2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200r

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › foundation components › master cylinder. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder2
000
Engine1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder06V201000
Filed Jun 8, 20069,506 vehiclesHarley-Davidson Motor Company

Defect. ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE FRONT MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN BUILT WITH INADEQUATE LUBRICATION ON THE SECONDARY CUP. THIS COULD CAUSE THE SLIDING RESISTANCE OF THE PISTON TO BE EXCESSIVE, WHICH IN TURN COULD CAUSE THE RETURN OF THE PISTON TO BE SLOW UPON RELEASE OF THE BRAKE.

Risk. THE PISTON MAY NOT RETURN COMPLETELY. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT COULD REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH OR INJURIES.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REBUILD THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 10, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Engine
Filed Jan 15, 201321,000 milesGA

MY HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE THE MOTOR LOCKED UP, CAUSING A SKID, THIS HAPPENED AT LOW SPEEDS BUT HAD IT HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, OR HURT FOR LIFE. THE REASON THE MOTOR LOCKED UP WAS BECAUSE SCREWS FROM THE AIR FILTER VIBRATED LOSE AND WERE SUCKED INTO THE MOTOR CAUSING THE MOTOR TO LOCK UP. HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH VIBRATIONS, SO PUTTING SCREWS IN A PLACE THAT CAN BE SUCKED INTO THE MOTOR IS A FLAW, AND THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED BEFORE SOMEONE DOES GET KILLED. THESE SCREWS CAN'T BEEN SEEN, AND THE DRIVER HAS NO IDEA THEY MAY BE LOSE. *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder
Filed Sep 11, 20066,580 milesWA

FAILURE OF FRONT BRAKE. NEAR WRECK WITH STOPPING CAR. CANNOT CORRECT PROBLEM. DEALER CANNOT GET REPAIR PARTS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT IS GETTING WORSE. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT BUT GETTING MORE FREQUENT. *JB

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder
Filed Aug 23, 2006FL

SAFETY RECALL ON 2005 HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER1200R--- DEFECTIVE FRONT MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE ON 7/05/06. PROMISED RECALL KIT BY 7/10/06. AS OF TODAY ( 8/23/06 ) DEALER HAS STILL NOT RECEIVED RECALL KIT RESULTING IN ME DRIVING AN UNSAFE MOTORCYCLE!!! I WANT MY BIKE FIXED NOW!!!*JB

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2004
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2005 — this page3100Routine
20044100Routine

Compare every Sportster 1200r 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: Jun 8, 2006. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.