2005 Harley-Davidson XL1200C

Routine

Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Tires1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
000
Engine1
000
Electrical System1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Tires
Filed May 9, 2022MO

As I was stopped at a signal, a gentleman pulled up beside me that had been following me or approximately the last mile or two. He told me that my rear tire appeared to be wobbling. Upon further investigation I found there to be a defect in my tire. 2/3 of the tire are normal width but the other third is noticeably narrower. I haven't ever seen an issue such as this, but it makes me wonder about the safety riding on a tire such as this. The tire I am speaking of is on my Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 custom and the tire is a Michelin Commander 2 size 180/ 65 B16. I believe that this has to be a manufacturer defect because I have never seen an issue or heard of an issue like this before. I will upload photos to back my story.

Engine
Filed Jun 28, 201325,000 milesCA

FAULTY ENGINE. NEEDS COMPLETE REBUILD. BIKE WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED. HARLEY KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE FAULTY ENGINES BUT IGNORED. *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Oct 19, 20107,000 milesOR

REAR BRAKE FAILURE ON A 2005 HARLEY DAVIDSON XLC 1200. TECH'S COULD DISCOVER NO LEAKAGE IN THE BRAKE LINE. HD TECH'S COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM. NOTED THAT THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY WAS UNSAFE AND TOTAL REPLACEMENT NEEDED. MOTORCYCLE MILEAGE WAS UNDER 9,000 MI. AND ALL SERVICES PERFORMED ON TIME. HD REFUSED FREE REPLACEMENT, DENIED RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Apr 22, 20099,500 milesAR

TYPICAL MOTORCYCLE RIDING UNKNOWN FREQUENCY REPLACED CKP SENSOR I HAVE A 2005 HARLEY DAVIDSON XL1200C MOTORCYCLE. ABOUT A WEEK AGO ,AFTER THE BIKE WAS WARMED UP,IT WOULD STALL AT INTERSECTIONS AND BACKFIRE AND OFTEN DIE AS YOU TRY TO ACCELERATE OUT OF THE INTERSECTION WHILE TURNING. THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE BIKE RUNNING IS TO REV IT TO A HIGH LEVEL,WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS ,PARTICULARLY WHILE TURNING. WASN'T INJURED BUT CAME VERY CLOSE TO GETTING RUN OFF SEVERAL TIMES ON THE WAY HOME. I HAD TO JOIN A MOTORCYCLE FORUM TO ACTUALLY DISCOVER WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. AS IT TURNS OUT,2004,2005 AND 2006 XL1200C SPORTSTERS HAVE ALL BEEN AFFLECTED WITH THE RANDOM PART FAILURE AND I KNOW ITS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED BY THE SUDDEN FAILURE OF THIS FAULTY PART. MANY MEMBERS ON THE FORUM HAVE CHANGED THIS PART ONLY TO HAVE THE NEW REPLACEMENT FAIL IN 2000 MILES OR SO. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN ITS GOING TO FAIL AND THERE ARE NO SIGNS THAT A FAILURE IS GOING TO HAPPEN. I FEEL LIKE HARLEY DAVIDSON NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR

4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2006
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20190100Routine
20142000Routine
20093000Routine
20081000Routine
20074100Routine
20066000Routine
2005 — this page4000Routine
20042000Routine
20033100Routine
20021000Routine
20011000Routine
20001000Routine

Compare every XL1200C 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.