RoadVitals

2002 Harley-Davidson Road King

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.
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Latest May 10, 2012
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.
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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.
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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.
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Overview

Our database contains 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 Harley-Davidson Road King, most frequently naming the electrical, body & structure and fuel system categories. 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical233.3%
  • Body & structure116.7%
  • Fuel system116.7%
  • Interior & seats116.7%
  • Other / unspecified116.7%

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

Interior & seats
Filed May 10, 2012

I HAVE A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING. WHEN I ORDERED THE BIKE I HAD THEM INSTALL A PASSENGER BACK REST. THE BIKE IS 10 YEARS OLD 48974 MILES. MY PASSENGER AND I WERE RIDING DOWN THE STREET AND THE BACK REST SUPPORT SNAPPED AND BROKE ON ONE SIDE. THE BREAK IS JUST ABOVE A WELD. MY GUESS IS IT HAD GOTTEN TO HOT DURING THE WELDING. THE BREAK IS PERFECTLY STRAIGHT ACROSS. ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A IT WAS SAWED. I CAME WAY TO CLOSE TO LOSING MY PASSENGER. AND SHE ISN'T A BIG GIRL ABOUT 120 LBS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10458022
Incident
Apr 13, 2012
Mileage
48,874 mi
Fuel system
Filed Apr 21, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE SEAL FRACTURED IN THE QUICK DISC, WHICH CONNECTS THE FUEL LINE FROM THE GAS TANK TO THE FUEL INJECTOR MANIFOLD. THE FAILURE CAUSED FUEL TO SPRAY OVER EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THE CONTACT'S PANTS LEG, EXHAUST, AND ENGINE BLOCK. HE TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS NOT YET INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 18,200. UPDATED 05/19/08. *LJ THE TANK TO THE INJECTION MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. UPDATED 05/19/08.

NHTSA ID
10225216
Incident
Apr 19, 2008
Mileage
18,200 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Sep 19, 2005

ROAD KING BROKE DOWN AFTER ALL 5 BOLTS CONNECTING THE SPROCKET TO THE REAR HUB FAILED.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE MALFUNCTION RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WHICH NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION. *JB

NHTSA ID
10137781
Incident
Aug 20, 2005
Mileage
22,488 mi
Body & structure
Filed Aug 20, 2005

RE: 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHRI SEVERAL TIMES, DURING HIGH SPEED (> 55MPH) TURNS("SWEEPERS") I HAVE FELT A REAR WHEEL WOBLE. ACCORDING TO INTERNET BOARDS AND INDEPENDANT SHOPS, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THERE HAVE EVEN BEEN AFTERMARKET PRODUCTS THAT ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. MY EXPERIENCE WITH HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERSHIPS HAS RANGED FROM DENIAL OF THE PROBLEM TO BEING TOLD THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND SAFE FOR TC-88 LINE OF TOURING MOOTORCYCLES. THE WOBBLE, HOWEVER DOES NOT FEEL SAFE BY ANY MEANS. ALL DRIVETRAIN AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND ARE FOUND TO BE WITHIN SPECS. NO REMEDIES ARE OFFERED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON.

NHTSA ID
10133609
Incident
Aug 19, 2002
Electrical
Filed Jul 18, 2005

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING. HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE LAST YEAR . HE LOCATED THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY TOLD HIM THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY PARTS AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME, AND DID NOT ANTICIPATE OF GETTING ANY PARTS. IT HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR AND HE HAS NEVER BEEN CONTACTING BY THEM, NOTIFYING HIM OF FIXING THE MOTORCYCLE. AT THE TIME HE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE RECALL NOTICE SAID IT WAS A CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE SERVICE CODE WAS 0113. THERE WAS NOT A CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER ON THE NOTICE THAT HE RECEIVED. LATER, HE RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE. . HE DID NOT FEEL THAT DEALERSHIP WOULD FIX MOTORCYCLE THIS YEAR SINCE THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT LAST YEAR. *AK

NHTSA ID
10129245
Incident
Jul 15, 2004
Electrical
Filed Jul 7, 2004

MY 2002 ROAD KING FLHRI INTERMITTENTLY LOOSES ALL POWER WHILE IN USE JUST AS DESCRIBED IN 04V-134. THERE IS NO WARNING AND NO APPARENT CAUSE AND THERE MAY BE HUNDREDS OF MILE BETWEEN OCCURRENCES OR MINUTES. I REPORTED THIS DURING MY LAST MAINTENANCE VISIT AND IT HAS OCCURRED TWICE SINCE. THIS MODEL WAS NOT LISTED IN THE RECALL.*AK

NHTSA ID
10080516
Incident
Jun 24, 2004
Mileage
17,458 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

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FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM

WIRING HARNESSES IN ACCESSORY LED FUEL GAUGES PART NO. 75237-03 WERE MANUFACTUREED IMPROPERLY. MODEL YEAR UNKNOWN. *MJ

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.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Harley-Davidson Road King by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2004101037.8
2003100—
2002Viewing600—
2001800—
1999400—
1998300—
1997100—

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.