Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 Harley-Davidson Fxdwg, most frequently naming the engine and fuel system categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 1 manufacturer communication is on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2000 | 1 | 1 |
| May 2001 | 1 | 2 |
| Oct 2002 | 1 | 3 |
| Nov 2005 | 1 | 4 |
| Aug 2008 | 1 | 5 |
| Jul 2016 | 1 | 6 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
2 campaigns 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.govFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDWG. WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE, THERE WAS A STRONG HESITATION AND THE CAM SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO REMOVED THE CAM COVER AND INDICATED THAT THERE WERE METAL FRAGMENTS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAM BEARINGS AND CAM BOLTS FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE MOTOR MAY NEED TO BE REMOVED FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 99V200000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND 99V003000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.
TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE INSIDE THE ENGINE. *TR
HARLEY-DAVIDSON CAM BEARING FAILURE ON 1999 TWIN-CAM88 & TWIN-CAM88B ENGINES. THIS WAS IDENTIFIED BY HARLEY-DAVIDSON AND A DESIGN CHANGE WAS MADE TO THE CAM BEARING ON DECEMBER 14, 1999. A FIX KIT WAS EVEN PREPARED AND MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL DEALERS. MY 1999 FXDWG CAM BEARING FAILED AND CAUSED OTHER PARTS TO BECOME WORN AS WELL, WHICH IS PUTTING ME IN THE SITUATION OF HAVING TO PAY $3200 TO GET THE BIKE IN CONDITION TO SELL. I'VE READ OTHER "RECALLS" ON THIS SITE AND NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE RECALLS ONLY AFFECTED APPROXIMATELY 14000 BIKES (IT WAS AN ENGINE COOLING ISSUE) AND I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY A RECALL WASN'T ISSUED ON THIS ISSUE WITH THE CAM-BEARING. I JUST SPOKE TO A HARLEY REP WHO WAS VERY SHORT ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND SAID "IF THIS WERE TO FAIL ON YOUR BIKE, YOU WOULDN'T BE GOING 50 MILES". ASIDE FROM THE "COST" ISSUE HERE, THERE IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE ENGINE WERE TO SEIZE UP AT 65 MPH, ONE WOULD MOST CERTAINLY BE DEAD. I'D LIKE A REVIEW INTO WHETHER THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A RECALL EVENT IN LIGHT OF WHAT IT COSTS AND THE AFFECTS IT HAS ON THE OWNER AFTER SPENDING $20K ON THE BIKE TO BEGIN WITH. *NM
ABNORMAL WEAR--CAMS HAD FAILED--CAM BOLT BREAKING(WHICH ALSO RESULTS IN SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE MENTIONED MOTORCYCLE. *AK
WOULD YOU PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY'S (H-D - MILWAUKEE, WI) 1999 88 CUBIC INCH, TWIN-CAM MOTORCYCLE ENGINES? THESE ENGINES HAVE A FAULTED DESIGN RELATED TO THE CAM BEARINGS AND CAM SUPPORT PLATE WHICH CAN RESULT IN CATOSTROPHIC FAILURE. THE BALL BEARINGS WHICH SUPPORT THE CAM ENDS FAIL. THIS FAILURE CAN RESULT IN THE INTERNAL DESTRUCTION OF THE LOWER END OF THE ENGINE WHICH WILL SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN IMMEDIATELY, WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING WHICH CAN RESULT IN A FATAL CRASH. H-D KNOWS A PROBLEM EXISTS AS THEY WILL REPAIR A BLOWN ENGINE ON A "SILENT RECALL" BASIS, BUT WON'T INITIATE A PROACTIVE RECALL. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT APPROACH IS THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATOR MUST EXPERIENCE THE HAZARD OF THE BLOWN ENGINE WHILE UNDER WAY FIRST, RATHER THAN REPLACING THESE BAD BEARINGS BEFORE AN INCIDENT OCCURS. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR COMPLETE DETAILS.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
POWER TRAIN
TECH ARTICLE TA0023: TA0023: Crankshaft Rod Bearing. Purpose: Technicians have been falsely identifying connecting rod bearings as failed due to a perception of resistance as the rods are rotated. The clearance of the Twin Cam and Milwaukee-Eight® crank pin bearings are maintained to a very tight range. This optimizes performance and maintains low mechanical noise in operation. The connecting rod bore can also distort slightly in operation due to stress relaxation. As a result, bearing clearance decreases due to the contact zone broadening and the load being distributed over more rollers. The combination of a bore being slightly out of round and reduced bearing clearance can result in varying degrees of resistance through the range of motion. Axial clearance is also tightly controlled for proper alignment. For these reasons, zones of resistance can be found when the connecting rods are rotated by hand through their range of motion. Resistance during rod motion, by itself, is not an indication of a performance or durability concern.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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.