RoadVitals

1998 Harley-Davidson Flht

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.
4
Latest Dec 16, 1998
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.
1
Latest Jul 14, 1998
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 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Harley-Davidson Flht, most frequently naming the electrical category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year.

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

  • Electrical4100.0%

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

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

Jul 14, 1998
55,013 units potentially affected
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: FL TOURING MOTORCYCLES. A LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN OCCUR DUE TO EXCESSIVE CURRENT AND OTHER FACTORS.
The risk: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO FAIL TO START, OPERATE ERRATICALLY, OR STALL.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH/CIRCUIT BREAKER AND INSTALL A RELAY KIT.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANYView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Electrical
Filed Dec 16, 1998

MFR 091;VEHICLE RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED, AND THE DEALER STATED PARTS WOULD BE SHIPPED WITHIN A MONTH. CONSUMER STATES IT HAS BEEN FOUR MONTHS, AND DEALER DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS, PROBLEMS STILL EXISTS. *AK

NHTSA ID
830539
Incident
Aug 1, 1998
Electrical
Filed Aug 28, 1998

IGNITION SWITCH RECALL WORK DENIED.

NHTSA ID
539426
Incident
Jun 11, 1998
Electrical
Filed Aug 18, 1998

RECALL 98V158000..091/ ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION SWITCH. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT RECALL NOTICE. DEALER INDICATED PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON AUGUST 3, 1998. PARTS WERE STILL NOT AVAILABLE, AND DEALER DOES NOT KNOW WHEN THE PARTS WILL COME IN. *AK

NHTSA ID
826898
Incident
Aug 18, 1998
Electrical
Filed Jul 9, 1998

MODEL FLHTCUI; MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED IN OCTOBER 1997. IN JUNE OF 1998 AT 6500 MILES, IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. WHILE PULLING UP IN A DRIVEWAY, CAUSING MOTORCYCLE TO STALL. MOTORCYCLE WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER AND IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. CONSUMER HEARD OF INVESTIGATION EA98-009 IN AI. *AK

NHTSA ID
825235

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Harley-Davidson Flht by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2022010
2021010
2020010
2019300
2010121
2009831
2008422
2007400
2006100
2005100
2004100
2003210
2002610
2001610
2000100
1999810
1998Viewing410
1997710
1996710
1995310
1994010

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.