RoadVitals

1998 Harley-Davidson Fl Series

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.
6
Latest Oct 21, 2007
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.
1
3 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Harley-Davidson Fl Series, most frequently naming the electrical, powertrain (other) and suspension 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

  • Electrical233.3%
  • Powertrain (other)116.7%
  • Suspension116.7%
  • Tires & wheels116.7%
  • Visibility116.7%

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

Suspension
Filed Oct 21, 2007

REAR FORK CRACK NOTED ABOVE REAR AXEL ON DRIVE SIDE OF FORK. COMPLETE FAILURE WOULD/COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND CRASH. THIS PROBLEM IS NOTED IN WEB INFO AVAILABLE BY RESEARCHING GOOGLE SEARCH HARLEY DAVIDSON REAR FORK CRACKS. THIS RESEARCH REVEALED THAR IN FLH MODELS FROM 1996 TO 2002 THIS IS OCCURRING. I NOTED THE CRACK IN MY REAR FORK FOLLOWING THE DISCOVERY IN A CLOSE FRIENDS 1999 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHT MODEL. WEB RESEARCH INDICATES THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON MAJOR STRUCTURE FAILURE. HARLEY DAVIDSON 2003 AND NEWER MODELS HAVE STRENGTHENED THIS AREA OF THE REAR FORK. *TR

NHTSA ID
10206458
Incident
Oct 19, 2007
Mileage
48,700 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Jul 21, 2006
Crash reported2 injuries reported

1998 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLH REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. *TS THE MOTORCYCLE OVERTURNED WHILE PULLING OVER ONTO THE BERM. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED OFF OF THE MOTORCYCLE WHICH THEN STRUCK A SIGN. *NM UPDATED 07/20/06

NHTSA ID
10163682
Incident
May 25, 2006
Electrical
Filed Feb 1, 1999
1 injury reported

THE MOTORCYCLE'S IGNITION SYSTEM FAILURE CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL AND DAMAGE. YH

NHTSA ID
609919
Incident
Aug 18, 1998
Visibility
Filed Sep 15, 1998

CURVED WINDSHIELD DISTORTS VISION, ALSO MOTORCYCLE REFLECTS IN WINDSHIELD. QCAW

NHTSA ID
540016
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 28, 1998

SPEEDOMETER STICKS AT 33 MPH WHEN WEATHER IS COOL (75 DEGRESS OF LOWER).

NHTSA ID
539416
Incident
Oct 24, 1997
Electrical
Filed Jul 15, 1998

INTERMITTENTLY AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 5 MILES MOTORCYCLE LOSES ALL POWER. THE SPARK PLUGS DO NOT GET ANY ELECTRICITY. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. MODEL ULTRA CLASSIC.

NHTSA ID
825472
Incident
Jun 13, 1998

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Harley-Davidson Fl Series by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1999100—
1998Viewing600—
1997100—
1996100—
1995200—
1990100—
1982020—

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.