1998 Harley-Davidson ULTRA CLASSIC: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
2 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
55,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1998 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
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch 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 |
|---|---|
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 1 |
| Structure:Frame And Members | 1 |
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 1; Structure:Frame And Members: 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 | 1 |
| 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: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
50,000 to 74,999 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 |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
2003: 1; 2006: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch 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 10017328 · 2003-04-22 (April 22, 2003)
THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE IGNITION SWITCH, HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND IT WAS GOING ON 3 WEEKS. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10017328 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10161361 · 2006-07-04 (July 4, 2006)
BROKEN SWING ARM (A FRAME SECTION) CAUSING A HIGH SPEED WOBBLE LEADING TO CRASH. SWING ARM CRACKED OVER TOP OF AXLE ALLOWING THE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER TO PUSH OPEN THE END OF THE SWING ARM EXPOSING THE REAR AXEL SHAFT. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10161361 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 | 1992 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 555.6%ODI 10129918DT: THE CONSUMER STATED ABOUT A WEEK AGO, LAST SATURDAY 7/16/05. THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A MISSING IN THE ENGINE. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE ENGINE SEIZED. THEN CONSUMER SKIDDED AND PULLED OVER TO SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE BACK WHEEL LOCKED UP BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOCK UP IN THE CRANK SHAFT BEARING THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRANK SHAFT BEARING WENT OUT AND CAUSED A SEIZING OF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO DEALERSHIP. THE CONSUMER HAS NOTICED THAT THERE IS A MOTORCYCLE SHOP NEARBY WHERE H… | 125.0%ODI 10103822 · 30,000 miWHILE DRIVING ALTERNATOR/ENERATOR BURNED UP IN THE MOTOR, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO MALFUNCTION AT 30,000 MILES. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| 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. | 125.0%ODI 10063767 · 10,500 miI READ ABOUT THE RECALL ON 2001 TO 2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON TOURING BIKES. I HAVE A 2000 ULTRA CLASSIC & I HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM BACK IN AUGUST OF 2003. THE BIKE WOULD JUST LOSE ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. THIS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE ON A 3 LANE HIGHWAY. ODDLY ENOUGH, IT WAS IN FRONT OF THE H-D PLANT IN MILWAUKEE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED 14 TIMES IN A MATTER OF 2 WEEKS, AFTER REPLACING IGNITION RELAYS AND STARTER RELAYS AT THE GUIDANCE OF H-D MECHANICS, AND AFTER 3 SHOP VISITS, THE PROBLEM IS SUPPOSED TO BE RESOLVED. THIS BIKE ALSO DIED ON DARK HIGHW… | 220.0%ODI 10152558 · 13,507 miWHILE RIDING OUR 2001 ULTRA CLASSIC (HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE) ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE, THE RADIO AND HEADSETS QUIT WORKING. I NOTICED THE VOTE GAGE STOPPED WORKING. I PUT ON MY TURN SIGNAL TO MOVE TO THE RIGHT; THEY DID NOT WORK. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE BIKE SHUT DOWN AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE ONLY REASON THAT I DID NOT SHUT DOWN IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE WAS MY BATTERY WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE OFF THE ROAD BEFORE IT DIED. THE BIKE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND I WAS ADVISED THAT THE STATOR WAS BAD. … | 111.1%ODI 10449044 · 22,700 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS OVER 20 MPH, THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL LOST POWER AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE BUT WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY HAVING SEVERAL PARTS REPLACED INCLUDING A NEW BATTERY AND AN IGNITION SWITCH BUT THE REPAIRS DID NOT COMPLETELY REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,066. |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | 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. | 333.3%ODI 10041550 · 12,800 miI HAVE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL POWER FAILURE ON MY HARLEY DAVIDSON 2002 ULTRA CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE WHILE IN MOTION. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MOTORCYCLE IN VARIOUS WEBSITE FORUMS. WHEN THE POWER FAILS, THE MOTOR SHUTS DOWN, AND THERE IS NO HORN, NO LIGHTS, NO DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS, ETC. THAT MAKES THIS A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE IN TRAFFIC. THE PROBLEM IS BELIEVED TO BE RELATED TO A CIRCUIT BREAKER DEFECT THAT SOME DEALERS CORRECT BY REPLACING IT WITH A MAXI FUSE. MY LOCAL HD D… |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 10017328THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE IGNITION SWITCH, HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND IT WAS GOING ON 3 WEEKS. *JB | 111.1%ODI 831461CONSUMER HAS RECEIVED RECALL #0091 FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH IN JULY. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. LAST TIME THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WAS ON NOVEMBER 10,1998. DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PART AVAILABLE YET. CONSUMER STATED THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NOT GO ON AFTER TURNING THE SWITCH. *AK *TT | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 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. | 110.0%ODI 10099057 · 16,000 miTHE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE STATOR, BECAUSE IT BURNED UP. THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE BIKE WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE DEALER NOTED THE STATOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND IT WAS REPLACED. IN AUG. 2004 THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO HELP ON THE SECOND DEFECT. *JB *SC | 111.1%ODI 10099179THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART THE MOTORCYCLE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CONSUMER HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB |
| Tires | 1100.0%ODI 557986WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE THE REAR (CONTINENTAL 130/90/16 TK-17, DOT#CPXKNAXP 368) EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND COLLSION WHICH RESULTED IN ONE FATALITY AND ONE INJURY. *MJS | 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. | 111.1%ODI 10483198 · 70,000 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA (N/A) EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN COMMANDER 2 TIRES, SIZE: 140/90/B16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED CRACKS WITHIN THE TREAD OF THE REAR TIRE. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY ADVISED THAT HE SHOULD PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT TIRE. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRE WAS 8,000. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. |
| Wheels | 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 10196667 · 27,000 miTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE REAR WHEEL BEGAN TO WOBBLE. THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO DECELERATE AND DROVE INTO A DITCH. HE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. HE WAS DIAGNOSED AS BRAIN DEAD AND PASSED AWAY THE NEXT DAY. THE ROAD SURFACE WAS SMOOTH AND DRY. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, POWERTRAIN, AND PURCHASE DATE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,000. |
| Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 10103822 · 30,000 miWHILE DRIVING ALTERNATOR/ENERATOR BURNED UP IN THE MOTOR, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO MALFUNCTION AT 30,000 MILES. *AK | 00.0%No 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure:Frame And Members | Too few reports for a range | 55,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10161361 · 55,000 miBROKEN SWING ARM (A FRAME SECTION) CAUSING A HIGH SPEED WOBBLE LEADING TO CRASH. SWING ARM CRACKED OVER TOP OF AXLE ALLOWING THE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER TO PUSH OPEN THE END OF THE SWING ARM EXPOSING THE REAR AXEL SHAFT. *JB |
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.
2001: 5 complaints · 2002: 5 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2002 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 8 | 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:Ignition:Switch | Structure:Frame And Members |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | — | 0 |
| Structure:Frame And Members | 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.