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2015 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XG500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

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

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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

What owners reported most

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: 10 of 11 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.

  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

2 reports
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8,700 miles · Sep 26, 2015
Fuel/propulsion SystemPower TrainUnknown Or Other

I BROUGHT MY XG500 TO A HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER TO FIX A RECALL ON THE FUEL PUMP. AFTER AN ESTIMATED 100 MILES, THE BIKE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER TO THE BACK WHEEL WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65MPH. THE THROTTLE WOULD REV UP THE ENGINE, BUT IT WASN'T MAKING ME MOVE. THIS PUT ME IN A VERY UNSAFE PREDICAMENT AND I HA…

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I BROUGHT MY XG500 TO A HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER TO FIX A RECALL ON THE FUEL PUMP. AFTER AN ESTIMATED 100 MILES, THE BIKE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER TO THE BACK WHEEL WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65MPH. THE THROTTLE WOULD REV UP THE ENGINE, BUT IT WASN'T MAKING ME MOVE. THIS PUT ME IN A VERY UNSAFE PREDICAMENT AND I HAD TO ROLL ACROSS LANES OF TRAFFIC WHILE DECELERATING.

NHTSA ODI #10777821

32 miles · Jul 31, 2015
EngineUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

JULY 3, 2015 - IT STALLED TWICE WHILE SITTING COMPLETELY STOPPED AT STOP SIGNS WITH THE CLUTCH FULLY PULLED IN. IT IDLED LOW AND THEN COMPLETELY DIED. RESTARTING THE BIKE, I WAS ABLE TO GET IT MOVING WITH QUITE A BIT OF LEAPING AND LAGGING AND THE ENGINE SPUTTERING. ONCE UP AND THROUGH 1ST AND 2ND GEAR (SPUTTERING LIKE IF WAS M…

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JULY 3, 2015 - IT STALLED TWICE WHILE SITTING COMPLETELY STOPPED AT STOP SIGNS WITH THE CLUTCH FULLY PULLED IN. IT IDLED LOW AND THEN COMPLETELY DIED. RESTARTING THE BIKE, I WAS ABLE TO GET IT MOVING WITH QUITE A BIT OF LEAPING AND LAGGING AND THE ENGINE SPUTTERING. ONCE UP AND THROUGH 1ST AND 2ND GEAR (SPUTTERING LIKE IF WAS MISSING FUEL) IT SEEMED TO SUDDENLY ENGAGE AND WAS OK. I COMPENSATED FOR THE LAGGING, BUT IT KEPT JUMPING AS IF SUDDENLY CATCHING WITHOUT PRESSURE ON THE THROTTLE INCREASING. IT DID THIS MOSTLY AT LOWER SPEEDS AT FIRST, BUT ALSO LEAPS WHEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS (45-55MPH) ON RURAL ROADS - AGAIN, JUMPING INTO THE HIGHER SPEED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT AN INCREASE ON THE THROTTLE. ON JULY 18, 2015, THE BIKE JUMPED WHILE TAKING A TURN FROM ONE STREET ONTO ANOTHER, STARTLING ME AND CAUSING ME TO VEER FROM MY LANE AND LEFT OF CENTER, NEARLY TAKING ME OFF THE ROAD AS IT CONTINUED TO JUMP AND SPUTTER. I CORRECTED MY POSITION AND MARKED IT UP TO THE BIKE STILL NEEDING TO BE "BROKEN IN". JULY 31, 2015 - WHILE NORMAL SHIFTING AND INCREASING SPEEDS TO MATCH THE SPEED LIMIT, MY BIKE ACCELERATED TO A OF 40MPH BEFORE JUMPING, THE ENGINE LIGHT BRIEFLY FLICKERING ON AND THEN OFF A FEW TIMES, AND LOSING THROTTLE POWER. I TURNED THE BIKE OFF AND CHECKED THE CLUTCH, OIL, AND INDICATORS BEFORE RESTARTING, REVVING THE ENGINE AND REENTERING THE ROADWAY. THE ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME BACK ON PRIOR TO REENTERING. ONCE ON THE ROAD AND BACK UP TO 40MPH, THE BIKE JUMPED AGAIN, ENGINE LIGHT FLICKERED OF AND ON 4 TIMES AND REMAINED OFF. RETURN TRIP WAS SIMILAR.

