2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster 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 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster, 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
- Engine327.3%
- Body & structure218.2%
- Visibility218.2%
- Brakes19.1%
- Driver assistance19.1%
- Other / unspecified19.1%
- Steering19.1%
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
SPEEDOMETER-TACHOMETER BRACKET BREAKS FROM EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION THROUGH MOUNTING BOLT HOLES CAUSING GAUGE ASSEMBLY TO FALL OFF WHILE RIDING. UNIT HANGS BY THE WIRES & INTERFERES WITH THE STEERING FORKS & CONTROL OF VEHICLE. ALSO EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION AS DEEMED NORMAL BY THE MANUFACTURER CAUSES NUMBNESS IN THE HANDS & FEET WITHIN 7 MILES OF RIDING & ULTIMATELY DIFFICULTY IN CONTROLLING VEHICLE.*AK
OK, MY COMPLAINT IS ON A 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM SPORTSTER. THE FRONT HEADLIGHT HAS FALLEN OFF DUE TO THE BOLT SHEARING FROM VIBRATION AND SO HAS THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ON THE LEFT SIDE. HARLEY HAS REPLACED THE ENGINE AT ABOUT 1300 MILES, STATING THAT IT HAD AN UNSAFE VIBRATION. THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT DID NOT FIX THE EXCESSIVE VIBRATION AND I HAVE SINCE LOST THESE PARTS. THEY NOW TELL ME THAT THE UNSAFE VIBRATION IS INDEED SAFE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER SPORT. THE FRAME BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED DUE TO METAL FATIGUE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PART BUT IT FAILED AGAIN AFTER 2,500 MILES. THE PART WAS REPLACED A THIRD TIME AND HAS FAILED AGAIN. THE # OF CYLINDERS WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 7,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,500. UPDATED 06/26/07. *JB
SPEEDOMETER-TACHOMETER BRACKET BREAKS FROM EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION THROUGH MOUNTING BOLT HOLES CAUSING GAUGE ASSEMBLY TO FALL OFF WHILE RIDING. UNIT HANGS BY THE WIRES & INTERFERES WITH THE STEERING FORKS & CONTROL OF VEHICLE. ALSO EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION AS DEEMED NORMAL BY THE MANUFACTURER CAUSES NUMBNESS IN THE HANDS & FEET WITHIN 7 MILES OF RIDING & ULTIMATELY DIFFICULTY IN CONTROLLING VEHICLE.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
LEFT REARVIEW MIRROR STEM BROKE AND MIRROR FELL OFF. THIRD TIME A MIRROR ON THE SAME SIDE HAS BROKE OFF OF MY 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM SPORTSTER. THE MIRRORS ARE FACTORY AND ARE LONG STEMMED.*AK
MIRRORS ON 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM DO NOT SIT OUT WIDE ENOUGH TO SEE WHAT IS BEHIND YOU. HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN TWO ACCIDENTS BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE BEHIND ME. SPENT 200.00 ON AFTERMARKET MIRRORS AND HAVE SAME PROBLEM. *NLM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKE BUT THERE WAS NO REACTION. THE CONSUMER ALMOST REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER LATER NOTICED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT SOMEONE FORGOT TO PUT THE WASHERS IN THE BRAKE LINE. *NLM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE RIDING SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER THE CORRECT RATE OF SPEED. WHEN THIS OCCURS CONSUMER HAS TO REACH DOWN AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF WHILE STILL RIDING, AND TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN BEFORE THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHOW THE CORRECT THE RATE OF SPEED. VEHICLE HAD BEEN AT REPAIR SHOP FOUR TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED.*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
THE MIRRORS HAVE A TENDENCY TO SHEAR OFF WHILE RIDING. BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE MIRRORS HAVE EACH SHEARED OFF 2 TIMES WHILE RIDING. THIS MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED IN 8/1998 AND THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 10/1998 WITH THE RIGHT SIDE MIRROR. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 4/2000 WITH THE LEFT SIDE MIRROR. THE THIRD INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 9/2001 WITH THE RIGHT SIDE MIRROR AGAIN. AND THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON 4/27/2003 WITH THE LEFT SIDE MIRROR AGAIN. EACH TIME THIS OCCURRED, THE OWNER REPLACED THE MIRRORS WITH THE SAME STYLE GENUINE HARLEY DAVIDSON FACTORY MIRRORS. THE MATERIAL THAT THE FACTORY MIRRORS ARE BUILT FROM CANNOT WITHSTAND THE VIBRATION OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND CONTINUE TO SHEAR OFF. THE MOTORCYCLE ONLY HAS 14K MILES ON IT AND SHOULD NOT HAVE EXPERIENCED SO MANY FAILURES IN THE MIRRORS DURING THIS TIME. *TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
SPEEDOMETER-TACHOMETER BRACKET BREAKS FROM EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION THROUGH MOUNTING BOLT HOLES CAUSING GAUGE ASSEMBLY TO FALL OFF WHILE RIDING. UNIT HANGS BY THE WIRES & INTERFERES WITH THE STEERING FORKS & CONTROL OF VEHICLE. ALSO EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION AS DEEMED NORMAL BY THE MANUFACTURER CAUSES NUMBNESS IN THE HANDS & FEET WITHIN 7 MILES OF RIDING & ULTIMATELY DIFFICULTY IN CONTROLLING VEHICLE.*AK
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 .