1998 Harley-Davidson Fxsts Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1998 Harley-Davidson Fxsts, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- 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.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
REAR SHOCK ABSORBER FAILED. YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
REAR SHOCK ABSORBER FAILED. YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .