RoadVitals

2002 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest May 13, 2004
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide, most frequently naming the engine and brakes categories.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine266.7%
  • Brakes133.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Engine
Filed May 13, 2004

I OWN A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC. SEVERAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT THE CAM CHAIN TENSIONER WEARING OUT FROM NORMAL OPERATIONS. ONE SUCH COMPLAINT THAT WAS MADE RESULTED IN THE CAM CHAIN TENSIONER BREAKING OFF AND CAUSING THE OIL PUMP TO MALFUNCTION, AND DAMGAGING THE OIL PUMP AS WELL. I SPOKE WITH THE HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER, WHO SAYS THEY HAVE NOTICED THE WEARING OF THE TENSIONER, AND REPLACES THOSE AT THE OWNERS REQUEST, HOWEVER THIS IS NOT PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON TO RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ID
10072583
Incident
Apr 25, 2004
Brakes
Filed Sep 16, 2003

I OWN A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCI MOTORCYCLE. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS FAILED TWICE SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN APRIL OF 2002. THE FAILURE OF THE SWITCH CAUSES THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO STAY ON. AS A RESULT, ANYONE FOLLOWING ME HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING WHEN I HAVE APPLIED THE BRAKES. AFTER THE SECOND FAILURE I REPLACED THE SWITCH AND OPENED THE DEFECTIVE SWITCH UP TO SEE WHAT HAD FAILED. WHAT I FOUND WAS THE MECHANICAL BOD OF THE EXTERNAL CONTACT AND THE INTERNAL SWITCH MOVING CONTACT WAS RESISTIVE. THE RESULTANT HEAT FROM THIS RESTIVE CONTACT HEATED AND WARPED THE INSULATOR DISK. THE DISK WARPED IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO ACTIVATE THE SWITCH. I FOUND OUT FROM THE LOCAL DEALER THAT THEY HAVE SOLD OVER 50 OF THESE SWITCHES SINCE JULY 1ST. THIS IS A VERY HIGH NUMBER EVEN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE NUMBER OF RIDERS IN THE AREA FOR THE STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY. I KNOW OF TWO OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD SWITCH FAILURE IN THE PAST YEAR. EVERY FAILURE HAD THE BRAKE LIGHT ON ALL THE TIME. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, ESPECIALLY ON A MOTORCYCLE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10038985
Incident
Sep 13, 2003
Mileage
16,450 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 13, 2002

VEHICLE HAS STALLED 4 TIMES AT DIFFERENT SPEED. DEALER CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. MR

NHTSA ID
8022655
Incident
Jun 4, 2002

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Harley-Davidson Electra Glide by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2004900—
2003130133.0
2002Viewing300—
2001500—
2000200—
1999500—
1998100—
1997200—
1982100—
1976010—
1975010—
1974010—
1972010—
1971020—
1970010—
1969010—
1968010—
1967020—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.