2002 Harley-Davidson 1200 Custom Sportster

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the exterior lighting › headlights. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Exterior Lighting › Headlights1
000
Exterior Lighting1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior03V058000
Filed Feb 21, 200311,952 vehiclesHarley-Davidson Motor Company

Defect. ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE MIRROR STEM COULD FRACTURE ALLOWING THE MIRROR TO FALL.

Risk. THIS CONDITION CAN OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING AND PRESENT AN UNREASONABLE RISK OF CRASH, INJURY, OR DEATH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MIRRORS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 17, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-342-4680.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Exterior Lighting
Filed May 25, 201012,000 milesCT

EXCESSIVE AND INFERIOR DESIGN OF THE HEADLIGHT BRACKET ON 2002 XL1200 SPORTSTER CAUSE THE INTERNAL BULB TO VIBRATE LOOSE AND GO OUT WHILE RIDING AT NIGHT NEARLY CAUSING A FATAL CRASH AS MULTIPLE VEHICLES PULLED OUT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME BEFORE I REALIZED THAT I WAS NO LONGER VISIBLE TO OTHER VEHICLES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE BRACKET WAS CRACKED. I ASKED ABOUT OTHER OPTIONS AS I FEEL THIS PART IS INADEQUATE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT HARLEY UPGRADED THE PART. THAT MEANS THAT HARLEY IS AWARE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PART. I FEEL THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BY HARLEY DAVIDISON. *TR

Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Filed Jun 19, 20056,800 milesDE

STOCK HEADLIGHT WAS FITTED WITH MANUFACTURER'S OPTIONAL HEADLIGHT TRIM RING. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE IN JUNE 2002. EXCESSIVE HEADLIGHT MOVEMENT/VIBRATION WAS NOTICED ON 6/10/2005. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, I FOUND THE MOUNTING BRACKET ATTACHED TO THE HEADLIGHT BUCKET WAS CRACKED 9/10TH'S ACROSS. I RODE IT VERY GINGERLY TO THE DEALER,POINTED THIS OUT, AND LEFT THE BIKE THERE FOR REPAIRS. HAD THIS FAILED, ESPECIALLY DURING NIGHT RIDING, IT WOULD HAVE POSED AN UNREASONABLE RISK OF ACCIDENT. IT IS AWAITING A NEW PART. I WILL BE ASKING FOR THE ORIGINAL PART UPON PICKUP FROM DEALER.

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Feb 21, 2003. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.