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.
9
Latest Jun 7, 2018
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.
1
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 May 11, 2006
What this page shows
Our database holds 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 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 1–9 of 9
Body & structure
Filed Jun 7, 2018
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON VRSCA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR AND A PORTION OF THE STRUCTURE NEAR THE ENGINE BECAME DISLODGED AND DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND PUSHED THE VEHICLE TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE NEARBY. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
NHTSA ID
11100329
Incident
Jun 6, 2018
Mileage
40,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Jul 10, 2016
Crash reported1 injury reported
THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED WHEN I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN. I FELL OVER AND BROKE 3 RIBS. I SENT MY BIKE TO THE HD DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FIXED THE DAMAGE TO MY BIKE. THE TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE MY BIKE AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO HIM. THE DEALERSHIP SAID HE WAS GOING ABOUT 25 MPH WENT THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED ON HIM. HD HAD MY BIKE FOR 5 MONTHS. ALL THEY DID WAS CHARGE ME FOR A WHOLE NEW FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM. I TOLD THEM THIS WAS NOT NORMAL AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM SO I HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM. I HAVE PICS OF THE DAMAGE, BUT IT'S JUST DAMAGE FROM FALLING OVER. I DID AN INSURANCE CLAIM SO I HAVE THAT DOCUMENTATION AS WELL.
NHTSA ID
10883833
Incident
Feb 26, 2016
Mileage
4,400 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jul 6, 2016
A FUEL SYSTEM FAILURE CAUSED JERKING AND EXCESSIVE GAS CONSUMPTION. MOTORCYCLE DIES FREQUENTLY AND IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAFELY RIDE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN FOR, BUT LIKE MANY OTHERS MY PARTICULAR MODEL FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE COVERED ASSEMBLED DATES.
NHTSA ID
10882915
Incident
May 29, 2016
Mileage
4,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Mar 19, 2012
FUEL GAUGE DROPS TO EMPTY ONCE IT GETS TO 3/4 FULL. *JS
NHTSA ID
10452270
Incident
Jan 3, 2012
Mileage
21,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Nov 25, 2010
FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD IS NOT ACCURATE. THE GAUGE WILL DISPLAY FULL WHEN IN FACT THE BIKE IS EMPTY. AFTER FILLING THE BIKE THE GAUGE WILL READ ?? (ANYWHERE). THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON WITH THE FAILURE. I HAVE TAKEN IT AND HAVE HAD IT SERVICE, UNDER WARRANTY, "2" TIMES AND EACH TIME IT BREAKS WITHIN A MONTH OR TWO. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD WITH THIS MODEL HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURE REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *TR
NHTSA ID
10367849
Incident
Dec 2, 2009
Mileage
9,881 mi
Fuel system
Filed Sep 17, 2010
I PURCHASED A 2003 100TH ANNIVERSARY HARLEY DAVIDSON VRSCA (VROD) AND THE GAS GAUGE INCORRECTLY REPORTS LEVEL (LESS MILES TO EMPTY THAN ACTUALLY CAPABLE). AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET AND VROD GAS GAUGE IS A COMMON ISSUE. BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE, I CAN NOT DETERMINE WHEN THE GAS TANK IS LOW AND REQUIRING FUEL. I REPORTED THE ISSUE TO MY LOCAL HD DEALER AND THEY WERE OF NO HELP. VERY FRUSTRATING AND DISAPPOINTING FOR AN AMERICAN COMPANY. *TR
NHTSA ID
10356063
Incident
Jun 8, 2007
ElectricalFuel system
Filed Aug 15, 2010
I HAVE A 2003 HARLEY VROD. THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. IT HAS BEEN LIKE THAT FOR A YEAR. I STILL NEED TO GET IT FIXED. *TR
NHTSA ID
10349419
Incident
Jun 15, 2009
Mileage
5,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Dec 5, 2008
1) NORMAL DRIVING UNDER PARTIAL THROTTLE (PARTIAL ENGINE LOAD) 2) ENGINE HESITATES, STUTTERS AND LOSES POWER (SINCE THIS IS A 2-WHEELED MOTORCYCLE, THE BIKE BECOMES UNSTABLE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN THIS OCCURS IN A CORNER, LUCKILY I COULD CONTROL THE VEHICLE EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED, BUT MORE INEXPERIENCED RIDERS MIGHT LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE) 3) THERE IS A TSB FOR THIS PROBLEM "FUEL MODULE FLANGE REPLACEMENT PRODUCT PROGRAM" M-1141A ISSUED ON OCTOBER30, 2003. SINCE THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION, AND LOOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE CAN EASILY RESULT FROM THIS PROBLEM, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY E MANDATORY RECALL, NOT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET PROVES THAT THIS IS A VERY WIDE-SPREAD ISSUE CAN EASILY TAKE OVER 5 YEARS TO OCCUR, SINCE MOTORCYCLES ARE OFTEN RIDDEN VERY LITTLE FOR PLEASURE PURPOSES ONLY. *TR
NHTSA ID
10250858
Incident
Sep 1, 2008
Mileage
1,990 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed May 11, 2006
I WAS TRAVELING AT 30-MPH WHEN A SIDE WIND BLOWING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30 MPH BLEW ME AND THE MOTORCYCLE ACROSS MULTIPLE LANES INTO THE CURB. GIVEN MY EXPERIENCE I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE MOTORCYCLE UPRIGHT AND RODE THE CURB FOR ABOUT 20-FT UNTIL I COULD GET OFF THE MOTORCYCLE. PARKED AND CHECKED FOR DAMAGES. THE CONCRETE CURB GROUND THE FRAME DOWN AND ALSO TORE THE RADIATOR SHROUD AND EXHAUST PIPES. WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY NOT HAVE BEEN BLOWN OVER AND INJURED. VROD IS TO LIGHT FOR THE SOLID WHEELS THAT CATCH WIND LIKE A SAIL. *JB
NHTSA ID
10157264
Incident
May 10, 2006
Mileage
2,892 mi
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.