2004 Harley-Davidson V-ROD: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
3 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
3,568 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2004 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
Wheels is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 3 complaints (66.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Wheels | 2 |
| Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc) | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 |
Wheels: 2; Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc): 1; Fuel System, Gasoline: 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). 2 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 |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 |
2005: 2; 2011: 1
Pattern summary
Wheels 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 10126225 · 2005-07-08 (July 8, 2005)
DT: CONTACT STATES THAT THE HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD IS UNSTABLE BECAUSE OF THE WIND CURRENTS AND NORMAL DRIVING SPEED. THE CONTACT HAS TALKED TO HARLEY DAVIDSON, AND THEY SUGGESTED TO HIM TO GO AND BUY SPOKED WHEELS. *AK *SC THE SOLID WHEELS CREATED TOO MUCH SURFACE AREA FOR THE LIGHT FRONT END AND THEREFORE GREATLY AFFECTED BY CROSSWINDS AND VEHICULAR TURBULENCE. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10126225 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10132108 · 2005-08-09 (August 9, 2005)
DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 HARLEY DAVIDSON VRSCA. HE FELT THAT THIS WAS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS PARTICULAR MOTORCYCLE CAME WITH A SOLID WHEEL. WHENEVER GOING AT A HIGH SPEED THERE WAS A MAJOR POSSIBILITY OF LOSING CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE BECAUSE OF THE WIND. THIS COULD RESULT IN A FATALITY. CONTACT SPOKE WITH DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS, AND THEY KNEW THAT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM ONE HAS TO GO TO A REGULAR SPOKE WHEEL. BUT THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO DO THIS. HE EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT HE WILL DO WHATEVER HE COULD …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10132108 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10427728 · 2011-09-28 (September 28, 2011)
THE FUEL GAUGE DOESN'T READ PROPERLY ANYWHERE BELOW FULL. I LEARNED FROM FELLOW OWNERS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON TO ALL VRSCA MODELS. FACTORY REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL LEVEL ITEMS DOES NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. POORLY ENGINEERED PART THAT NEEDS A REDESIGN. *TT
Owner-reported narrative. 3,568 miles reported. Look up ODI 10427728 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 | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 266.7%ODI 10126225DT: CONTACT STATES THAT THE HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD IS UNSTABLE BECAUSE OF THE WIND CURRENTS AND NORMAL DRIVING SPEED. THE CONTACT HAS TALKED TO HARLEY DAVIDSON, AND THEY SUGGESTED TO HIM TO GO AND BUY SPOKED WHEELS. *AK *SC THE SOLID WHEELS CREATED TOO MUCH SURFACE AREA FOR THE LIGHT FRONT END AND THEREFORE GREATLY AFFECTED BY CROSSWINDS AND VEHICULAR TURBULENCE. *JB | 150.0%ODI 10118516 · 8 miTHE SOLID WHEELS ON MY 2005 HARLEY-DAVIDSON VRSCA MOTORCYCLE ARE A SAFETY HAZARD ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS WHENEVER I GET CAUGHT IN THE "WAKE" OF ANY LARGER VEHICHLES PASSING ME OR WHENVER I PASS LARGER VEHICLES AND WHENEVER THERE IS A CROSS WIND ON ANY ROAD OR HIGHWAY. THESE WHEELS (FRONT AND BACK) CATCH THE WIND AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO WOBBLE. ON ONE OCASSION RECENTLY, I WAS ON INTERSTATE 10 IN TRAFFIC AND THERE WAS ALSO A CROSSWIND. IT WAS MOST DISTRESSING TO HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT FOR THE CROSS WIND AND THE TURBULENCE FROM (ESPECIA… |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 10171440 · 3,000 miDT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE MOTORCYCLE'S ELECTRICITY TO THE LIGHTS HAD LOST POWER ON SIX OCCASIONS. THE SERVICE DEALER CONTINUED TO CHANGE FUSES BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THE MOTORCYCLE WOULD NEVER BE SAFE TO DRIVE. |
| Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc) | 133.3%ODI 10126225DT: CONTACT STATES THAT THE HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD IS UNSTABLE BECAUSE OF THE WIND CURRENTS AND NORMAL DRIVING SPEED. THE CONTACT HAS TALKED TO HARLEY DAVIDSON, AND THEY SUGGESTED TO HIM TO GO AND BUY SPOKED WHEELS. *AK *SC THE SOLID WHEELS CREATED TOO MUCH SURFACE AREA FOR THE LIGHT FRONT END AND THEREFORE GREATLY AFFECTED BY CROSSWINDS AND VEHICULAR TURBULENCE. *JB | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 133.3%ODI 10427728 · 3,568 miTHE FUEL GAUGE DOESN'T READ PROPERLY ANYWHERE BELOW FULL. I LEARNED FROM FELLOW OWNERS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON TO ALL VRSCA MODELS. FACTORY REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL LEVEL ITEMS DOES NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. POORLY ENGINEERED PART THAT NEEDS A REDESIGN. *TT | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | Too few reports for a range | 3,568 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10427728 · 3,568 miTHE FUEL GAUGE DOESN'T READ PROPERLY ANYWHERE BELOW FULL. I LEARNED FROM FELLOW OWNERS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON TO ALL VRSCA MODELS. FACTORY REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL LEVEL ITEMS DOES NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. POORLY ENGINEERED PART THAT NEEDS A REDESIGN. *TT |
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.
2004: 2 complaints · 2005: 2 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2005 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 2 | 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 | Wheels | Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc) | Fuel System, Gasoline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | — | 1ODI 10126225DT: CONTACT STATES THAT THE HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD IS UNSTABLE BECAUSE OF THE WIND CURRENTS AND NORMAL DRIVING SPEED. THE CONTACT HAS TALKED TO HARLEY DAVIDSON, AND THEY SUGGESTED TO HIM TO GO AND BUY SPOKED WHEELS. *AK *SC THE SOLID WHEELS CREATED TOO MUCH SURFACE AREA FOR THE LIGHT FRONT END AND THEREFORE GREATLY AFFECTED BY CROSSWINDS AND VEHICULAR TURBULENCE. *JB | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc) | 1ODI 10126225DT: CONTACT STATES THAT THE HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD IS UNSTABLE BECAUSE OF THE WIND CURRENTS AND NORMAL DRIVING SPEED. THE CONTACT HAS TALKED TO HARLEY DAVIDSON, AND THEY SUGGESTED TO HIM TO GO AND BUY SPOKED WHEELS. *AK *SC THE SOLID WHEELS CREATED TOO MUCH SURFACE AREA FOR THE LIGHT FRONT END AND THEREFORE GREATLY AFFECTED BY CROSSWINDS AND VEHICULAR TURBULENCE. *JB | — | 0 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 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.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.