEN A MONTH AGAO WE BOUGHT A BRAND NEW HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER 883L AND IT IS ALREADY IN THE SHOP. THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR SEEMS TO BE BAD ON ALL THE 2007 MODELS, BUT THEY ARE STILL NOT ISSUING A RECALL. HARLEY SEEMS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY ARE STILL SELLING THE BIKE REGARDLESS WITHOUT TELLING THE CUSTOMERS ABOUT THE ONGOING PROBLEM. PARTS ARE ALL BACK ORDERED FOR REPAIRS SO THEY LEAVE YOU WAITING WITH NO BIKE. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Tires | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 105683822013 HARLEY DAVIDSON XL883L. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE TIRES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT, BECAUSE THE TIRES LOST TRACTION, ON WET PAVEMENT. THE TIRES HAD NO TREAD IN THE MIDDLE AND WERE COMPLETELY SMOOTH IN THE MIDDLE. | 0UnavailableNo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | Too few reports for a range | 1,100 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10194810 · 1,100 miLESS THEN A MONTH AGAO WE BOUGHT A BRAND NEW HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER 883L AND IT IS ALREADY IN THE SHOP. THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR SEEMS TO BE BAD ON ALL THE 2007 MODELS, BUT THEY ARE STILL NOT ISSUING A RECALL. HARLEY SEEMS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY ARE STILL SELLING THE BIKE REGARDLESS WITHOUT TELLING THE CUSTOMERS ABOUT THE ONGOING PROBLEM. PARTS ARE ALL BACK ORDERED FOR REPAIRS SO THEY LEAVE YOU WAITING WITH NO BIKE. |
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.
2013: 1 complaints · 2019: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 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 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | Tires |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | — | 0 |
| Tires | 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.