RoadVitals

2006 Harley-Davidson XL1200C 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.
6
Latest Apr 25, 2014
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 Mar 27, 2007

What this page shows

Our database holds 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2006 Harley-Davidson XL1200C. 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 1–6 of 6

Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 25, 2014

ON A LONG TRIP TO OR FROM CA. PULLED THE CLUTCH AS I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN BUT IT DIDN'T DISENGAGE. HAD TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. I TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST HD DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY SPRING PLATE BEING RIVETED TOGETHER W/ COPPER RIVETS THAT ARE PRONE TO WEAR OUT & CAUSE CLUTCH FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10584793
Incident
Aug 11, 2009
Mileage
27,856 mi
Transmission
Filed Sep 4, 2009

09/04/2009 2006 XL1200C HARLEY DAVIDSON DEFECTIVE PART: CLUTCH SPRING INCIDENT = MY 2006 XL 1200C STARTED SHIFTING HARD. I NOTICED AT A STOP WHEN I HAD THE CLUTCH LEVER FULLY PULLED BACK THE BIKE STILL WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD. I HAD TO KEEP THE FRONT BRAKE ON TO KEEP THE BIKE FROM MOVING. I TOOK THE BIKE TO REDWOOD HARLEY DAVIDSON AS I AM A LONG WAY FROM HOME. I THOUGHT MAYBE THE OIL LEVEL WAS INCORRECT SO I HAD THEM CHECK IT. THE TECH, TOLD ME I HAD A BROKEN CLUTCH SPRING, WHICH IS A COMMON PROBLEM AS THIS PART IS DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY. HE SAID I COULDN'T TAKE THE BIKE UNTIL IT WAS FIXED AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HE TOLD ME HARLEY MAKES A CLUTCH KIT THAT FIXES THIS DEFECT FOR $280.00 + LABOR AND ANY PARTS THAT WERE DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THIS CLUTCH SPRING FAILURE. I COULDN'T AFFORD THE KIT SO I HAD THEM REPLACE THE BROKEN DEFECTIVE PART WITH A NEW DEFECTIVE PART + THE OTHER PARTS THAT WERE DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THE BROKEN DEFECTIVE PART. I ASKED WHY HARLEY DIDN'T HAVE TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HE LAUGHED AT MY QUESTION AND TOLD ME THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS. DAMAGE RESULTING = I'M 1000 MILES FROM HOME. I HAVE VERY LIMITED FINANCES. I'M PURSUING EMPLOYMENT IN BROOKINGS OR. ALL IN ALL AFTER IT WAS ALL SAID AND DONE THAT CLUTCH SPRING COST ME $250.00 AND A WARNING THAT SINCE I DIDN'T PUT THE $280.00 KIT THAT REPLACES THE DEFECTIVE PART, I WILL FOR SURE HAVE THIS SAFETY ISSUE IN THE FUTURE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10282900
Incident
Aug 15, 2009
Mileage
37,500 mi
Electrical
Filed May 13, 2009

I OWN A 2006 HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER 1200C AND A LOT OF OTHER OWNERS AS WELL AS MYSELF HAVE NOTICED A DEFECTIVE CRANK POSITION SENSOR PROBLEM RECURRING WITH THIS BIKE AND IT COULD BE DANGEROUS TO OPERATE ON IN CITY ROADWAYS WHERE YOU HAVE TO STOP AND GO MORE FREQUENTLY SHOULD THEY BE REPLACING THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS TO PROTECT THE CUSTOMER FROM POSSIBLE HAZARDS OPERATING THEIR PRODUCT AND RECALLING THESE BIKES OR IS IT UP TO US AS CONSUMERS TO TAKE THE HIT AND DECIDE TO SPEND A FEW HUNDRED TO HAVE IT REPLACED TO ONLY FAIL AGAIN ? I KNOW I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO STEP UP AND RECALL THE BIKES AND REPLACE AT THEIR EXPENSE THE PARTS THAT ARE CAUSING THE PROBLEMS BEFORE ANYONE GETS HURT BECAUSE OF IT I HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS AND MY BIKE STILL RUNS GOOD FOR 15 MINUTES THEN IT RUNS TERRIBLY SO IM LIMITED TO IN TOWN ERRANDS ON MINE AT BEST HARLEY NEEDS A WAKE UP CALL TO LET THEM KNOW WE KNOW SOMETHING IS AMISS AND WE NEED IT RECTIFIED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10268582
Incident
Apr 10, 2009
Mileage
5,200 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jan 9, 2009

