2011 Harley-Davidson Softail

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Exterior Lighting1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling1
000
Engine1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine11V037000
Filed Jan 31, 20116,964 vehiclesHarley-Davidson Motor Company

Defect. HARLEY-DAVIDSON IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 SOFTAIL MOTORCYCLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 7, 2010 THROUGH OCTOBER 8, 2010. THE BODY CONTROL MODULES (BCM) INSTALLED ON THESE MOTORCYCLES (PART NUMBERS 69991-11 AND 69993-11) HAVE A CASE THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY SEALED DURING PRODUCTION. AN IMPROPER SEAL MAY ALLOW WATER INTRUSION INTO THE BCM WHICH MAY CAUSE ENGINE STALL.

Risk. AN ENGINE STALL WHILE IN TRAFFIC CAN RESULT IN A CRASH, WHICH COULD LEAD TO INJURY OR DEATH TO THE RIDER.

Remedy. HARLEY-DAVIDSON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BCM FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 21, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine
Filed Dec 19, 201353,000 milesFL

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON SOFT TAIL DELUXE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE FLASHING INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BODY CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 11V037000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING ). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000. DR

Exterior Lighting
Filed Nov 9, 2011500 milesMN

REAR RUNNING LIGHTS RANDOMLY, REPEATEDLY GOING OUT -- THEY'VE BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST ONE PER MONTH. THE BIKE IS CURRENTLY ON ITS FOURTH NEW BULB. OTHERS HAVE NOTED THAT THEY'RE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Jun 15, 20112,500 milesMN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON SOFTAIL DELUXE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE IT TO A DEALER WHO ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE MOTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,500.

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2003
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20131000Routine
20123100Routine
2011 — this page3100Routine
20101000Routine
20081000Routine
20072100Routine
20054300Routine
20044100Routine
20037010Routine
20024000Routine
20012000Routine
20007000Routine
19990100Routine
19983100Routine
19971100Routine
19963100Routine
19953100Routine

Compare every Softail year →

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: Jan 31, 2011. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.