1997 Harley-Davidson ELECTRA GLIDE: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
2 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
16,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1997 model year. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 2 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train | 1 |
| Structure:Body | 1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 |
Power Train: 1; Structure:Body: 1; Vehicle Speed Control: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 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: 1; 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 (1). 1 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 |
| 2005 | 1 |
1997: 1; 2005: 1
Pattern summary
Power Train leads the component reports. 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10117835 · 2005-04-13 (April 13, 2005)
THE TOUR PACK CRACKED IN THREE PLACES. CONSUMER DISCOVERED THE DEFECT WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN WITH A PASSENGER ON BOARD. VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO CARRY A PASSENGER AT THIS TIME. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10117835 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 815946 · 1997-09-03 (September 3, 1997)
THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AT 74MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD TO BE DEACTIVATED TO STOP. THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, AND THIS PROBLEM IS STILL ONGOING. GIVE MORE DETAILS. *AK *SLC
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 815946 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.
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 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 00.0%No 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. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 538.5%ODI 10037278 · 9,075 miI RIDE A 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCUI (ULTRA CLASSIC) MOTORCYCLE. AT 2,500 RPM, 60 MPH, THE MOTORCYLCE EXPERIENCED FULL ELECTRICAL FAILURE - NO LIGHTS, NO SIGNALS, NO HORN, NO RADIO, NO FUEL INJECTION, NO ENGINE - ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE FIRST DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A LOOSE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE. THE SECOND DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A LOOSE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE AND INSTALLED A STAR WASHER TO KEEP THE CONNECTION TIGHT. COMING HOME FROM WISCONSIN, THE MOTORCYCLE SHUTDOWN AGAIN. I CHECKED THE BATTERY CABLE AND IT WA… | 111.1%ODI 10240187BACKING VEHICLE, ENGINE OFF - IGNITION ON, SPARK UNDER SEAT THEN FIRE IN WIRE HARNESS. HD SERVICE DEPT SAID IT WAS A FAILURE IN THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR. ADVISED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, NO RECALLS NO SERVICE BULLETIN. *TR |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 120.0%ODI 10087508 · 35,230 miWHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE MOTORCYCLE SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER STATED THAT CIRCUIT BREAKER HAS TO RESET ITSELF, THEN THE MOTORCYCLE WILL START BACK UP. A RECALL WAS ISSUED AND PART WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 240.0%ODI 10076260THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM THE CIRCUIT BREAKER RECALL 04V134000 WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME, BECAUSE THE PARTS WEREN'T AVAILABLE. *LA | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 323.1%ODI 10040911 · 530 miMY HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN (ENGINE & ELECTRONICS) WHILE RIDING IN TRAFFIC. SOMETIMES AT 30 MPH, SOMETIMES AT UP TO 60 MPH REGARDLESS OF WHAT GEAR I WAS IN. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 00.0%No 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. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 266.7%ODI 10072583I OWN A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC. SEVERAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT THE CAM CHAIN TENSIONER WEARING OUT FROM NORMAL OPERATIONS. ONE SUCH COMPLAINT THAT WAS MADE RESULTED IN THE CAM CHAIN TENSIONER BREAKING OFF AND CAUSING THE OIL PUMP TO MALFUNCTION, AND DAMGAGING THE OIL PUMP AS WELL. I SPOKE WITH THE HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER, WHO SAYS THEY HAVE NOTICED THE WEARING OF THE TENSIONER, AND REPLACES THOSE AT THE OWNERS REQUEST, HOWEVER THIS IS NOT PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON TO RECALL. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Power Train | 150.0%ODI 815946THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AT 74MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD TO BE DEACTIVATED TO STOP. THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, AND THIS PROBLEM IS STILL ONGOING. GIVE MORE DETAILS. *AK *SLC | 00.0%No 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. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 222.2%ODI 10714768TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HARLEY DAVIDSON ELECTRA (NA). THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V216000 (POWER TRAIN); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. |
