2003 Harley-Davidson Vrsca

Routine

Owners filed 9 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Fuel System, Gasoline3
000
Wheels1
000
Structure › Body1
000
Service Brakes1
101
Fuel/Propulsion System1
000
Fuel System, Other › Storage › Fuel Gauge System1
000
Electrical System1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Exterior Lighting › Turn Signal09E007000
Filed Feb 19, 200997 vehiclesHarley-Davidson Motor Company

Defect. HARLEY-DAVIDSON IS RECALLING 97 LED TURN SIGNAL MOUNTING KITS, P/NOS. 69951-08 (BLACK) AND 69593-08 (CHROME), FOR INSTALLATION ON MY 2002 THROUGH 2009 VRSC MODEL MOTORCYCLES (EXCLUDING VRSCF MODEL). DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE MOUNTING BRACKET, P/NO. 70497-08, WHICH SECURES THE LED TURN SIGNAL CONTROLLER TO THE MOTORCYCLE FRAME, THE CONTROLLER MAY COME IN CONTACT WITH THE OIL FILTER.

Risk. OVER TIME, THIS CONTACT CAN LEAD TO A HOLE IN THE OIL FILTER AND ALLOW EXCESSIVE OIL TO GET ON THE REAR TIRE, CAUSING A LOSS OF TRACTION, POSSIBLY LEADING TO A CRASH AND POTENTIAL INJURY OR DEATH.

Remedy. HARLEY-DAVIDSON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND WILL REMOVE AND REPLACE THE EXISTING BRACKET WITH A NEW BRACKET, P/NO. 70497-08A, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 26, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-342-4680.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Structure › Body
Filed Jun 7, 201840,000 milesOH

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON VRSCA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR AND A PORTION OF THE STRUCTURE NEAR THE ENGINE BECAME DISLODGED AND DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND PUSHED THE VEHICLE TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE NEARBY. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

Service BrakesCrash1 injured
Filed Jul 10, 20164,400 milesCA

THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED WHEN I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN. I FELL OVER AND BROKE 3 RIBS. I SENT MY BIKE TO THE HD DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FIXED THE DAMAGE TO MY BIKE. THE TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE MY BIKE AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO HIM. THE DEALERSHIP SAID HE WAS GOING ABOUT 25 MPH WENT THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED ON HIM. HD HAD MY BIKE FOR 5 MONTHS. ALL THEY DID WAS CHARGE ME FOR A WHOLE NEW FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM. I TOLD THEM THIS WAS NOT NORMAL AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM SO I HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM. I HAVE PICS OF THE DAMAGE, BUT IT'S JUST DAMAGE FROM FALLING OVER. I DID AN INSURANCE CLAIM SO I HAVE THAT DOCUMENTATION AS WELL.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jul 6, 20164,000 milesMO

A FUEL SYSTEM FAILURE CAUSED JERKING AND EXCESSIVE GAS CONSUMPTION. MOTORCYCLE DIES FREQUENTLY AND IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAFELY RIDE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN FOR, BUT LIKE MANY OTHERS MY PARTICULAR MODEL FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE COVERED ASSEMBLED DATES.

Fuel System, Other › Storage › Fuel Gauge System
Filed Mar 19, 201221,000 milesNJ

FUEL GAUGE DROPS TO EMPTY ONCE IT GETS TO 3/4 FULL. *JS

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Nov 25, 20109,881 milesTN

FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD IS NOT ACCURATE. THE GAUGE WILL DISPLAY FULL WHEN IN FACT THE BIKE IS EMPTY. AFTER FILLING THE BIKE THE GAUGE WILL READ ?? (ANYWHERE). THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON WITH THE FAILURE. I HAVE TAKEN IT AND HAVE HAD IT SERVICE, UNDER WARRANTY, "2" TIMES AND EACH TIME IT BREAKS WITHIN A MONTH OR TWO. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD WITH THIS MODEL HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURE REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *TR

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Sep 17, 2010PA

I PURCHASED A 2003 100TH ANNIVERSARY HARLEY DAVIDSON VRSCA (VROD) AND THE GAS GAUGE INCORRECTLY REPORTS LEVEL (LESS MILES TO EMPTY THAN ACTUALLY CAPABLE). AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET AND VROD GAS GAUGE IS A COMMON ISSUE. BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE, I CAN NOT DETERMINE WHEN THE GAS TANK IS LOW AND REQUIRING FUEL. I REPORTED THE ISSUE TO MY LOCAL HD DEALER AND THEY WERE OF NO HELP. VERY FRUSTRATING AND DISAPPOINTING FOR AN AMERICAN COMPANY. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Aug 15, 20105,000 milesOH

I HAVE A 2003 HARLEY VROD. THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. IT HAS BEEN LIKE THAT FOR A YEAR. I STILL NEED TO GET IT FIXED. *TR

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Dec 5, 20081,990 milesMI

1) NORMAL DRIVING UNDER PARTIAL THROTTLE (PARTIAL ENGINE LOAD) 2) ENGINE HESITATES, STUTTERS AND LOSES POWER (SINCE THIS IS A 2-WHEELED MOTORCYCLE, THE BIKE BECOMES UNSTABLE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN THIS OCCURS IN A CORNER, LUCKILY I COULD CONTROL THE VEHICLE EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED, BUT MORE INEXPERIENCED RIDERS MIGHT LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE) 3) THERE IS A TSB FOR THIS PROBLEM "FUEL MODULE FLANGE REPLACEMENT PRODUCT PROGRAM" M-1141A ISSUED ON OCTOBER30, 2003. SINCE THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION, AND LOOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE CAN EASILY RESULT FROM THIS PROBLEM, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY E MANDATORY RECALL, NOT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET PROVES THAT THIS IS A VERY WIDE-SPREAD ISSUE CAN EASILY TAKE OVER 5 YEARS TO OCCUR, SINCE MOTORCYCLES ARE OFTEN RIDDEN VERY LITTLE FOR PLEASURE PURPOSES ONLY. *TR

Wheels
Filed May 11, 20062,892 milesGA

I WAS TRAVELING AT 30-MPH WHEN A SIDE WIND BLOWING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30 MPH BLEW ME AND THE MOTORCYCLE ACROSS MULTIPLE LANES INTO THE CURB. GIVEN MY EXPERIENCE I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE MOTORCYCLE UPRIGHT AND RODE THE CURB FOR ABOUT 20-FT UNTIL I COULD GET OFF THE MOTORCYCLE. PARKED AND CHECKED FOR DAMAGES. THE CONCRETE CURB GROUND THE FRAME DOWN AND ALSO TORE THE RADIATOR SHROUD AND EXHAUST PIPES. WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY NOT HAVE BEEN BLOWN OVER AND INJURED. VROD IS TO LIGHT FOR THE SOLID WHEELS THAT CATCH WIND LIKE A SAIL. *JB

9 of 9 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2002
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20072110Routine
20067100Routine
20050100Routine
20042100Routine
2003 — this page9100Routine
200213100Routine

Compare every Vrsca 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: Feb 19, 2009. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.