Car Problem DataNHTSA records

1998 Harley-Davidson Sportster

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › ignition. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train › Clutch Assembly1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly1
000
Exterior Lighting › Tail Lights1
100
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Electrical System › Ignition1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Nov 18, 200319,000 milesFL

THE CONSUMER NOTICED A DRY RUST COLORED DUST COMING FROM THE MOTORCYCLE WHILE RIDING. AFTER COMING TO A STOP, THE CONSUMER NOTICED GAS LEAKING ON THE GROUND. THE RUST COLORED DUST WAS DRY GAS. CONSUMER STATED THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REBUILT IN 1999, INCLUDING A NEW GAS TANK. *AK THE LEAK WAS CAUSED BY STRESS CRACKS AT THE BASE OF THE TANK. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE GAS TANK WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *JB *NLM

Exterior Lighting › Tail LightsCrash
Filed Aug 6, 2002CT

REAR TAIL LIGHT CAME OFF MOTORCYCLE AND LODGED IN REAR WHEEL AT 65MPH, 3 OTHER COMPLAINTS FROM SAME TYPE MOTORCYCLE OWNERS IN QUICK SURVEY. HARLEY DAVIDSON ISN'T EVEN INTERESTED.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

FRONT / REAR HEAD GASKET FAILED. *YC

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Sep 1, 1998NH

ENGINE NOCKS AND PINGS CONTINUALLY.

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Jun 21, 1998PA

MOTORCYCLE WOULD BACKFIRE AND STALL WHEN GIVING IT THROTTLE GOING FROM A STOP OR IDLING. I QUICKLY DIS-ENGAUGED THE CLUTCH TO START THE MOTOR BACKUP, BUT THE CAR IN THE SECOND LANE WAS ALREADY LOCKING HIS BRAKES. I DID MANAGE TO GET THE BIKE STARTED IN THE KNICK OF TIME, AND THE ONCOMING CAR MISSED ME BY ONLY A FEW FEET. I AM AN EXPERIENCED MOTORCYCLE OPERATOR, AND DID NOT POP THE CLUTCH AND STALL IN THAT MANNER. THE MOTORCYCLE MAKES A LOUD POP COMING UP THROUGH THE CARBURATOR, WHEN IT BACKFIRES.

Power Train › Clutch Assembly
Filed Jun 4, 1998CA

CLUTCH ON MOTORCYCLE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO PUSH. OWNER IS VERY CONCERNED RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE. DEALERS HAVE NOT CORRECTED PROBLEM. *AK

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2003
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20082000Routine
20071000Routine
20057200Routine
20039000Routine
20026000Routine
20016002Fatalities reported
20009000Routine
19996100Routine
1998 — this page6000Routine
19971000Routine
19966100Routine
19932000Routine
19921000Routine

Compare every Sportster 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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.