2002 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 9 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › wiring › fuses and circuit breakers. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers3
000
Wheels2
201
Tires1
000
Structure › Body1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling1
000
Electrical System1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Tires
Filed Nov 2, 201270,000 milesWI

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA (N/A) EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN COMMANDER 2 TIRES, SIZE: 140/90/B16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED CRACKS WITHIN THE TREAD OF THE REAR TIRE. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY ADVISED THAT HE SHOULD PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT TIRE. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRE WAS 8,000. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Electrical System
Filed Feb 23, 201222,700 milesKS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS OVER 20 MPH, THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL LOST POWER AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE BUT WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY HAVING SEVERAL PARTS REPLACED INCLUDING A NEW BATTERY AND AN IGNITION SWITCH BUT THE REPAIRS DID NOT COMPLETELY REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,066.

Structure › Body
Filed Aug 14, 20098,000 milesGA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 (NA) HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BOLT ON THE PASSENGER FLOOR WAS FAILING AND SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FLOORBOARD HAS ONLY ONE BOLT. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE THIRD TIME REGARDING THIS ISSUE. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH HARLEY DAVIDSON (REFERENCE NUMBER 993461). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

WheelsCrash1 injured1 killed
Filed Jul 18, 200727,000 milesMI

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE REAR WHEEL BEGAN TO WOBBLE. THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO DECELERATE AND DROVE INTO A DITCH. HE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. HE WAS DIAGNOSED AS BRAIN DEAD AND PASSED AWAY THE NEXT DAY. THE ROAD SURFACE WAS SMOOTH AND DRY. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, POWERTRAIN, AND PURCHASE DATE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,000.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Nov 1, 2004TX

THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART THE MOTORCYCLE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CONSUMER HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Filed Jun 4, 2004GA

ON APRIL 23, 2004 CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL LETTER REGARDING CIRCUIT BREAKER. DEALERSHIP STILL DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO CONDUCT RECALL REPAIRS. *AK *NM

Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Filed May 20, 200418,000 milesOH

A CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPS AND THE MOTORCYCLE SHUTS DOWN . IT HAS BEEN DISCOVERED THAT A FUSE REPLACEMENT PREVENTS THIS FROM HAPPENING. HOWEVER, MANUFACTURER CLAIMS THAT IF CONSUMER DOESN'T USE A CIRCUIT BREAKER IT WILL VOID THE WARRANTY. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Filed Oct 9, 200312,800 milesKY

I HAVE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL POWER FAILURE ON MY HARLEY DAVIDSON 2002 ULTRA CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE WHILE IN MOTION. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MOTORCYCLE IN VARIOUS WEBSITE FORUMS. WHEN THE POWER FAILS, THE MOTOR SHUTS DOWN, AND THERE IS NO HORN, NO LIGHTS, NO DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS, ETC. THAT MAKES THIS A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE IN TRAFFIC. THE PROBLEM IS BELIEVED TO BE RELATED TO A CIRCUIT BREAKER DEFECT THAT SOME DEALERS CORRECT BY REPLACING IT WITH A MAXI FUSE. MY LOCAL HD DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF A PROBLEM BUT HARLEY DAVIDSON CORPORATION HAS BEEN MADE AWARE BY MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME EVENT. THIS HAS PERSONALLY HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST 4 TIMES. LUCKILY NEITHER I NOR MY PASSENGER WAS HURT. *LA

WheelsCrash
Filed Nov 24, 2002MD

REAR WHEEL WAS BENT CAUSING IT TO WOBBLE. I DID NOT FEEL IT WHILE RIDING MOTORCYCLE. TWO DIFFERANT TIMES I HAD PEOPLE PULL UP BESIDE ME AT STOP LIGHTS INFORMING ME OF THE WHEEL WOBBLE. I RIDE SOLO ALL THE TIME SO I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG THIS HAD BEEN BENT. I GOT THE MOTORCYCLE UP ON A STAND TO INSPECT THE WHEEL AND SURE ENOUGH THE WHEEL WAS WOBBLING. THE SPOKES WHERE TIGHT. I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO FREDERICK HARLEY DAVIDSON INSTEAD OF BATTLEY HARLEY DAVIDSON WHERE I PURCHASED IT FROM BECAUSE OF THE DEALERSHIP BEING CLOSER TO HOME. I TOOK IT IN ON NOVEMBER 12, 2002 AFTER MAKING AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE. ON NOVEMBER 19, 2002 I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER TIM TO FIND OUT THE UPDATE ON WHEN IT WAS GOING TO BE READY. TIM INFORMED ME THAT THE NEW WHEEL THEY ORDERED FOR THE BIKE FROM THE FACTORY TURNED OUT TO BE BENT AND HAD TO RETURN IT FOR ANOTHER WHEEL. FREDERICK H/D COMPLETED THE REPAIR AND CALLED ME TO PICK IT UP ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2002. BECAUSE OF THE RAINEY WEATHER I REQUESTED TO PICK THE BLIKE UP THE FOLLOWING DAY WHICH WAS OK BY THEM. WHEN I ARRIVED AT H/D OF FREDERICK TO PICK UP THE BIKE I REQUESTED TIM TO WRITE A DOCUMENT FOR ME STATING THAT THE NEW WHEEL ORDERED BY THEM FROM THE FACTORY WAS ALSO BENT AND TIM INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO MEET MY REQUEST BUT THAT I COULD CALL A NATHEN LEWIS ON MONDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2002 AT 301-694-8177 AND ASK HIM TO WRITE THE DOCUMENT. I WANT TO NOTE THAT THE TECH WORKING ON MY BIKE AT FREDERICK H/D COULD NOT TAKE MY BIKE OUT FOR A

9 of 9 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2001
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2002 — this page9001Fatalities reported
200110000Routine
20004000Routine
19999000Routine
19982000Routine
19921001Fatalities reported

Compare every Ultra Classic year →

Reading this record

1 death reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

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.