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FaultScore report

2008 Harley-Davidson Vrscdx problems

Owners have filed 13 complaints about the 2008 Harley-Davidson Vrscdx with NHTSA between 2010 and 2021. The largest single group is the fuel & propulsion.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Harley-Davidson Vrscdx All 2008 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

13

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

6,000 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 2008 compares with every other Harley-Davidson Vrscdx

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 2008 Harley-Davidson Vrscdx

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

Fuel & Propulsion 7 53.8%

Median failure at 3,000 miles

Brakes 2 15.4%

Median failure at 6,000 miles

Electrical System 2 15.4%

Median failure at 18,250 miles

Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance 1 7.7%
Acceleration & Cruise Control 1 7.7%

Median failure at 26,500 miles

When it fails

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

Under 1,000 miles 3 27.3%
1,000 – 9,999 miles 3 27.3%
10,000 – 24,999 miles 2 18.2%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 3 27.3%

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.

Sep 2010 peak 3 Mar 2021

NHTSA investigations into the 2008 Harley-Davidson Vrscdx

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.

PE16009 Opened 6 Jul 2016 Closed 23 Apr 2018 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

Sudden Brake Failure - Motorcycle

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation in July 2016 based on forty-three (43) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ).During the course of this investigation ODI received a total of 145 VOQs related to the alleged defect on the subject motorcycles.Owners allege they experience a sudden and complete loss of brakes on one or both wheels.To better understand the cause of the braking issue on the subject motorcycles, ODI requested NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) conduct inspections and testing of affected vehicle braking systems.Through its work, VRTC determ...

The most recent complaints

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

Spring Valley, CA

SERVICE BRAKES

THE ABS HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT HAS FAILED WHICH IS CAUSING THE ABS FEATURE TO BECOME UNUSABLE AND BRAKES NOW DEGRADED AND FAULTY WITHOUT PAYING FOR A NEW UNIT WHICH HARLEY HAS QUOTED $1400 TO REPLACE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V076000 ## VIN PASSED ## HARLEY DAVIDSON 2008 ##

NHTSA complaint #11402519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Spring Valley, CA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

THE ABS HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT HAS FAILED WHICH IS CAUSING THE ABS FEATURE TO BECOME UNUSABLE AND BRAKES NOW DEGRADED AND FAULTY WITHOUT PAYING FOR A NEW UNIT WHICH HARLEY HAS QUOTED $1400 TO REPLACE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V076000 ## VIN PASSED ## HARLEY DAVIDSON 2008 ##

NHTSA complaint #11402519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10,000 miles Welland, NY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FUEL GAUGE NEVER READS ACCURATE. WHEN BIKE IS FULL THE GAUGE WILL READ FULL BUT WHEN I TURN BIKE OFF AND RESTART IT AGAIN THE FUEL GAUGE WILL READ 1/4 FULL. GAUGE IS VERY INDEPENDABLE. RESULTING IN THE BIKE RUNNING OUT OF GAS BECAUSE THE IMPROPER READING FROM THE FUEL GAUGE. ALSO RESULTING IN HAVING TO CALL AND AUTO SERVICE FOR A TOW OR FUEL.

NHTSA complaint #10816486 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10,000 miles Welland, NY

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL GAUGE NEVER READS ACCURATE. WHEN BIKE IS FULL THE GAUGE WILL READ FULL BUT WHEN I TURN BIKE OFF AND RESTART IT AGAIN THE FUEL GAUGE WILL READ 1/4 FULL. GAUGE IS VERY INDEPENDABLE. RESULTING IN THE BIKE RUNNING OUT OF GAS BECAUSE THE IMPROPER READING FROM THE FUEL GAUGE. ALSO RESULTING IN HAVING TO CALL AND AUTO SERVICE FOR A TOW OR FUEL.

NHTSA complaint #10816486 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 3,000 miles Casa Grande, AZ

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO OWN THIS BIKE ARE REPORTING THAT THE FUEL GAUGE IS A PROBLEM THAT THE COMPANY IS UNWILLING TO FIX. SEE THREAD: HTTP://WWW.1130CC.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=106786.

