RoadVitals

2008 Harley-Davidson Softail

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.
1
Latest Aug 25, 2008
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 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2008 Harley-Davidson Softail, most frequently naming the exterior lighting and visibility categories. 3 manufacturer communications are 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

  • Exterior lighting150.0%
  • Visibility150.0%

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

Exterior lightingVisibility
Filed Aug 25, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON SOFTAIL CUSTOM. WHENEVER THE CONTACT RIDES HIS BIKE DURING THE DAY OR NIGHT AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHT MOUNT IS UNSTABLE AND SHAKES. THE FAILURE CAUSES A STROBE LIGHT EFFECT AT NIGHT. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE MOUNT WAS DESIGNED IN THAT MANNER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 718 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1. UPDATED 09/29/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HE REPLACED THE FAULTY HEADLAMPS AT HIS EXPENSE.UPDATED 09/29/08. *JB

NHTSA ID
10239579
Incident
Jul 26, 2008
Mileage
1 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

M-1233

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

HARLEY DAVIDSON: A CHANGE TO THE FINAL TORQUE OF THE FORK CAP (PART NUMBER 45419-80) AND FOR TUBE PLUG (PART NUMBER 45838-77). THE NEW TORQUE FOR BOTH PARTS IS 60-70 FT LBS (81.3-94.9NM). *PE

M-1218

STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR; WHEELS

SERVICE MANUAL SUPPLEMENT (PART NO. 99525-08) 2008 FXDSE2, SPORTSTER, SOFTAIL, AND TOURING MOTORCYCLES. *PE

M-1215B

STEERING

STEERING STEM NUT/WASHER. THIS BULLETIN IS TO INFORM DEALERS OF UPDATED PARTS AND SERVICE PROCEDURES TO ELIMINATE LOSS OF CLAMP LOAD ON UPPER STEERING STEM NUT. *PE

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 Softail by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2013100—
2012310—
2011310—
2010100—
2009000—
2008Viewing100—
2007210—
2006000—
2005430—
2004410—
2003700—
2002400—
2001200—
2000700—
1999010—
1998310—
1997110—
1996310—
1995310—

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.