HARLEY-DAVIDSON USES THE SAME PART ON MANY OF THEIR MOTORCYCLES WHICH HAS PROVEN TO BE DEFECTIVE. THIS PART IS THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO ACTIVATE THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT WHEN THE RIDER APPLIES PRESSURE TO THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL. THIS PART HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON HUNDREDS OF THEIR PRODUCTS (IN SOME CASES MORE THAN ONCE AS THE REPLACEMENT PART HAS ALSO FAILED) DATING BAKE SEVERAL YEARS YET THEY CONTINUE TO USE IT WITHOUT UPGRADING IT. THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE AND WE, THE OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE IT, WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION BY YOU AS TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE WHICH WE CAN ONLY HOPE WILL LEAD TO A REDESIGN OF THIS PART SO AS TO ALLEVIATE ITS ONGOING FAILURE. I HAVE NO RECORD OF ACTUAL ACCIDENTS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THIS PARTS FAILURE HOWEVER I DO KNOW THAT WE MOTORCYCLISTS FACE ENOUGH HAZARDS ON THE ROAD AND THE FAILURE OF OUR BRAKE LIGHT SHOULD NOT BE ONE OF THEM ESPECIALLY WHEN THE TRACK RECORD OF THE PART WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IS FAULTY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10254357
Incident
Sep 21, 2008
Mileage
3,000 mi
Transmission
Filed May 4, 2008

MY HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE WAS IN FOR SERVICE FOR A CLUTCH REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR AT WILDFIRE HARLEY DAVIDSON IN VILLA PARK IL.. AFTER A DISPUTE WITH DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED TO THE MOTORCYCLE DURING ITS SERVICE PERIOD I WENT TO PICK UP THE BIKE TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR PROPER REPAIRS AND A SECOND OPINION. UPON LEAVING THE PARKING LOT THE GEAR SHIFT FOOT CONTROL LEVER FELL OFF AND I ALMOST CRASHED THE BIKE. LUCKILY THE SAFETY TRAINING I RECEIVED FROM THE RIDERS COURSE I TOOK FROM THE IL DOT PAID OFF. NO MANAGER WAS AVAILABLE TO SPEAK WITH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE THAT ANY PATRON OF WILDFIRE HARLEY DAVIDSON NEVER HAS TO HAVE THEIR SAFETY JEOPARDIZED. POOR QUALITY CONTROL AND IMPROPER RELEASE OF A VEHICLE WHICH IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE WHEN, HAVING BEEN TOLD THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE IS INEXCUSABLE AND I AM LUCKY TO NOT HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10226600
Incident
May 4, 2007
Mileage
3,000 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 27, 2007

2006 HARLEY DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM 1300 MI, CONSTANT ENGINE COUGH AND OCCASIONAL STALLING. THE COUGHING AND HESITATION ARE QUITE OFTEN MAKING THIS MOTORCYCLE EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON THE ROADS IN TRAFFIC. IT HAS BEEN IN THE HD SHOP FOR OVER 20 DAYS SINCE I BOUGHT IT MAY 2006. THE PROBLEM IS ONGOING AND NOW THE DEALERSHIPS CANNOT FIX IT. I PAID OVER $11,199.00 FOR THE BIKE AND THEY OFFERED ME &6700.00 FOR IT. IT IS DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN TRAFFIC. NO ONE WANTS IT-WHAT TO DO? *JB

NHTSA ID
10186298
Incident
May 25, 2006
Mileage
20 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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .