Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 Harley-Davidson Sportster, most frequently naming the transmission category.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 2 months of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
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.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
THE MAGNETS INSIDE THE CLUTCH BASKET ON THE END OF THE TRANSMISSION MAINSHAFT MAKE CONTACT WITH THE STATOR WHICH IS BOLTED ONTO THE CRANKCASE. THE RESULT IS THAT THE ELECTRICAL GENERATING SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY RUINED AND THE TRANSMISSION GEARS SHEAR OFF TEETH. THIS CAN HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO LOCK UP THE TRANSMISSION AND THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DRIVE MECHANISMS RESULTING IN LOCKING UP THE REAR WHEEL, CAUSING THE RIDER TO GO DOWN.
THE TRANSMISSION DOOR ON THE 4-SPEED HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER EVOLUTION MODEL (PRODUCED FROM 1984-1991) HAS A BEARING THAT SUPPORTS THE TRANSMISSION MAINSHAFT. THE BEARING GETS WORN TO THE POINT WHERE THE MAGNETS ON THE INSIDE OF THE CLUTCH BASKET AT THE END OF THE MAINSHAFT COME IN CONTACT WITH THE STATOR MOUNTED OVER THE TRANSMISSION DOOR. THE RESULT IS THAT THE CLUTCH BASKET MAGNETS BREAK UP AND THE GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION START TO SHATTER. THIS CAN CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO LOCK UP, CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. ANOTHER RESULT IS THAT, IF THE MAGNETS INSIDE THE CLUTCH BASKET DON'T CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO SHATTER, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BECAUSE THE MAGNETS ARE BROKEN, CEASES TO PUT OUT ENOUGH DC POWER TO BOTH RUN THE MOTORCYCLE AND RECHARGE THE BATTERY. THIS WILL CAUSE THE MOTORCYCLE TO NOT HAVE ENOUGH CHARGE IN THE BATTERY TO RESTART THE MOTORCYCLE AFTER YOU PARK IT, LEAVING YOU STRANDED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY MOTORCYCLE THREE (3) TIMES IN LESS THAN 30,000 MILES. HARLEY DAVIDSON REDESIGNED THE CHARGING SYSTEM IN 1992 AND MOVED THE CHARGING SYSTEM TO THE FRONT CRANKSHAFT, THUS ELIMINATING THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 80,000 TO 100,000 OF THIS MODEL OF 4-SPEED EVOLUTION SPORTSTER STILL ON THE ROAD. THERE WAS A LAWSUIT FILED IN TEXAS IN APPROXIMATELY 1985 ALLEGING EXACTLY THE SAME COMPLAINTS. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU.
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.