| Equipment | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 240.0%ODI 10010493I PUT A PRODUCT CALLED TIREFLYS ON THE VALVE STEM OF MY 1999 HARLEY DAVIDSON ELECTRA GLIDE CLASSIC. THESE CADGETS GIVE OFF LIGHT AS THE WHEEL SPINS. AFTER 15 MINUTES OF RIDING ON I 75 I DEVELOPED TWO FLAT TIRES AT THE SAME TIME. IT SEEMS THAT THE TIREFLYS REMOVE THE STEM FROM THE TIRE. I CRASHED MY BIKE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE- LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO HOLD THE BIKE UP UNTIL IT WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 5 TO 10 MPH. THE BIKE SUSTAINED $7500.00 IN DAMAGE. I WAS OK, LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PLANT THE ACCIDENT ENOUGH TO MINIMIZE THE DAMAGE TO… | 00.0%No 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. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Steering | 00.0%No 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. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.7%ODI 10049518 · 12,628 miWHILE DRIVING ON FLAT SURFACES THE MOTORCYCLE VEERS LEFT. IF YOU REMOVE YOUR HANDS FROM THE HANDLEBARS THE BIKE WILL CROSS THE CENTERLINE OF THE ROAD. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS A NORMAL CONDITION. PROBLEM IS ONGOING SINCE NEW. *LA | 111.1%ODI 10472791 · 4,400 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTK (N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD WOBBLE, SHAKING THE CONTACT'S ARMS AND MAKING THE VEHICLE HARD TO CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DECIDED TO GREASE THE BARRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER STATED THEY WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE IN 100 MILES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,400. |
| Structure | 00.0%No 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. | 240.0%ODI 10160285 · 23,000 miDT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE RIDING A MOTORCYCLE A CLUNKING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM IN THE FRONT. UPON INSPECTION, 3 OF THE 4 MOUNTING BRACKETS THAT RETAINED THE FRONT FAIRING WERE BROKEN. THE BRACKETS SECURE THE FAIRING THEREFORE A FAILURE COULD SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE STRIKING THE OPERATOR. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 120.0%ODI 10731155 · 126,000 miTHE REAR SWING ARM ON THE PRIMARY SIDE (LEFT) IS BROKEN IN TWO. THIS SWING ARM HOLDS THE REAR WHEEL, AND BRAKES TO THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH MANY OF THESE SWING ARMS FOR YEARS 1996 TO 2000 BREAK YET NO FACTORY RECALL HAS EVER HAPPENED. WHEN I CALLED THE LOCAL HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER, THEY CONFIRMED THAT THESE ALWAYS BREAK, AND THAT THEY HAVE REPLACED THEM ON THE POLICE MOTORCYCLES, BUT WOULD NOT REPAIR MINE OR ANY CIVILIANS MOTORCYCLE, AND SAID THAT THESE YEAR SWING ARMS ARE OBSOLETE. I INQUIRED ABOU… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 17.7% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure:Body | Too few reports for a range | 16,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10117835 · 16,000 miTHE TOUR PACK CRACKED IN THREE PLACES. CONSUMER DISCOVERED THE DEFECT WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN WITH A PASSENGER ON BOARD. VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO CARRY A PASSENGER AT THIS TIME. *AK |
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.
2003: 11 complaints · 2004: 3 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 8 | 10 | 11 |
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| 2004 | 9 | 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 | Power Train | Structure:Body | Vehicle Speed Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | — | 0 | 1ODI 815946THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AT 74MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD TO BE DEACTIVATED TO STOP. THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, AND THIS PROBLEM IS STILL ONGOING. GIVE MORE DETAILS. *AK *SLC |
| Structure:Body | 0 | — | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1ODI 815946THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AT 74MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD TO BE DEACTIVATED TO STOP. THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, AND THIS PROBLEM IS STILL ONGOING. GIVE MORE DETAILS. *AK *SLC | 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.