NHTSA recalls & complaints · 2000–2019

Harley-Davidson XL1200C recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 28 owner complaints for the Harley-Davidson XL1200C, covering model years 2000 to 2019. The 2006 model year drew the most complaints (6), and Electrical System is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Harley-Davidson XL1200C VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

3 recall campaigns on file
28 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
12 model years with data (2000–2019)

most complaints: 2006 (6 for that model year)
top component: Electrical System (7 complaints)
latest recall 21V225000 (reported Mar 31, 2021)

0 complaints reporting a crash (0.0%)
0 complaints reporting a fire (0.0%)
0 complaints reporting an injury (0.0%)
0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)

Harley-Davidson XL1200C complaints by model year

11 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2006 model year has the most complaints: 6 of 28, or 21.4%. Next come 2005 (4) and 2007 (4). The fewest are for 2008, with 1 complaint.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years

Harley-Davidson XL1200C complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death

Harley-Davidson XL1200C complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model year	Complaints	Reporting a crash	Reporting a fire	Reporting an injury	Reporting a death
2000	1	0	0	0	0
2001	1	0	0	0	0
2002	1	0	0	0	0
2003	3	0	0	0	0
2004	2	0	0	0	0
2005	4	0	0	0	0
2006	6	0	0	0	0
2007	4	0	0	0	0
2008	1	0	0	0	0
2009	3	0	0	0	0
2014	2	0	0	0	0
All model years	28	0	0	0	0

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Harley-Davidson XL1200C components

top 12 · NHTSA categories

Electrical System is the component named most often, in 7 complaints (25.0% of all 28), followed by Engine and Engine Cooling (4) and Power Train (4).

Components named most often in Harley-Davidson XL1200C complaints (top 12)

Components named most often in Harley-Davidson XL1200C complaints (top 12)
Component	Complaints	Share of complaints
Electrical System	7	25.0%
Engine and Engine Cooling	4	14.3%
Power Train	4	14.3%
Engine	3	10.7%
Structure	3	10.7%
Visibility	3	10.7%
Exterior Lighting	1	3.6%
Fuel System, Gasoline	1	3.6%
Fuel/Propulsion System	1	3.6%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	1	3.6%
Tires	1	3.6%
Unknown or Other	1	3.6%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

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.

They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

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.

Harley-Davidson XL1200C recalls

3 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name XL1200C, newest first. The 3 campaigns cover model years 2003 to 2019. The 2003, 2007 and 2019 model years appear in the most campaigns (1 each).

3 recall campaigns

Harley-Davidson XL1200C recall campaigns covering each model year
Decade	Years ending in 0	Years ending in 1	Years ending in 2	Years ending in 3	Years ending in 4	Years ending in 5	Years ending in 6	Years ending in 7	Years ending in 8	Years ending in 9
2000s				2003: 1 campaign	2004: no campaigns	2005: no campaigns	2006: no campaigns	2007: 1 campaign	2008: no campaigns	2009: no campaigns
2010s	2010: no campaigns	2011: no campaigns	2012: no campaigns	2013: no campaigns	2014: no campaigns	2015: no campaigns	2016: no campaigns	2017: no campaigns	2018: no campaigns	2019: 1 campaign

Highlighted: the model years with the most campaigns.

NHTSA campaign 21V225000
Reported Mar 31, 2021
Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Bulbs
Model year 2019
Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Sportster (XL) motorcycles and 796 headlight assemblies that may have been sold as replacement parts for 2005-2019 Sportster, 2005-2017 Softail, 2005-2017 Dyna, and 2005-2011 V-Rod motorcycles. The glass bulb within the headlight assembly may fail, causing a loss of both high and low beams.
Consequence:
A loss of both headlight beams can reduce visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy:
Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will install a headlamp bulb shield, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2021. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0177.
Filed by Harley-Davidson Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 06V476000
Reported Dec 19, 2006
Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Model year 2007
On certain motorcycles, as a result of a greater body thickness than used in previous model years, the voltage regulator may contact the front fender under certain conditions. In some cases this contact may allow the front fender to catch on the top side of the regulator body which could impede the operator's ability to steer the vehicle.
Consequence:
This could result in a crash which could cause injury or death to the rider.
Remedy:
On motorcycles which do not have accessory engine guards, dealers will install an intermediate mounting bracket that will relocate the voltage regulator to a position which provides more clearance from the front fender. On vehicles with an accessory engine guards, dealers will install the thinnner dimension voltage regulator to avoide the front fender clearance problem. The recall began on January 22, 2007. A second customer letter reflecting the above remedy will be sent to owners on March 16, 2007. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson at 1-414-343-4056.
Filed by Harley-Davidson Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 04V218000
Reported May 7, 2004
Exterior Lighting › Tail Lights
Model year 2003
On certain dyna, XL, and touring motorcycles, the tail light bulb can fall out of the socket.
Consequence:
The tail light and the brake light become inoperative, which could lead to a crash.
Remedy:
Dealers will replace the bulbs. Owner notification began on June 3, 2004. Owners should contact Harley-Davidson at 1-414-342-4680.
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.

How to read this recall list

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.

What each recall field means

What each recall field means
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.

Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

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.

Harley-Davidson XL1200C questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Harley-Davidson XL1200C have?

NHTSA lists 3 vehicle recall campaigns for the Harley-Davidson XL1200C, covering model years 2000 to 2019. The most recent, 21V225000, was reported on March 31, 2021 and is filed under “Exterior lighting”. The 2003, 2007 and 2019 model years are covered by the most campaigns (1 each).

Which Harley-Davidson XL1200C model year has the most complaints?

The 2006 model year, with 6 of the 28 complaints in NHTSA’s file (21.4%). The next are 2005 (4) and 2007 (4). 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.

What is the most common Harley-Davidson XL1200C complaint?

Electrical System is the component named most often: 7 complaints, or 25.0% of all 28. Engine and Engine Cooling (4) and Power Train (4) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Harley-Davidson XL1200C?

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.

How many Harley-Davidson XL1200C complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 28 complaints, 0 report a crash, 0 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.

8 models · most complaints first

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.

Harley-Davidson FLHTCU 1995–2019 · 14 recalls · 274 complaints
Harley-Davidson FLHX 2006–2026 · 16 recalls · 184 complaints
Harley-Davidson FLHTK 2010–2023 · 12 recalls · 161 complaints
Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI 1995–2007 · 4 recalls · 108 complaints
Harley-Davidson FLHTC 1995–2013 · 8 recalls · 94 complaints
Harley-Davidson XG750 2015–2019 · 4 recalls · 88 complaints
Harley-Davidson FLHR 1995–2022 · 12 recalls · 87 complaints
Harley-Davidson FLHTCUTG 2009–2025 · 8 recalls · 87 complaints

All Harley-Davidson models and WMI codes Look 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.