1998 Harley-Davidson FXSTS: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
3 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1998 model year. Data updated: . 0 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
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 3 complaints (33.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 33.3% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System | 1 |
| Suspension:Rear:Shock Absorber | 1 |
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System: 1; Suspension:Rear:Shock Absorber: 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 | 0 |
| 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: 0; 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
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 3 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 |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 2 |
| 1999 | 1 |
1998: 2; 1999: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 608848 · 1999-02-01 (February 1, 1999)
CYLINDER PISTON HEAD FAILED. YH
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 608848 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 700228 · 1998-10-30 (October 30, 1998)
CARBURETION SYSTEM HAS HAD REPEATED FAILURES. INITALLY THE GAS-AIR MIXTURE WAS SO LEAN THAT THE UNIT SPUTTERED REPEATEDLY. THIS CAN BE A FATAL EVENT ON A SLOW CURVE WHEN A MOTORCYCLE IS AT ITS MAXIMUM LEAN ANGLE AND THE ENGINE SPUTTER CAN IN FACT BECOME A SPONTANEOUS ENGINE SHUT-DOWN. THE UNIT WAS RE-JETTED SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN A NEW OEM CARBURETOR WAS INSTALLED REJETTED WITH A LARGE SIZE SLOW JET. THE ENRICHED GAS-AIR FLOW STOPPED THE SPUTTERING BUT APPARENTLY RESULTED IN CARBON BUILD UP THAT WAS SUFFICIENTLY BAD TO CAUSE THE ENGINE TO …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 700228 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 825263 · 1998-07-10 (July 10, 1998)
CONSUMER PURCHASED MOTORCYCLE IN AUGUST 97. HAS TAKEN MOTORCYCLE TO DEALERSHIP THE FIRST THREE TIMES BECAUSE THE TAIL LIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT. THE DEALERSHIP ONLY CHANGED THE BULBS EACH TIME. THE FOURTH TIME DEALER CLEANED THE GROUND, THE FITH AND SIXTH TIMES THEY CHANGED BULBS AND CLEANED GROUND, THE SEVENTH TIME THE DEALER CHANGED THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY, AND TOLD CONSUMER THAT THE WIRING WAS SEVERED UNDER THE FENDER. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 825263 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
3 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 | 1995 | 1998 | 1999 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 1100.0%ODI 51239321-INCH AFTER MARKET WHEEL FAILED/ SPLIT INTO TWO PARTS, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL, RESULTING IN A CRASH/INJURIES. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10390234THIS ISN'T A COMPLAINT, IT'S AN OBSERVATION. I OWN A HARLEY DAVIDSON THAT HAS A SOLID CAST ALUMINUM REAR WHEEL. THE VALVE STEM IS VISIBLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WHEEL AS YOU LOOK TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE BIKE. THIS IS THE SAME SIDE OF THE BIKE THAT THE MUFFLERS AND THE REAR BRAKE DISC ARE MOUNTED. IF A RIDER ATTEMPTS TO PUT AIR IN THE REAR TIRE IMMEDIATELY AFTER STOPPING, THE MUFFLERS ARE VOLCANIC HOT, AND THE REAR DISK IS ALSO QUITE HOT. THE RIDER IS FORCED BY DESIGN OF THE WHEEL TO PUT HIS OR HER HANDS DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO ITEMS ON THE … |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 825263CONSUMER PURCHASED MOTORCYCLE IN AUGUST 97. HAS TAKEN MOTORCYCLE TO DEALERSHIP THE FIRST THREE TIMES BECAUSE THE TAIL LIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT. THE DEALERSHIP ONLY CHANGED THE BULBS EACH TIME. THE FOURTH TIME DEALER CLEANED THE GROUND, THE FITH AND SIXTH TIMES THEY CHANGED BULBS AND CLEANED GROUND, THE SEVENTH TIME THE DEALER CHANGED THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY, AND TOLD CONSUMER THAT THE WIRING WAS SEVERED UNDER THE FENDER. *AK | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3% | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 700228CARBURETION SYSTEM HAS HAD REPEATED FAILURES. INITALLY THE GAS-AIR MIXTURE WAS SO LEAN THAT THE UNIT SPUTTERED REPEATEDLY. THIS CAN BE A FATAL EVENT ON A SLOW CURVE WHEN A MOTORCYCLE IS AT ITS MAXIMUM LEAN ANGLE AND THE ENGINE SPUTTER CAN IN FACT BECOME A SPONTANEOUS ENGINE SHUT-DOWN. THE UNIT WAS RE-JETTED SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN A NEW OEM CARBURETOR WAS INSTALLED REJETTED WITH A LARGE SIZE SLOW JET. THE ENRICHED GAS-AIR FLOW STOPPED THE SPUTTERING BUT APPARENTLY RESULTED IN CARBON BUILD UP THAT WAS SUFFICIENTLY BAD TO CAUSE THE ENGINE TO … | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension:Rear:Shock Absorber | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3% | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 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.
1999: 0 complaints · 2007: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 | 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 | Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System | Suspension:Rear:Shock Absorber |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 0 | — | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Suspension:Rear:Shock Absorber | 0 | 1 | 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.