RoadVitals

2002 Harley-Davidson Vrsca Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
13
Latest Apr 8, 2016
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
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Aug 16, 2002

What this page shows

Our database holds 13 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 Harley-Davidson Vrsca. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–13 of 13

Fuel system
Filed Apr 8, 2016

FUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING CORRECTLY GOES FROM FULL TO EMPTY IN 15 MINUTES.

NHTSA ID
10854314
Incident
Jun 1, 2004
Mileage
1,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jan 13, 2016

THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT PROPERLY WORK DUE TO FLOAT ISSUES. THIS CAN LEAVE PEOPLE STRANDED. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE AND I DO NOT SEE WHY HARLEY HAS NOT BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE AS OF YET...

NHTSA ID
10819907
Incident
Jan 10, 2016
ElectricalFuel system
Filed May 3, 2013

THE FUEL GAGE INDICATED 1/2 TANK, I STOPPED AND FILLED THE FUEL TANK. WHEN THE FUEL TANK WAS FILLED AND I WAS RIDING AWAY I SAW THE NEEDLE NOW INDICATED THE TANK WAS EMPTY. AFTER RIDING FOE SOME 20 MILES THE GAGE NEEDLE GRADUALLY BEGAN TO RISE TO 3/4 FULL THEN DROP THEN RISE TO 7/8 FULL. THIS HAS HAPPENED NOW EVERY TIME I HAVE FILLED THE TANK. THE FORUMS ARE FULL OF OTHERS WHO EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING WITHOUT ANY SATISFACTION FROM THE MANUFACTURE. THIS IS MY FIRST VEHICLE WITH THIS MANUFACTURE AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS COULD BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE TANK RUNS DRY IN THE DESERT OR ALIGAYTOR ALLEY OR DEEP IN THE FOREST. *TR

NHTSA ID
10510468
Incident
Apr 28, 2013
Mileage
5,514 mi
Fuel system
Filed Oct 21, 2012

1. FUEL GAUGE GOES TO 100% EMPTY JUST AFTER SHOWING 1/2 TANK. THE INDICATOR NEEDLE DROPS WITHIN 3 TENTHS TO 1 MILE OF USE AFTER THE 1/2 TANK MARK SHOWS. THIS ISSUE HAS STRANDED ME MORE THAN A HALF DOZEN TIMES AS I TRY TO ESTIMATE FUEL LEFT IN TANK WHILE USING THE MOTORCYCLE. 2. ELECTRIC FANS MOUNTED DIRECTLY TO RADIATOR WORKED LOOSE. HOUSING RUB AGAINST RADIATOR CAUSED THE RADIATOR TO BURST WHILE HOT AND AGAIN STRANDING MYSELF AND PASSENGER ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD DUE TO OVER HEATING OF THE ENGINE. THE POTENTIAL OF BURNS TO LEGS EXISTS AS WHEN THE RADIATOR BURST HOT COOLING SOLUTION WAS SPRAYED TO LEGS. I WAS ABLE TO REACT FAST ENOUGH NOT GET SOAKED THUS AVERTED GETTING BURNED. I CONTACTED HARLEY DAVIDSON ABOUT BOTH PROBLEMS AND WAS ADVISED THERE IS NO RECALL NOTICE FOR THESE ISSUES NOR WAS THERE WARRANTY FOR REPAIRS FOR EITHER DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10481319
Incident
Jan 6, 2003
Mileage
8,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jun 1, 2011

FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ CORRECTLY. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH EVERY MODEL OF THE V-ROD FROM THE FIRST MODEL IN 2002 UNTIL PRESENT. HARLEY KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO MAKE A RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID
10404931
Incident
Jan 1, 2002
Fuel system
Filed Oct 14, 2010

THE FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD DOES NOT NOR HAS IT EVER WORKED SINCE 2004. COMPLAINING TO HARLEY DAVIDSON DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER SINCE THE PROBLEM HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE 2002. RUNNING OUT OF GAS IN THE DESERT OF ARIZONA IS DANGEROUS IN ITSELF, MUCH LESS BECAUSE OF AN INACCURATE OR NON-FUNCTIONING GAS GAUGE........ *TR

NHTSA ID
10360554
Incident
Aug 16, 2004
Mileage
5,800 mi
Fuel system
Filed Sep 27, 2010

FUEL GAUGE NEVER WORKED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10357751
Incident
Jul 1, 2002
Brakes
Filed Aug 21, 2010

2002 HARLEY VROD REAR BRAKE SWITCH FAILURE. SWITCH DOES NOT LIGHT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT. FAILURE IS PERMANENT. DOES NOT WORK. HAVE NOT TAKEN TO DEALER. READ BLOGS INDICATING IT IS WIDESPREAD AND COSTS APPROX $150 AND RECURS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10351101
Incident
Aug 20, 2010
Mileage
15,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Aug 9, 2010

FUEL GAUGE ON 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON VRSCA MOTORCYCLE DOES NOT WORK AS DESIGNED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10348278
Incident
Aug 9, 2002
Mileage
100 mi
Fuel system
Filed Aug 6, 2010

GAS GAUGE ON HARLEY DAVIDSON VROD, MODEL 2002 VRSCA AND ON MY HARLEY DAVIDSON VROD MODEL 2003 VRSCA HAVE QUIT WORKING. BOTH MOTORCYCLES HAD LESS THAN 2000 MILES AND LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD WHEN THEY QUIT WORKING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10347860
Incident
Aug 1, 2002
Fuel system
Filed Jul 23, 2010

2002 VRSCA FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK. IT HAS NEVER PERFORMED AS IT SHOULD. *TR

NHTSA ID
10344946
Incident
Jun 27, 2002
Mileage
40,168 mi
Electrical
Filed Jan 5, 2005

THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE MOTORCYCLE (2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD). *AK THE BIKE TYPICALLY STALL WHILE STARTING OUT IN FIRST GEAR. THE BIKE HAD TO BE REVVED UP HIGH TO GET IT GOING. THE MANUFACTURER HAS REPLACED THE FRONT SPROCKET ON THE 2004 AND 2005 MODELS TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT NOT THE EARLIER MODELS. *NM

NHTSA ID
10103202
Incident
Dec 6, 2004
Other / unspecified
Filed Aug 16, 2002

WHEELS WERE OF SOLID DESIGN, BOWL SHAPED. AT 55-60 MPH WIND GOT CAUGHT IN WHEELS AND FORCED VEHICLE INTO A LANE CHANGE. DEALER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO.*AK

NHTSA ID
8016474
Incident
Jul 12, 2002

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.

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Fuel system10Full component breakdown →

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .