Car Problem DataNHTSA records

1996 Harley-Davidson Softail

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the fuel system, gasoline › fuel injection system. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System96V204000
Filed Oct 22, 1996176,515 vehiclesHarley-Davidson Motor Co.

Defect. THE EFFECTS OF REFORMULATED GASOLINE ALONG WITH CERTAIN USAGE OF THE FUEL SUPPLY VALVE AFFECTS THE SUPPLY OF GASOLINE TO THE CARBURETOR. THIS CONDITION REQUIRES TWO FACTORS: (1) THE USE OF REFORMULATED FUELS CONTAINING MBTE AND (2) STARTING THE MOTORCYCLE WITH THE FUEL VALVE HANDLE IN THE OFF POSITION.

Risk. THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE FUEL FLOW TO BE UNPREDICTABLE THUS CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN INCREASING THE RISK OF A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy. DEALERS THE REPLACE THE DIAPHRAGM IN THE FUEL VALVE.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Jun 4, 2001CA

WAS DRIVING MOTORCYCLE WHEN CAM BEARINGS BLEW OUT AND SCATTERED METAL PIECES THROUGHOUT ENGINE, CAUSING IT TO STALL OUT. *AK

Power Train
Filed Jan 27, 2000OH

SPEEDOMETER STICKS INTERMITTENTLY, DOESN'T INDICATE THE CORRECT SPEED. EVENTUALLY SPEEDOMETER WILL UNSTICK AND WORK NORMALLY. *AK *ML

Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System
Filed Jul 16, 1997AZ

RECALL REPAIR NOT ABLE TO BE DONE DUE TO LACK OF PARTS (FUEL SUPPLY VALVE).

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2003
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20131000Routine
20123100Routine
20113100Routine
20101000Routine
20081000Routine
20072100Routine
20054300Routine
20044100Routine
20037010Routine
20024000Routine
20012000Routine
20007000Routine
19990100Routine
19983100Routine
19971100Routine
1996 — this page3100Routine
19953100Routine

Compare every Softail year →

Other Harley-Davidson models

All Harley-Davidson models →
Flhtcu 276Flhx 184Flhtk 161Flhtc 109Flhtcui 108Harley Davidson 101XG750 88Flhtcutg 87Flhr 87Flstc 73

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: Oct 22, 1996. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.