RoadVitals

2000 Harley-Davidson Sportster

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.
9
Latest Apr 6, 2005
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.
1
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 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2000 Harley-Davidson Sportster, most frequently naming the engine, visibility and fuel system categories. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 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

  • Engine220.0%
  • Visibility220.0%
  • Fuel system110.0%
  • Brakes110.0%
  • Suspension110.0%
  • Transmission110.0%
  • Exterior lighting110.0%
  • Electrical110.0%

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.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE02083ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

REAR VIEW MIRROR STEM FAILURES

Opened Nov 12, 2002
Closed Feb 26, 2003

PROMPTED BY THE REFERENCED OWNER COMPLAINT, ODI OPENED THIS PE AFTER DETERMINING THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERS HAD FREQUENTLY REPLACED THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (OE) MIRRORS ON 2002 SPORTSTER 1200 CUSTOM MODEL MOTORCYCLES BECAUSE OF STEM FRACTURES ON THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY.THE STEMBEING THE TUBULAR STRUCTURE WHICH CONNECTS THE ACTUAL MIRROR HEAD ASSEMBLY TO THE MOTORCYCLE.THE SINGLE CRASH ALLEGATION HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED.OF THE TWO INJURIES, ONE OCCURRED WHEN THE SEPARATED MIRROR STRUCK THE OPERATOR.THE OTHER OCCURRED DURING THE UNCONFIRMED CRASH. SUBSEQUENTLY, HARLEY DAVIDSON NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WAS RECALLING THE SUBJECT MOTORCYCLES TO ADDRESS THE STEM FAILURES.

VISIBILITYLed to recall 03V058000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 9
Visibility
Filed Apr 6, 2005

PE 02-083/REAR VIEW MIRROR STEM FAILURES: THE LEFT SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT ISSUE WAS COVERED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL.*AK

NHTSA ID
10117526
Incident
Mar 24, 2005
Mileage
4,250 mi
Electrical
Filed Aug 5, 2002

MOTORCYCLE CAN BE TURNED ON JUST BY TURNING ON IGNITION SWITCH WITHOUT PUSHING STARTER BUTTON. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
8015443
Incident
Aug 2, 2002
Engine
Filed Jun 19, 2002

ENGINE ROCKER BOX GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL WHILE DRIVING, DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
8012187
Incident
Jul 10, 2001
EngineFuel system
Filed Apr 10, 2002

XL883C MODEL HAS STALLED OUT SEVERAL TIMES SINCE DATE OF PURCHASE, USUALLY AT 50 MPH. CONTACTED DEALER, WHO IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE PROBLEM, CONSUMER IS NOW EXPERIENCING GAS LEAKS AND FEELS THIS VEHICLE HAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT.*AK *TT

NHTSA ID
8007229
Incident
Jul 1, 2001
Suspension
Filed Aug 5, 2001

MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN INTO DEALER 25 TIMES FOR REPAIRS IN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, DUE TO MANUFACTURING DESIGN. *AK

NHTSA ID
749879
Incident
Jun 10, 2000
BrakesExterior lighting
Filed Jul 27, 2001

THE TAIL LIGHT FELL OFF AND WAS HANGING BY THE WIRE, LEAVING NO REAR TAIL OR BRAKE LIGHT VISABLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
749328
Incident
Jul 23, 2001
Transmission
Filed Oct 25, 2000

INTERMITTENTLY THERE IS A NEUTRAL POSITION BETWEEN ALL GEARS. MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP 6 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THIS PROBELM, NOTHING COULD BE DONE. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID
873796
Incident
May 5, 2000
Visibility
Filed Oct 23, 2000

R SIDE MIRROR BROKE UPON ACCELERATION FROM A TURN. MIRRORS ON THIS BIKE ARE A KNOWN PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID
734984
Incident
Oct 23, 2000

Manufacturer communications

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

M1116

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

SUBJECT REGARDING ENGINE SPROCKET NUT. *TT

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 Sportster by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2008200—
2007100—
2005720—
2003901—
2002601—
2001601—
2000Viewing901—
1999610—
1998600—
1997100—
1996610—
1993200—
1992100—
1988200—
1985100—
1972020—
1971010—

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.