2004 Harley-Davidson Softail 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 2004 Harley-Davidson Softail, 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
- Engine133.3%
- Other / unspecified133.3%
- Suspension133.3%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER STATED THE VEHICLE NEEDED NEW PIPES, AIR BREATHER AND CARBURETOR.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS VEHICLE SHOOK, CAUSING CONSUMER TO SLOW DOWN. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK THE BIKES WHEELS WERE UNSTABLE. THE SOLID WHEELS CAUGHT WIND VORTICIES WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE UNSTABLE. THE DEALER REFUSE TO CHANGE THE WHEELS. *NM
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
AFTER 500 MILES, WOBBLE WAS DISCOVERED IN HANDLEBARS BETWEEN 38 TO 42 MILES PER HOUR. TAKEN TO DEALER WAS TOLD IT WAS TRAIT ON MODEL. CALLED HARLEY, THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALER OF MY CHOICE. TOOK BACK TO DEALER WHERE PURCHASE WAS MADE. THEY ADJUSTED STEERING HEAD BEARINGS. PROBLEM SOLVE. AFTER ANOTHER 500 MILES, SAME SITUATION OCCURRED. WOBBLE IN FRONT END BETWEEN 38 TO 42 MILES PER HOURS. TOOK BIKE BACK TO DEALER, ADJUSTED STEERING HEAD BEARINGS AND GREASED FRONT END. PROBLEM SOLVED. AFTER 1,000 MILES, WOBBLE COME BACK IN HANDLER BARS BETWEEN, 38 TO 42 MILES PER HOUR. TOOK BACK TO THE DEALER. DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH BIKE. THAT WAS THE TRAIT OF HERITAGE SOFTAIL. THEY RODE A NEW BIKE AND IT DONE THE SAME THING. THE BIKE IS SAFE TO RIDE AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. CALLED HARLEY AND THEY SAID THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BIKE. I TOLD HARLEY THEY HAD FIXED THE BIKE ON TWO PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS. HARLEY SAID SOMEONE WOULD CALL ME BACK WITHIN 30 MINUTES. I CALLED GENERAL MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP AND HE SAID THAT HE WOULD DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO FIX THE BIKE. THIS IS THE FOURTH ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE WOBBLE IN THE FRONT END.
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 .