2008 Harley-Davidson Sportster

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the wheels. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Wheels1
000
Steering1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Steering
Filed Sep 9, 20119,000 milesKS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN A NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT FENDER. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE STEERING COLUMN HAD STRUCK THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO STEER WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED TO REPORT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

Wheels
Filed Jun 3, 20118,500 milesVA

2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200C MOTORCYCLE REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED WHILE RIDING RESULTING IN EXTENSIVE REAR WHEEL DAMAGE AND A NEAR-ACCIDENT. RIDER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE MOTORCYCLE HAD 8,500 MILES ON IT AND WAS 1-YEAR OUT OF DEALER WARRANTY. EXTENDED WARANTY ON THE MOTORCYCLE WOULD ONLY COVER LOCALIZED DAMAGE NOT THE EXTENSIVE DOWN-STREAM DAMAGE. HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY 'CUSTOMER CARE' WAS UN-RESPONSIVE TO THIS COMPLAINT, ADVISING THAT THE BEARINGS ARE A WEARABLE PART AND THERE WAS NO RECORD OF A RECALL ON THE BEARING OR SIMILAR FAILURE COMPLAINTS. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT A NEW STYLE BEARING WAS THE CALLED-FOR REPLACEMENT PART. *TR

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2003
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2008 — this page2000Routine
20071000Routine
20057200Routine
20039000Routine
20026000Routine
20016002Fatalities reported
20009000Routine
19996100Routine
19986000Routine
19971000Routine
19966100Routine
19932000Routine
19921000Routine

Compare every Sportster 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.

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