NHTSA complaint #10474394 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 26,500 miles Pensacola, FL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

FUEL GAUGE READS ERRATICALLY LOW FROM EMPTY UP TO ACTUAL LEVEL. POSSIBLE FUEL SENSOR FAILURE. UNCOMMANDED CHANGES IN POWER APPARENTLY RELATED TO THIS COMMON PROBLEM MAKE IT A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO ERRATIC SPEED/THRUST BEHAVIOR. IT HAS OCCURRED AT HIGH SPEEDS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC FORCING ME TO PULL OVER.

NHTSA complaint #10465304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 26,500 miles Pensacola, FL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FUEL GAUGE READS ERRATICALLY LOW FROM EMPTY UP TO ACTUAL LEVEL. POSSIBLE FUEL SENSOR FAILURE. UNCOMMANDED CHANGES IN POWER APPARENTLY RELATED TO THIS COMMON PROBLEM MAKE IT A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO ERRATIC SPEED/THRUST BEHAVIOR. IT HAS OCCURRED AT HIGH SPEEDS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC FORCING ME TO PULL OVER.

NHTSA complaint #10465304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 26,500 miles Pensacola, FL

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL GAUGE READS ERRATICALLY LOW FROM EMPTY UP TO ACTUAL LEVEL. POSSIBLE FUEL SENSOR FAILURE. UNCOMMANDED CHANGES IN POWER APPARENTLY RELATED TO THIS COMMON PROBLEM MAKE IT A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO ERRATIC SPEED/THRUST BEHAVIOR. IT HAS OCCURRED AT HIGH SPEEDS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC FORCING ME TO PULL OVER.

NHTSA complaint #10465304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 6,000 miles South Jordan, UT

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

I OWN A 2008 VRSCDX HARLEY DAVIDSON - THE REAR BRAKE FAILED AS IT IS EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE HEAT, DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE FAILURE IS CAUSED BY THE PLASTIC PORTION OF THE SWITCH MELTING ALLOWING THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT OF THE SYSTEM. I HAVE CONTACTED HD AND PROVIDED THEM WITH MULTIPLE CASES OF OTHER VRSCDX BIKES HAVING THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS VERY SERIOUS ISSUE AND HD DID NOT INCLUDE THIS MODEL IN THEIR CURRENT RECALL OF OTHER MODELS WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEMS - ALSO HD HAS RE-DESIGNED THE BRAKE SWITCH LOCATION ON NEWER MODELS. PLEASE HELP RESOLVE THIS BEFORE SOMEONE ISN'T INJURED OR KILLED. THANK YOU, *TT

NHTSA complaint #10432905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 750 miles SAN Antonio, TX

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON VRSCDX (NIGHT ROD SPECIAL) AFTER PURCHASING MY MOTORCYCLE, 5 MONTHS PASSED WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE WENT OUT. I TOOK IT BACK TO HARLEY, AS IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THEY REPLACED SOME PARTS WHICH FIXED THE ISSUE. THE ISSUE RESURFACED AGAIN LAST MONTH (JUNE 2011) WHERE THE FUEL GAUGE IS CONSTANTLY READING EMPTY. IT APPEARS THAT HARLEY HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE AND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, THERE ARE NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVING ISSUES WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10410812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 950 miles Zionsville, IN

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

ERRATIC FUEL GAUGE. OFTEN READS FULL WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY MUCH LOWER. THIS IS MORE CRITICAL ON A MOTORCYCLE (AND ON MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS) AS THE DRIVEN WHEEL AND TIRE ARE DIRECTLY CONNECTED FROM THE ENGINE TO THE ROAD. IF THE MOTORCYCLE ENGINE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY SHUTS DOWN, THE RIDER COULD BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD AND A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD OCCUR. ANOTHER CONCERN WOULD BE CROSSING A BUSY INTERSECTION WHERE THE ENGINE UNEXPECTEDLY SHUTS OFF, LEAVING THE RIDER GROSSLY EXPOSED TO SEVERE INJURY.

NHTSA complaint #10402553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 3,100 miles Highlandville, MO

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

FUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING ALL THE TIME.

NHTSA complaint #10389791 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 100 miles Lexington, SC

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

FUEL GAUGE IS ALWAYS ERRATIC IN DISPLAYING THE AMOUNT OF REMAINING FUEL (GENERALLY REPORTS MORE THAN IS REMAINING). THIS MAY CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF FUEL, LOSS OF POWER AND STALL. NO CORRECTION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.

NHTSA complaint #10354872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.