2006 Harley-Davidson Vrsca 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 2006 Harley-Davidson Vrsca, 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
- Brakes330.0%
- Electrical330.0%
- Fuel system330.0%
- Tires & wheels110.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE SPEED TO TURN INTO A GAS STATION AND REAR BRAKES FAILED TO FUNCTION. REAR BRAKE PEDAL IS MUSHY & MY MOTORCYCLE DOES NOT HAVE FUNCTIONING REAR BRAKES. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THIS INCIDENT I'VE HAD WITH THIS BIKE (FIRST TIME WAS IN 2010). IN 2010, AS I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN I HAD A SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF REAR BRAKES AND NEARLY SUFFERED A COLLOSION. AFTER AN INITIAL DIAGNOSIS & "REPAIR" BY A DEALERSHIP, MY BRAKES AGAIN FAILED AS I WAS STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT & WAS NEARLY T-BONED. I NOTICED FLUID DRIPPING NEAR THE EXHAUST, LATER IDENTIFIED AS BRAKE FLUID. AFTER I INSISTED THEIR ORIGINAL FIX WAS WRONG THEY DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS A MALFUNCTIONING REAR BRAKE LIGHT PRESSURE SWITCH THAT IS LOCATED NEAR THE EXHAUST. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE MALFUNCTIONING PART. NUMEROUS PEOPLE ON FORUMS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS, INCLUDING CRASHES/NEAR CRASHES. THE CAUSE IS SAID TO BE A DESIGN FLAW - THE SWITCH/SENSOR IS LOCATED NEAR THE EXHAUST AND WHEN TOO HOT MAY CAUSE THE SENSOR TO MALFUNCTION/BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. THERE IS A RECALL FOR OTHER HARLEY MODELS (TOURING BIKES & TRIKES) FOR THIS EXACT SAME REASON AND I'VE SEEN THAT OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE NHTSA, STATING THE VRSC/A MODELS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, AND I SUFFERED THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER THE MALFUNCTIONING PART WAS REPLACED, HENCE I MAINTAIN THAT THIS IS A KNOWN, POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM THAT APPARENTLY IS LIKELY TO RE-OCCUR, THEREFORE ASK THAT THIS BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE MORE PEOPLE ARE INJURED.
I NOTICED THE BRAKE LIGHT, TURN SIGNALS AND GAS GAUGE NOT WORKING. THE 15 AMP ACCESSORY FUSE HAD BLOWN. REPLACED FUSE AND EVERYTHING STARTED WORKING. WHILE RIDING IN THE MOUNTAINS I WENT TO USE MY REAR BRAKES AND THEY WERE OUT!!! I BOUGHT SOME DOT 4 BRAKE FLUID AND BLEED THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM AND SYSTEM STARTED WORKING AGAIN. AFTER MY TRIP I STARTED LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM. WHILE USING A CIRCUIT PROTECTOR ON THE SYSTEM I FOUND THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT PRESSURE SWITCH LEAKING EXTERNALLY. CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHT WIRES TO SHORT TOGETHER THRU THE BRAKE FLUID CAUSING THE 15 AMP ACCESSORY FUSE TO BLOW. THE BRAKE LIGHT AND ACCESSORY FUSE WOULD BLOW ABOUT EVERY RIDE ONCE OR TWICE. THE BRAKES FAILED ONCE BEFORE I STOPPED RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE. I AM ASE CERTIFIED AUTOMOTIVE TECH AND THE SERVICE DIRECTOR FOR A BUICK GMC STORE WITH 18 YEARS EXPERIENCE. I WOULD SAY THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SAFETY RELATED FOR ANY PERSON ON A PUBLIC ROAD. I WILL KEEP THIS BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH AND BE GLAD TO MAIL IT IF NEEDED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE SPEED TO TURN INTO A GAS STATION AND REAR BRAKES FAILED TO FUNCTION. REAR BRAKE PEDAL IS MUSHY & MY MOTORCYCLE DOES NOT HAVE FUNCTIONING REAR BRAKES. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THIS INCIDENT I'VE HAD WITH THIS BIKE (FIRST TIME WAS IN 2010). IN 2010, AS I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN I HAD A SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF REAR BRAKES AND NEARLY SUFFERED A COLLOSION. AFTER AN INITIAL DIAGNOSIS & "REPAIR" BY A DEALERSHIP, MY BRAKES AGAIN FAILED AS I WAS STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT & WAS NEARLY T-BONED. I NOTICED FLUID DRIPPING NEAR THE EXHAUST, LATER IDENTIFIED AS BRAKE FLUID. AFTER I INSISTED THEIR ORIGINAL FIX WAS WRONG THEY DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS A MALFUNCTIONING REAR BRAKE LIGHT PRESSURE SWITCH THAT IS LOCATED NEAR THE EXHAUST. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE MALFUNCTIONING PART. NUMEROUS PEOPLE ON FORUMS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS, INCLUDING CRASHES/NEAR CRASHES. THE CAUSE IS SAID TO BE A DESIGN FLAW - THE SWITCH/SENSOR IS LOCATED NEAR THE EXHAUST AND WHEN TOO HOT MAY CAUSE THE SENSOR TO MALFUNCTION/BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. THERE IS A RECALL FOR OTHER HARLEY MODELS (TOURING BIKES & TRIKES) FOR THIS EXACT SAME REASON AND I'VE SEEN THAT OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE NHTSA, STATING THE VRSC/A MODELS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, AND I SUFFERED THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER THE MALFUNCTIONING PART WAS REPLACED, HENCE I MAINTAIN THAT THIS IS A KNOWN, POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM THAT APPARENTLY IS LIKELY TO RE-OCCUR, THEREFORE ASK THAT THIS BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE MORE PEOPLE ARE INJURED.
AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES ON A FULL TANK, THE FUEL GAUGE DROPPED TO BELOW EMPTY. AFTER ABOUT 60 MILES ON A FULL TANK, THE FUEL GAUGE WILL SLOWLY RISE BACK TO ABOVE 1/4 TANK (SHOWING APPROXIMATE FUEL LEVEL). THIS HAPPENS EVERY TANK OF GAS. *TR
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
FUEL GAUGE IS USELESS. GOES FROM HALF TO EMPTY IN ABOUT 10 MILES. IT HAS LEFT ME STRANDED IN A COUPLE OF SPOTS.
AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES ON A FULL TANK, THE FUEL GAUGE DROPPED TO BELOW EMPTY. AFTER ABOUT 60 MILES ON A FULL TANK, THE FUEL GAUGE WILL SLOWLY RISE BACK TO ABOVE 1/4 TANK (SHOWING APPROXIMATE FUEL LEVEL). THIS HAPPENS EVERY TANK OF GAS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON 8/22/06 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:20 PM I WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON RT. 127 WHEN MY REAR TIRE SPLIT INTO TWO HALVES POPPING OFF THE RIM ON BOTH SIDES CAUSING THE REAR OF THE MOTORCYCLE TO SWING TO THE LEFT AND WOULD NOT RECOVER. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS FORCED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD DOWN INTO THE DITCH SEVERAL YARDS BEFORE I COULD GET IT UNDER CONTROL ENOUGH TO STOP AT WHICH TIME IT FELL TO ITS LEFT SIDE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS A BRAND NEW 06 VSRCA HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD PURCHASED ON 8/12/06 ONLY TEN DAYS BEFORE.. THE DUNLOP TIRE ONLY HAD APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES ON IT.. *JB
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 .