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FaultScore report

2002 Harley-Davidson Vrsca problems

Owners have filed 14 complaints about the 2002 Harley-Davidson Vrsca with NHTSA between 2002 and 2016. The largest single group is the fuel & propulsion. Across this model's run it ranks 3 of 3 worst.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Harley-Davidson Vrsca All 2002 cars
C

FaultScore 51/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Harley-Davidson Vrsca.

How this is worked out

The numbers

14

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

5,657 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

88%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 62 vs 50 Severity 0 vs 50 Early failure 100 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 62
Against the median year of the Harley-Davidson Vrsca. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 100
88% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2002 compares with every other Harley-Davidson Vrsca

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 2002 Harley-Davidson Vrsca

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

Fuel & Propulsion 10 71.4%

Median failure at 5,657 miles

Electrical System 2 14.3%

Median failure at 5,514 miles

Wheels 1 7.1%
Brakes 1 7.1%

Median failure at 15,000 miles

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

Under 1,000 miles 1 12.5%
1,000 – 9,999 miles 5 62.5%
10,000 – 24,999 miles 1 12.5%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 1 12.5%

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.

Aug 2002 peak 3 Apr 2016

The most recent complaints

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

at 1,000 miles Cookeville, TN

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING CORRECTLY GOES FROM FULL TO EMPTY IN 15 MINUTES.

NHTSA complaint #10854314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Elyria, OH

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT PROPERLY WORK DUE TO FLOAT ISSUES. THIS CAN LEAVE PEOPLE STRANDED. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE AND I DO NOT SEE WHY HARLEY HAS NOT BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE AS OF YET...

NHTSA complaint #10819907 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 5,514 miles Central Point, OR

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE FUEL GAGE INDICATED 1/2 TANK, I STOPPED AND FILLED THE FUEL TANK. WHEN THE FUEL TANK WAS FILLED AND I WAS RIDING AWAY I SAW THE NEEDLE NOW INDICATED THE TANK WAS EMPTY. AFTER RIDING FOE SOME 20 MILES THE GAGE NEEDLE GRADUALLY BEGAN TO RISE TO 3/4 FULL THEN DROP THEN RISE TO 7/8 FULL. THIS HAS HAPPENED NOW EVERY TIME I HAVE FILLED THE TANK. THE FORUMS ARE FULL OF OTHERS WHO EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING WITHOUT ANY SATISFACTION FROM THE MANUFACTURE. THIS IS MY FIRST VEHICLE WITH THIS MANUFACTURE AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS COULD BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE TANK RUNS DRY IN THE DESERT OR ALIGAYTOR ALLEY OR DEEP IN THE FOREST.

NHTSA complaint #10510468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 5,514 miles Central Point, OR

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THE FUEL GAGE INDICATED 1/2 TANK, I STOPPED AND FILLED THE FUEL TANK. WHEN THE FUEL TANK WAS FILLED AND I WAS RIDING AWAY I SAW THE NEEDLE NOW INDICATED THE TANK WAS EMPTY. AFTER RIDING FOE SOME 20 MILES THE GAGE NEEDLE GRADUALLY BEGAN TO RISE TO 3/4 FULL THEN DROP THEN RISE TO 7/8 FULL. THIS HAS HAPPENED NOW EVERY TIME I HAVE FILLED THE TANK. THE FORUMS ARE FULL OF OTHERS WHO EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING WITHOUT ANY SATISFACTION FROM THE MANUFACTURE. THIS IS MY FIRST VEHICLE WITH THIS MANUFACTURE AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS COULD BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE TANK RUNS DRY IN THE DESERT OR ALIGAYTOR ALLEY OR DEEP IN THE FOREST.

