RoadVitals

2016 Harley-Davidson XL1200T

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.
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Latest Aug 20, 2017
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.
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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.
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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.
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Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 Harley-Davidson XL1200T, most frequently naming the electrical category. 32 manufacturer communications are 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

  • Electrical3100.0%

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 Aug 20, 2017

ECM FAILURE AT 3000 MILES. THE MOTORCYCLE BEGAN STALLING AND RUNNING ROUGH. WHILE MOVING THE BIKE STALLED. AFTER RESTARTING THE MOTOR RAN VERY ROUGH, STARTING AND STALLING, AND THE CHECK ENGINE CAME ON. THIS HAPPENED ON A CITY STREET. BECAUSE OF THE LURCHING OF THE ENGINE I NEARLY DROPPED THE BIKE WHILE MOVING NARROWLY AVOIDING AN ACCIDENT. BROUGHT THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE HARLEY DAVIDSON OF SCOTTSDALE DEALERSHIP WHO ULTIMATELY DIAGNOSED THIS AS A FAULTY ECM THAT NEEDS REPLACING. THIS PART IS ON BACK ORDER FOR A MONTH LEADING ME TO SUSPECT THAT THIS IS IN FACT A COMMON PROBLEM, IN WHICH CASE THIS SHOULD PROMPT A RECALL.

NHTSA ID
11016415
Incident
Jul 27, 2017
Mileage
3,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Aug 1, 2017

MOTORCYCLE WITH 3000 MILES STALLS WHILE IN MOTION AND IS DIFFICULT TO RESTART WHEN THIS HAPPENS. ONCE RESTARTED IT RUNS ROUGH AND STALLS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR. PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN AND NEARLY RESULTED IN ME DROPPING THE BIKE BECAUSE IT WAS SO DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. BROUGHT BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHO DIAGNOSED THIS AS A PROBLEM WITH THE ECM THAT NEEDS TO REPLACED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE ECM IS ON BACK ORDER FOR 3+ WEEKS DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THIS PART. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET RIDING STRAIGHT AHEAD.

NHTSA ID
11012206
Incident
Jul 26, 2017
Mileage
3,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jun 21, 2017

WHILE IN A GROUP RIDE IN STAGGERED FORMAT ON THE 15S FREEWAY ON SATURDAY, JUNE 10TH AT APPROX. 8:20 AM, IN THE RAIN, I WAS CORNERING ON THE TRANSITION RAMP TO THE 163S AND LET HAND OFF THROTTLE, BUT ENGINE ACCELERATED WITHOUT THROTTLE INPUT TO 4000 RPMS. I WAVED BACK OTHER RIDERS, PULLED THE CLUTCH IN AND APPLIED BRAKES UNTIL I COULD GET TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY SAFELY, ALL WHILE ENGINE REMAINED AT 4000 RPMS. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED WITNESS STATEMENT .AFTER THE INCIDENT, MY MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIR. I HAVE ENCLOSED THE MOST RECENT WORK TICKET #974874 FOR YOUR REVIEW. I WAS INFORMED BY THE HARLEY SERVICE TECHNICIAN THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE SITUATION AND NO ERROR CODES WERE PRESENT. PLEASE NOTE THE MILEAGE IN AND MILEAGE OUT RECORDED ON THIS WORK TICKET. ACCORDING TO THIS TICKET, THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN ASSIGNED RODE MY MOTORCYCLE EXACTLY 4 MILES TO ATTEMPT TO DUPLICATE A SERIOUS THROTTLE ISSUE. THAT IS, TO ME, A COMPLETE LACK OF EFFORT TO DIAGNOSE A THROTTLE ISSUE AND COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR A CUSTOMER'S SAFETY. THIS 2016 SPORTSTER WAS OFFERED TO ME AS A ?COLLATERAL EXCHANGE? ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2016, TO REPLACE A 2015 XL1200T SUPERLOW SPORTSTER (VIN [XXX]) I PURCHASED JUNE 15, 2015, AFTER A SIGNIFICANT HISTORY OF ELECTRICAL AND WIRING ISSUES, AND RANDOM ENGINE ACCELERATION WITHOUT THROTTLE INPUT WITH APPROX. 8K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. MULTIPLE TECHNICIANS COULDN'T RECREATE THE SITUATION OR REPAIR THE ISSUE ON THE 2015 SPORTSTER. NOW, I'M HAVING THE VERY SAME ISSUE WITH ANOTHER SPORTSTER WITH APPROX. 9,650 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. WHILE THIS 2016 XLT1200 IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, I BELIEVE THERE IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM WITH THESE SPORTSTERS. GIVEN MY PREVIOUS HISTORY WITH THIS SAME ISSUE, I HAVE ESCALATED THIS COMPLAINT DIRECTLY TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR RESOLUTION. THE COMPLAINT NUMBER IS 3098584. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
11000445
Incident
Jun 10, 2017
Mileage
9,560 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE; POWER TRAIN; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL; WHEELS

