DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON SOFTAIL FXSTS. THE CONTACT WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT A FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM. HE PURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE BRAND NEW AND IN THE WINTER THE GAS TANK RUSTED IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS. . HARLEY DAVIDSON PUT A LINER INSIDE THE GAS TANK TO PREVENT IT FROM RUSTING AND IT DID NOT WORK. THE ACTUALLY LINER WAS PEELING AND COMING OFF INSIDE THE TANK. IF IT GOT THROUGH THE FUEL FILTER INTO THE CARBURETOR IT WOULD CAUSE THE MOTORCYCLE TO STALL. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE FUEL TANK. CONSUMER CONTACTED HARLEY DAVIDSON CUSTOMER SERVICE. SEVERAL TIMES. THEY SUGGESTED THAT CONSUMER KEEP MORE GAS IN THE GAS TANK IN THE WINTER. CONSUMER MAINTAINED THAT HE KEPT THE MOTORCYCLE IN LIVING ROOM IN THE WINTER AND THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THIS PROBLEM. ALSO, COSTUMER SERVICE SUGGESTED THAT CONSUMER CHANGE THE FUEL TANK, AND CALL INSURANCE COMPANY TO GET THEM TO PURCHASE A NEW FUEL TANK. HE HAS ONLY SPOKEN TO ONE PERSON AT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WOULD NOT LET HIM SPEAK TO ANYONE ELSE. HE FIRST STARTED NOTICING THE RUST INSIDE THE TANK IN MARCH OF 2005. THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED THREE TIMES. HE HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THEY CLEANED THE CARBURETOR, AND THEY TOLD HIM THIS WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. EVERY 2500 MILES CONSUMER TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO DEALER FOR A TUNE UP. *AK
2002 Harley-Davidson Softail
Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › clutch assembly. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Clutch Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsWHEN ACCELERATING THE MOTORCYCLE WILL NOT MOVE. WHEN CONSUMER OPENS THE THROTTLE COMPLETELY, MOTORCYCLE THEN LURCHES FORWARD, POSING A SAFETY HAZARD TO THE RIDER AND OTHER VEHICLES/PEDESTRIANS.*AK
THE SPOKES ARE CORRODING AND TURNING BLACK AFTER ONLY TWO WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PH (MODEL/STANDARD FXSTI) SCC
THE MOTORCYCLE OVERHEATED EXCESSIVELY, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE OIL TANK BEING LOCATED DIRECTLY UNDER SEAT.TS ALSO THE CLUTCH WAS READJUSTED.*JB
4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 2003| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2012 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2011 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2007 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2005 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2004 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2003 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2002 — this page | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2001 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2000 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1999 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1998 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1997 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1996 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1995 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
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.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.