NHTSA complaint #10510468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 8,000 miles Waipahu, HI

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

1. FUEL GAUGE GOES TO 100% EMPTY JUST AFTER SHOWING 1/2 TANK. THE INDICATOR NEEDLE DROPS WITHIN 3 TENTHS TO 1 MILE OF USE AFTER THE 1/2 TANK MARK SHOWS. THIS ISSUE HAS STRANDED ME MORE THAN A HALF DOZEN TIMES AS I TRY TO ESTIMATE FUEL LEFT IN TANK WHILE USING THE MOTORCYCLE. 2. ELECTRIC FANS MOUNTED DIRECTLY TO RADIATOR WORKED LOOSE. HOUSING RUB AGAINST RADIATOR CAUSED THE RADIATOR TO BURST WHILE HOT AND AGAIN STRANDING MYSELF AND PASSENGER ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD DUE TO OVER HEATING OF THE ENGINE. THE POTENTIAL OF BURNS TO LEGS EXISTS AS WHEN THE RADIATOR BURST HOT COOLING SOLUTION WAS SPRAYED TO LEGS. I WAS ABLE TO REACT FAST ENOUGH NOT GET SOAKED THUS AVERTED GETTING BURNED. I CONTACTED HARLEY DAVIDSON ABOUT BOTH PROBLEMS AND WAS ADVISED THERE IS NO RECALL NOTICE FOR THESE ISSUES NOR WAS THERE WARRANTY FOR REPAIRS FOR EITHER DEFECT.

NHTSA complaint #10481319 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Oklahoma City, OK

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ CORRECTLY. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH EVERY MODEL OF THE V-ROD FROM THE FIRST MODEL IN 2002 UNTIL PRESENT. HARLEY KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO MAKE A RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10404931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 5,800 miles Kalaheo, HI

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

THE FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD DOES NOT NOR HAS IT EVER WORKED SINCE 2004. COMPLAINING TO HARLEY DAVIDSON DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER SINCE THE PROBLEM HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE 2002. RUNNING OUT OF GAS IN THE DESERT OF ARIZONA IS DANGEROUS IN ITSELF, MUCH LESS BECAUSE OF AN INACCURATE OR NON-FUNCTIONING GAS GAUGE........

NHTSA complaint #10360554 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Coconut Creek, FL

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

FUEL GAUGE NEVER WORKED.

NHTSA complaint #10357751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 15,000 miles Middletown, CT

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

2002 HARLEY VROD REAR BRAKE SWITCH FAILURE. SWITCH DOES NOT LIGHT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT. FAILURE IS PERMANENT. DOES NOT WORK. HAVE NOT TAKEN TO DEALER. READ BLOGS INDICATING IT IS WIDESPREAD AND COSTS APPROX $150 AND RECURS.

NHTSA complaint #10351101 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 100 miles Austin, TX

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

FUEL GAUGE ON 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON VRSCA MOTORCYCLE DOES NOT WORK AS DESIGNED.

NHTSA complaint #10348278 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Grant, FL

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

GAS GAUGE ON HARLEY DAVIDSON VROD, MODEL 2002 VRSCA AND ON MY HARLEY DAVIDSON VROD MODEL 2003 VRSCA HAVE QUIT WORKING. BOTH MOTORCYCLES HAD LESS THAN 2000 MILES AND LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD WHEN THEY QUIT WORKING.

NHTSA complaint #10347860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 40,168 miles Quincy, IL

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

2002 VRSCA FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK. IT HAS NEVER PERFORMED AS IT SHOULD.

NHTSA complaint #10344946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Madison, WI

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE MOTORCYCLE (2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD). *AK THE BIKE TYPICALLY STALL WHILE STARTING OUT IN FIRST GEAR. THE BIKE HAD TO BE REVVED UP HIGH TO GET IT GOING. THE MANUFACTURER HAS REPLACED THE FRONT SPROCKET ON THE 2004 AND 2005 MODELS TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT NOT THE EARLIER MODELS.

NHTSA complaint #10103202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dennis Port, MA

WHEELS

WHEELS WERE OF SOLID DESIGN, BOWL SHAPED. AT 55-60 MPH WIND GOT CAUGHT IN WHEELS AND FORCED VEHICLE INTO A LANE CHANGE. DEALER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO.

NHTSA complaint #8016474 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.