2017 Harley-Davidson Trike 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 2017 Harley-Davidson Trike, 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
- Powertrain (other)457.1%
- Fuel system228.6%
- Engine114.3%
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
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE RIDING THE TRIKE STALLS OUT WHILE STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS, OR STOP SIGNS. TOOK IT TO HARLEY, THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. AFTER RIDING FOR FOURTY YEARS, PRETTY SURE I KNOW IS SOMETHING IS WRONG, AND THERE IS! AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE, I FIND THAT I AM NOT ALONE WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND THAT THE FIX IS A FAULTY SAFETY SWITCH ON THE CLUTCH. THE TRIKE WILL ONLY START IN NEUTRAL, WHICH IT SHOULD START IN GEAR WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED, THIS IS A SIGN THAT THE SWITCH IS BAD. AFTER SPENDING $150.00 FOR HARLEY TO TELL ME NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT, AND WASTING FIVE HOURS THERE, I AM NOT HAPPY. AS SOON AS I LEFT THERE, I PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC, AND IT STALLS OUT ON ME RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A INTERSECTION. I TRY TO START IT, AND AGAIN, IT WON'T START UNTIL IT IS BACK IN NEUTRAL, BY NOW, I AM ABOUT GETTING RUN OVER BY SERIOUSLY TICKED OFF PEOPLE IN CARS, BECAUSE I AM BLOCKING TRAFFIC. I REALLY THINK THAT THE FIRST TIME THAT SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT, OR KILLED, SOMEONE WILL TAKE NOTICE TO THIS ISSUE, AND HOPEFULLY IT ISN'T ME, BECAUSE I WILL MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE GETS SUED OVER THIS, ESPECIALLY AFTER I WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH ME TRIKE. YOU WOULD THINK AFTER SPENDING 35,000 I WOULD HAVE A DEPENDABLE TRIKE THAT I COULD RIDE SAFELY, AND ENJOY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 HARLEY-DAVIDSON TRIKE FREE WHEELER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V734000 (POWER TRAIN). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DESPERADO HARLEY-DAVIDSON (1201 S BENTSEN RD, MCALLEN, TX 78501) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. *BF.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN THE ENGINE ON MY 2017 HARLEY DAVIDSON TRIGLIDE GETS HOT, IT WILL STALL WHEN I COME TO STOP. THIS ISSUE BEGAN AFTER 5000 MILES, AND I'VE HAD IT IN THE SHOP 2 TIMES, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. MY TRIKE STILL HAS ONLY HD STOCK PARTS. IT ALSO WILL NOT START IN GEAR WITH THE CLUTCH ENGAGED, WHICH CAUSES A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT STALLS, AS I MUST TRY TO GET IT IN NEUTRAL BEFORE I CAN RESTART IT. LAST YEAR, IT STALLED WITH THE CLUTCH ENGAGED, IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION, ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND. I HAD TO TRY TO GET IT IN NEUTRAL BEFORE I COULD RESTART IT. FORTUNATELY, TRAFFIC WAITED FOR ME TO MOVE. I UNDERSTAND HARLEY DAVIDSON IS AWARE OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE 2017 TRIKE, BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO FIX IT YET.
TRIKE CONSTANTLY STALLS WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP, AND HAVE TO APPLY BRAKES BOTH AT SAME TIME OR JUST FRONT OR REAR IT APPEARS AS INTERMITTENT AT TIMES. SAFETY HAZARD HAVING TO COMPLETELY STOP IN AN INTERSECTION WHEN STALLED, INSTEAD OF JUST DISENGAGING CLUTCH AND COASTING TO START AS OLDER BIKES/ TRIKES.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE RIDING THE TRIKE STALLS OUT WHILE STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS, OR STOP SIGNS. TOOK IT TO HARLEY, THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. AFTER RIDING FOR FOURTY YEARS, PRETTY SURE I KNOW IS SOMETHING IS WRONG, AND THERE IS! AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE, I FIND THAT I AM NOT ALONE WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND THAT THE FIX IS A FAULTY SAFETY SWITCH ON THE CLUTCH. THE TRIKE WILL ONLY START IN NEUTRAL, WHICH IT SHOULD START IN GEAR WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED, THIS IS A SIGN THAT THE SWITCH IS BAD. AFTER SPENDING $150.00 FOR HARLEY TO TELL ME NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT, AND WASTING FIVE HOURS THERE, I AM NOT HAPPY. AS SOON AS I LEFT THERE, I PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC, AND IT STALLS OUT ON ME RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A INTERSECTION. I TRY TO START IT, AND AGAIN, IT WON'T START UNTIL IT IS BACK IN NEUTRAL, BY NOW, I AM ABOUT GETTING RUN OVER BY SERIOUSLY TICKED OFF PEOPLE IN CARS, BECAUSE I AM BLOCKING TRAFFIC. I REALLY THINK THAT THE FIRST TIME THAT SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT, OR KILLED, SOMEONE WILL TAKE NOTICE TO THIS ISSUE, AND HOPEFULLY IT ISN'T ME, BECAUSE I WILL MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE GETS SUED OVER THIS, ESPECIALLY AFTER I WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH ME TRIKE. YOU WOULD THINK AFTER SPENDING 35,000 I WOULD HAVE A DEPENDABLE TRIKE THAT I COULD RIDE SAFELY, AND ENJOY.
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 .