NHTSA ODI #10745446

Official recalls

3

15V474000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Jul 29, 2015

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain model year 2015 XG500 motorcycles manufactured January 20, 2014, to July 7, 2015, and XG750 motorcycles manufactured May 12, 2014, to July 7, 2015. The fuel pump modules on these motorcycles have a poor seal at the fuel pump inlet.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If there is a poor seal at the fuel pump inlet it can cause interruption to the fuel supply, possibly causing a brief hesitation with the abrupt restoration of power. This abrupt restoration of power can lead to loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will install a new fuel pump assembly, free of charge. The recall began on August 21, 2015. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-414-343-4056. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0167.

15V217000 · Exterior Lighting; Visibility

Apr 13, 2015

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain model year 2015 XG500 motorcycles manufactured January 28, 2014, to March 9, 2015, and 2015 XG750 motorcycles manufactured May 12, 2014, to March 9, 2015. The affected motorcycles may have been manufactured without a rear reflector assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the motorcycle is missing the rear reflector it can reduce the vehicle's visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will install a rear reflector assembly, free of charge. The recall began on April 29, 2015. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0620.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Exterior Lighting

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain model year 2015 XG500 motorcycles manufactured January 28, 2014, to March 9, 2015, and 2015 XG750 motorcycles manufactured May 12, 2014, to March 9, 2015. The affected motorcycles may have been manufactured without a rear reflector assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence: If the motorcycle is missing the rear reflector it can reduce the vehicle's visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will install a rear reflector assembly, free of charge. The recall began on April 29, 2015. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0620.

Visibility

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain model year 2015 XG500 motorcycles manufactured January 28, 2014, to March 9, 2015, and 2015 XG750 motorcycles manufactured May 12, 2014, to March 9, 2015. The affected motorcycles may have been manufactured without a rear reflector assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence: If the motorcycle is missing the rear reflector it can reduce the vehicle's visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will install a rear reflector assembly, free of charge. The recall began on April 29, 2015. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0620.

14V536000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:filler Pipe And Cap

Sep 5, 2014

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain model year 2015 XG500 and XG750 motorcycles manufactured June 11, 2014, to August 14, 2014. The fuel tank filler neck may be insufficiently flat, preventing the fuel cap from sealing properly.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the fuel cap doesn't properly seal, fuel may leak, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.

Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the motorcycle and test to see if fuel can leak from under the fuel cap. Any motorcycle that leaks fuel from under the fuel cap will have its gas tanked replaced, free of charge. The recall began in late September 2014. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0161.

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

PE15015 · Inconsistent Throttle Response

Opened Apr 20, 2015 · Closed Aug 18, 2015

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery

This investigation was opened on April 20, 2015 to investigate reports of inconsistent throttle control on all MY 2015 HD XG750 and XG500 motorcycles.At the time, ODI had 14 consumer complaints and no crashes reported.At the time of closing this investigation ODI has 51 reports (6 of which allege a crash occurred). In addition to requesting information from Harley-Davidson (HD), ODI interviewed complainants and dealer service/parts department personnel.ODI staff also test rode one of the crash bikes to experience the alleged condition first-hand.At low fuel levels (typically below .8 gallon), the engine may stumble and/or stall when fuel flow from the pump to engine is interrupted.This is due to a poor seal at the fuel pump inlet. Ultimately, HD decided to recall (15V-474) the affected motorcycles (MY 2015 XG500 and XG750 produced 1-20-14 through 6-24-15) to install a new fuel pump assembly.With the recall, our information request is moot and this PE is closed.