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FaultScore report

2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster problems

Owners have filed 10 complaints about the 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster with NHTSA between 2003 and 2007. The largest single group is the engine & cooling.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Harley-Davidson Sportster All 2003 cars
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Not graded

Too few complaints, or too short a model run, to compare fairly.

How this is worked out

The numbers

10

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

2,142 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

100%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

How 2003 compares with every other Harley-Davidson Sportster

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Engine & Cooling 3 30.0%

Median failure at 2,142 miles

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 2 20.0%

Median failure at 2,055 miles

Body & Structure 2 20.0%

Median failure at 2,321 miles

Acceleration & Cruise Control 1 10.0%

Median failure at 750 miles

Brakes 1 10.0%
Steering 1 10.0%

Median failure at 2,142 miles

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

May 2003 peak 3 May 2007

NHTSA investigations into the 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

PE02083 Opened 12 Nov 2002 Closed 26 Feb 2003 VISIBILITY

REAR VIEW MIRROR STEM FAILURES

PROMPTED BY THE REFERENCED OWNER COMPLAINT, ODI OPENED THIS PE AFTER DETERMINING THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERS HAD FREQUENTLY REPLACED THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (OE) MIRRORS ON 2002 SPORTSTER 1200 CUSTOM MODEL MOTORCYCLES BECAUSE OF STEM FRACTURES ON THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY.THE STEMBEING THE TUBULAR STRUCTURE WHICH CONNECTS THE ACTUAL MIRROR HEAD ASSEMBLY TO THE MOTORCYCLE.THE SINGLE CRASH ALLEGATION HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED.OF THE TWO INJURIES, ONE OCCURRED WHEN THE SEPARATED MIRROR STRUCK THE OPERATOR.THE OTHER OCCURRED DURING THE UNCONFIRMED CRASH. SUBSEQUENTLY, HARLEY DAVIDSON NOTIFIED THE AGENCY TH...

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

at 2,500 miles Sebastopol, CA

STRUCTURE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER SPORT. THE FRAME BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED DUE TO METAL FATIGUE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PART BUT IT FAILED AGAIN AFTER 2,500 MILES. THE PART WAS REPLACED A THIRD TIME AND HAS FAILED AGAIN. THE # OF CYLINDERS WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 7,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,500. UPDATED 06/26/07.

NHTSA complaint #10191941 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,142 miles SAN Jose, CA

STEERING

SPEEDOMETER-TACHOMETER BRACKET BREAKS FROM EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION THROUGH MOUNTING BOLT HOLES CAUSING GAUGE ASSEMBLY TO FALL OFF WHILE RIDING. UNIT HANGS BY THE WIRES & INTERFERES WITH THE STEERING FORKS & CONTROL OF VEHICLE. ALSO EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION AS DEEMED NORMAL BY THE MANUFACTURER CAUSES NUMBNESS IN THE HANDS & FEET WITHIN 7 MILES OF RIDING & ULTIMATELY DIFFICULTY IN CONTROLLING VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #10078940 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,142 miles SAN Jose, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

SPEEDOMETER-TACHOMETER BRACKET BREAKS FROM EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION THROUGH MOUNTING BOLT HOLES CAUSING GAUGE ASSEMBLY TO FALL OFF WHILE RIDING. UNIT HANGS BY THE WIRES & INTERFERES WITH THE STEERING FORKS & CONTROL OF VEHICLE. ALSO EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION AS DEEMED NORMAL BY THE MANUFACTURER CAUSES NUMBNESS IN THE HANDS & FEET WITHIN 7 MILES OF RIDING & ULTIMATELY DIFFICULTY IN CONTROLLING VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #10078940 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,142 miles SAN Jose, CA

STRUCTURE

SPEEDOMETER-TACHOMETER BRACKET BREAKS FROM EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION THROUGH MOUNTING BOLT HOLES CAUSING GAUGE ASSEMBLY TO FALL OFF WHILE RIDING. UNIT HANGS BY THE WIRES & INTERFERES WITH THE STEERING FORKS & CONTROL OF VEHICLE. ALSO EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION AS DEEMED NORMAL BY THE MANUFACTURER CAUSES NUMBNESS IN THE HANDS & FEET WITHIN 7 MILES OF RIDING & ULTIMATELY DIFFICULTY IN CONTROLLING VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #10078940 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Roscoe, IL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

OK, MY COMPLAINT IS ON A 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM SPORTSTER. THE FRONT HEADLIGHT HAS FALLEN OFF DUE TO THE BOLT SHEARING FROM VIBRATION AND SO HAS THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ON THE LEFT SIDE. HARLEY HAS REPLACED THE ENGINE AT ABOUT 1300 MILES, STATING THAT IT HAD AN UNSAFE VIBRATION. THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT DID NOT FIX THE EXCESSIVE VIBRATION AND I HAVE SINCE LOST THESE PARTS. THEY NOW TELL ME THAT THE UNSAFE VIBRATION IS INDEED SAFE.

NHTSA complaint #10064207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 750 miles Pompano Beach, FL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE RIDING SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER THE CORRECT RATE OF SPEED. WHEN THIS OCCURS CONSUMER HAS TO REACH DOWN AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF WHILE STILL RIDING, AND TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN BEFORE THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHOW THE CORRECT THE RATE OF SPEED. VEHICLE HAD BEEN AT REPAIR SHOP FOUR TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED.

NHTSA complaint #10039655 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Knoxville, TN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER LEAKING OIL OUT OF THE AIR CLEANER.*MR

NHTSA complaint #10032319 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 4,100 miles Mineral Point, WI

VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

LEFT REARVIEW MIRROR STEM BROKE AND MIRROR FELL OFF. THIRD TIME A MIRROR ON THE SAME SIDE HAS BROKE OFF OF MY 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM SPORTSTER. THE MIRRORS ARE FACTORY AND ARE LONG STEMMED.

NHTSA complaint #10033048 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10 miles Hanover Park, IL

VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

MIRRORS ON 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM DO NOT SIT OUT WIDE ENOUGH TO SEE WHAT IS BEHIND YOU. HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN TWO ACCIDENTS BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE BEHIND ME. SPENT 200.00 ON AFTERMARKET MIRRORS AND HAVE SAME PROBLEM. *NLM

NHTSA complaint #10032557 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bethel, AR

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKE BUT THERE WAS NO REACTION. THE CONSUMER ALMOST REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER LATER NOTICED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT SOMEONE FORGOT TO PUT THE WASHERS IN THE BRAKE LINE. *NLM

NHTSA complaint #10018064 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.