NHTSA recalls & complaints · 1995–2001
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 7 owner complaints for the Harley-Davidson FL, covering model years 1995 to 2001. The 1996 model year drew the most complaints (3), and Electrical System is the component owners name most often.
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.
See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.
The 1996 model year has the most complaints: 3 of 7, or 42.9%. Next come 2001 (2) and 1995 (1). The fewest are for 2000, with 1 complaint.
| Model year | Complaints | Reporting a crash | Reporting a fire | Reporting an injury | Reporting a death |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| All model years | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.
Electrical System is the component named most often, in 3 complaints (42.9% of all 7), followed by Fuel System, Gasoline (3) and Equipment (2).
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 3 | 42.9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 42.9% |
| Equipment | 2 | 28.6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 14.3% |
One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.
These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.
Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.
Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name FL, newest first. The 3 campaigns cover model years 1995 to 1998. The 1996 model year appears in the most campaigns (2).
| 1995: 1 campaign | 1996: 2 campaigns | 1997: 1 campaign | 1998: 1 campaign |
NHTSA campaign 97V227000
Reported
Model year 1998
Vehicle description: motorcycles. The rear brake pedal assembly may have an inadequate weld.
Filed by Harley-Davidson Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 96V204000
Reported
Model years 1995–1997
The effects of reformulated gasoline along with certain usage of the fuel supply valve affects the supply of gasoline to the carburetor. This condition requires two factors: (1) the use of reformulated fuels containing mbte and (2) starting the motorcycle with the fuel valve handle in the off position.
Filed by Harley-Davidson Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 96V103000
Reported
Model year 1996
The seal on the rear master cylinder piston can move out of position.
Filed by Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it; older campaigns, which NHTSA stores in capital letters, are shown in sentence case. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.
This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Campaign number | NHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site. |
| Component | The system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software. |
| Summary | What the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered. |
| Consequence | The safety risk if the problem isn't fixed. |
| Remedy | What the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free. |
Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.
NHTSA lists 3 vehicle recall campaigns for the Harley-Davidson FL, covering model years 1995 to 2001. The most recent, 97V227000, was reported on December 15, 1997 and is filed under “Service brakes, hydraulic”. The 1996 model year is covered by the most campaigns (2).
The 1996 model year, with 3 of the 7 complaints in NHTSA’s file (42.9%). The next are 2001 (2) and 1995 (1). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.
Electrical System is the component named most often: 3 complaints, or 42.9% of all 7. Fuel System, Gasoline (3) and Equipment (2) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.
Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Harley-Davidson dealer.
Of the 7 complaints, 0 report a crash, 1 a fire, 0 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.
The Harley-Davidson models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Harley-Davidson VIN decoder with every Harley-Davidson model page, WMI code and VIN note.
All Harley-Davidson models and WMI codesLook up recalls by year
Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.