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.8.3): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version Version 26.8.3, Release Date: Week of July 24, 2026. NOTE: Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions. New Features - Harley-Davidson: 2023-2024 Touring: Updated Electronic Control Module (ECM) calibration offerings. LiveWire: S2DM/MH/AP: Calibration bundle 10.2.28: Telematic Control Unit (TCU) reflash updates. Change: Vehicle Setup: Body Control Module (BCM) – Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Replacement: Correct issue where tire size selections were not available. System Info – Auxiliary Load Controller (ALC): Added Bike configuration field. Data Items – Trike ECM: Improved display of Gear Position when in reverse. Amp – Added support for (Part No. 76001619).

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE; EXTERIOR LIGHTING; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.7.3): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 26.7.3. Release Date:• Week of June 11, 2026. NOTE Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions.

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM; POWER TRAIN; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.6.2): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 26.6.2. Release Date: Week of April 22, 2026. NOTE: Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions. New Features: 2026 Police • Vehicle Setup: Civilianize; LiveWire • S2: Del Mar (S2DM), Mulholland (S2MH), Alpinista (S2AP) - Calibration bundle 10.2.20: Vehicle Supervisory Controller (VSC) and Onboard Charger (OBC) reflash updates. Changes: 2026 Trike • Update “Reverse Lockout Reason” resize column.

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.5.2): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 26.5.2 Release Date: Week of March 30, 2026. NOTE Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions. New Features. 2024: Pan America (RA1250), Pan America Special (RA1250S), CVO Pan America (RA1250SE) • Updated Body Control Module (BCM) reflash calibration. 2024-2026: CVO Road Glide ST (FLTRXSTSE) • Updated Electronic Control Module (ECM) reflash calibration. 2026: CVO Street Glide ST (FLHXSTSE) • Updated ECM reflash calibration. Changes. 2026 Trike • Update “Reverse Lockout Reason” to support new values, • “Vehicle setup: Gear Indicator Calibration” – improve operation. 2025-2026 Softail • Update reflash for Softail Speedometer (SPDO) – enable operation of auxiliary lamp telltale. LiveWire S2 • Provide reflash support for Vehicle Supervisory Controller (VSC) hardware (Part No. 41001756RE).

M1679

ENGINE

SERVICE BULLETIN M1679: AFTERMARKET EXHAUST HEADER DEBRIS. PURPOSE: Initial release. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has identified instances of premature engine failure due to abrasive particle wear, specifically from debris inside new aftermarket exhaust headers. Recent evaluations have identified that certain newly manufactured exhaust headers may contain residual hard particles that, if not removed prior to installation, can migrate through the engine system and cause accelerated component wear or severe mechanical damage.

M1713

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SERVICE BULLETIN M1713 (REV C): DTII UPDATE PROCEDURE FOR SOFTWARE VERSION (26.4.3). PURPOSE: Revision C. This bulletin informs dealers that an issue was discovered in the Digital Technician II (DT II) software version (26.0.2), released on November 18, 2025. The issue prevents automatic software updates to be installed on your DT II computer. A manual installation of the latest DT II software version (26.4.3) will need to be performed if current DT II software version is (26.0.2), to allow future automatic updates. If a manual update to (26.1.5) or (26.3.2) has previously been completed, DT II will automatically update to (26.4.3) and no additional action is needed.. Revision C. Updated: Purpose for Service Bulletin and Required Dealer Action. Updated to Software Version (26.4.3).

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 XL1200T by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2020000—
2017000—
2016Viewing300—
2015100—
2014000—

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.