2016 Harley-Davidson Vrscf

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes1
000
Exterior Lighting1
000
Electrical System1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Exterior Lighting
Filed Oct 9, 2025MD

I custom ordered a rear fender with LED lights included to GR Customs tel. (949) 395-8888. However, the turning lights are barely visible. Contacted the Company and sales person Aaron rebutted that they has sold hundreds of those without a problem. I send pictures and videos. He says “they are clearly visible”. When motorcycle is running, rear tail lights are On (running lights). Even when the running lights are on (low luminosity), the turn light are not noticeable. He insisted that the running lights are not always ON and that’s why the turning lights are not visible. This aftermarket part does not comply with FMVSS 108/SAE 585 which states the minimum and maximum luminosity (Candela) for exterior lights on vehicles and motorcycles. This creates a safety hazard if installed, due to not sufficient lighting luminosity to make aware vehicle traffic behind. Making aware rear drivers of motorcycle drivrer’s intentions using the lights is of upmost importance. This business should not sell this aftermarket parts or at least disclose they don’t comply withe SAE 585 standards contained in FMVSS 108. I have an exemplar for testing before sending it back to Company. I have photos and video to share.

Electrical System
Filed Dec 15, 2023FL

The taillight continues to fail without warning (no warning lamps came on) causing unsafe conditions on the road which can result in a serious accident. The taillight fails and the brake light and turn signal lights would not work. I have replaced it several times and now Harley Davidson says this part is no longer manufactured. Please note that this is an ongoing problem, and that the said taillight is an integral part and unique part of this motorcycle and there are no other manufacturers making an aftermarket replacement for this part. I would also like to point out that there are many other V-Rod owners having the same taillight failure issues and this is NOT an isolated problem with my motorcycle. In other words, this is an extremely common issue with these motorcycles. On July 15, 2019 I wrote Harley-Davidson Motor Company and did not respond. See attached letter. I hope that by reporting this manufacturer defect we all find a way to resolve this on going safety issue.

Service Brakes
Filed Jul 1, 202113,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2016 Harley-Davidson VRSCF V-ROD motorcycle. The contact stated that while riding approximately 10 mph, the braking system experienced a failure while attempting to stop. The contact stated that when pressing the front brake lever, the lever was hard to press and the motorcycle did not stop or slow down causing the rider to use his legs and feet to stop the motorcycle from crashing into an entrance gate. The motorcycle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the ABS module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The motorcycle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000.

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2009
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2016 — this page3000Routine
20152000Routine
20144000Routine
20134000Routine
20122000Routine
20115100Routine
20103110Routine
200911100Routine

Compare every Vrscf 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.