RoadVitals

1998 Harley-Davidson Xl

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
2
Latest Jun 6, 2003
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
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

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Harley-Davidson Xl, most frequently naming the electrical and exterior lighting categories. 1 manufacturer communication is on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical150.0%
  • Exterior lighting150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Electrical
Filed Jun 6, 2003

1998, HARLEY DAVIDSON, XLH883 - BANK ANGLE SENSOR FAILURE CAUSING MOTORCYCLE TO QUIT SUDDENLY IN TRAFFIC...*AK

NHTSA ID
10021146
Incident
Aug 4, 2000
Mileage
4,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 17, 1998

HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTR 1998, THE HEADLIGHT MOUNT FELL OFF, IMPAIRING DRIVER'S VISIBILITY. DEALER HAS REPLACED MOUNT, BUT CANNOT ADJUST HEADLIGHT AND CANNOT SEE IN THE EVENING. *AK

NHTSA ID
822543
Incident
Jan 23, 1998

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

591

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

SUBJECT ON SCREAMIN' EAGLE IGNITION MODULES & COILS ON SOME VEHICLES. *TT

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Harley-Davidson Xl by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2005310
1999200
1998Viewing200
1997010
1996010
1995010
1990020
1989010

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.