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2002 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Sportster

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →
6Owner complaints

Model-year median: 3

0Recall campaigns

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1Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
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2005
Compare all Sportster years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Visibility
3Engine And Engine Cooling
2Fuel System, Gasoline
1Power Train
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 2 of 6 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Visibility. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

6 reports
3,682 miles · Dec 5, 2005
Engine And Engine Cooling

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR UPPER VALVE COVER LEAKED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FRONT AND REAR UPPER VALVE COVERS. SINCE THE VALVES WERE REPLACED THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RETURNED. *AK UPDATED 1/4/2006 - THE REAR ROCKER BOX COVER LEAKED. THE FRONT AND REAR BOX COVER WERE REPLACED. THE GASKETS WERE REPLACED WITH UPDATE…

Read full complaint

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR UPPER VALVE COVER LEAKED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FRONT AND REAR UPPER VALVE COVERS. SINCE THE VALVES WERE REPLACED THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RETURNED. *AK UPDATED 1/4/2006 - THE REAR ROCKER BOX COVER LEAKED. THE FRONT AND REAR BOX COVER WERE REPLACED. THE GASKETS WERE REPLACED WITH UPDATED ONES. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10144509

6,000 miles · Dec 1, 2003
Power Train

AFTER MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN RIDDEN FOR 30-45 MINUTES SHIFT LEVER BECOMES ALMOST UNUSABLE IF MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN LEFT TO IDLE OF IS TURNED OFF, AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF MOVING UP AND DOWN IT CAN BE USED. VERY DANGEROUS IF I CAN NOT SHIFT INTO APPROPRIATE GEAR. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10048968

Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 2002
Visibility

LEFT HAND MIRROR WILL FLY OFF WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ODI #8018091

Mileage unknown · Aug 16, 2002
VisibilityInjury

CUSTOM 1200, AT 65 MPH, LEFT MIRROR SNAPPED OFF AND HIT CONSUMER IN THE FACE. CONSUMER SUFFERED FACIAL INJURIES.*AK JLG

NHTSA ODI #8016478

Mileage unknown · Aug 16, 2002
Visibility

CUSTOM 1200, MIRRORS ON VEHICLE ARE VERY HIGH STEMMED, VIBRATION WILL NOT ALLOW RIDER TO SEE TRAFFIC BEHIND HIM WHEN CHANGING LANES. DEALER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO.*AK *SLC

NHTSA ODI #8016476

Mileage unknown · Apr 10, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline

WHILE DRIVING, INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKS AND MOTORCYCLE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN. *AK CONSUMER ADDS THAT BIKE WOULD STALL INTERMITTENTLY AND IS ALSO MAKING A POPPING NOISE AND BACKFIRING. *TT

NHTSA ODI #8007255

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

PE02083 · Rear View Mirror Stem Failures

Opened Nov 12, 2002 · Closed Feb 26, 2003

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility

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 THAT IT WAS RECALLING THE SUBJECT MOTORCYCLES TO ADDRESS THE STEM FAILURES.