EngineSuspension
Filed Feb 1, 1999
REAR SHOCK ABSORBER FAILED. YH
- NHTSA ID
- 608848
- Incident
- Oct 1, 1998
1998 Harley-Davidson Fxsts
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 Feb 1, 1999
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 1998 Harley-Davidson Fxsts, most frequently naming the electrical, engine and fuel system categories.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Electrical125.0%
- Engine125.0%
- Fuel system125.0%
- Suspension125.0%
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
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
Fuel system
Filed Oct 30, 1998
CARBURETION SYSTEM HAS HAD REPEATED FAILURES. INITALLY THE GAS-AIR MIXTURE WAS SO LEAN THAT THE UNIT SPUTTERED REPEATEDLY. THIS CAN BE A FATAL EVENT ON A SLOW CURVE WHEN A MOTORCYCLE IS AT ITS MAXIMUM LEAN ANGLE AND THE ENGINE SPUTTER CAN IN FACT BECOME A SPONTANEOUS ENGINE SHUT-DOWN. THE UNIT WAS RE-JETTED SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN A NEW OEM CARBURETOR WAS INSTALLED REJETTED WITH A LARGE SIZE SLOW JET. THE ENRICHED GAS-AIR FLOW STOPPED THE SPUTTERING BUT APPARENTLY RESULTED IN CARBON BUILD UP THAT WAS SUFFICIENTLY BAD TO CAUSE THE ENGINE TO DIESEL AT AROUND THE 300 MILE MARK. THE PLUGS BECAME SEVERELY BLACKENED AND, WHEN THE UNIT STARTED LUNGING AT AROUND THE 2,500 MILE MARK, THE PLUGS WERE REPLACED. AFTER 30 MILES THE PLUGS WERE BLACKENED AGAIN AND THE LUNGING RETURNED. NOW THE UNIT STARTED LUNGING ON START-UP AND BACKFIRING WHEN THE UNBURNED GAS EXPLODED IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE UNIT NOW HAS BEEN RE-JETTED BACK TO THE .45 SLOW JET BUT HAS NOT YET BEEN TESTED. IF THE FLORIDA LEMON LAW DID NOT SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDE MOTORCYCLES, YOU CAN REST ASSURED THIS UNIT WOULD HAVE BEEN REPURCHASED BY HARLEY-DAVIDSON AFTER THE THIRD RETURN TO THE SHOP. LET THEM HAVE ONE OF THEIR TEST RIDERS GET KILLED WHEN IT SHUTS DOWN ON A SLOW CURVE.
- NHTSA ID
- 700228
- Incident
- Feb 13, 1998
Electrical
Filed Jul 10, 1998
CONSUMER PURCHASED MOTORCYCLE IN AUGUST 97. HAS TAKEN MOTORCYCLE TO DEALERSHIP THE FIRST THREE TIMES BECAUSE THE TAIL LIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT. THE DEALERSHIP ONLY CHANGED THE BULBS EACH TIME. THE FOURTH TIME DEALER CLEANED THE GROUND, THE FITH AND SIXTH TIMES THEY CHANGED BULBS AND CLEANED GROUND, THE SEVENTH TIME THE DEALER CHANGED THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY, AND TOLD CONSUMER THAT THE WIRING WAS SEVERED UNDER THE FENDER. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 825263
- Incident
- Aug 15, 1997
Compare model years
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.