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1997 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Harley Davidson

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

All reported categories

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: 0 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.

  • Electrical System. 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 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. 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.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

3 reports
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Mileage unknown · Nov 20, 2000
Electrical System

THE PROBLEM CONSISTS OF INTERMITTENT, UNFORESEEN, IRREGULAR LOSS OF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER UNDER A VARIETY OF CIRCUMSTANCES, CAUSING TOTAL SHUT-DOWN (NO LIGHTS OR ACCESSORIES OF ANY NATURE, ENGINE STOPS) WITH RESULTING PERSONAL ENDANGERMENT TO ME, MY PASSENGER AND MOTORING PUBLIC. PLEASE REFER TO COPIES SURFACE-MAILED LETTERS TO …

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THE PROBLEM CONSISTS OF INTERMITTENT, UNFORESEEN, IRREGULAR LOSS OF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER UNDER A VARIETY OF CIRCUMSTANCES, CAUSING TOTAL SHUT-DOWN (NO LIGHTS OR ACCESSORIES OF ANY NATURE, ENGINE STOPS) WITH RESULTING PERSONAL ENDANGERMENT TO ME, MY PASSENGER AND MOTORING PUBLIC. PLEASE REFER TO COPIES SURFACE-MAILED LETTERS TO YOUR AGENCY OF TWO OF FOUR CERTIFIED LETTERS TO HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE COMPANY IN MILWAUKEE CONSISTING OF SIX PAGES OF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM. THESE LETTER COPIES FROM ME ARE DATED OCTOBER 11, 2000 AND NOVEMBER 6, 2000 AND ARE TWO VOLUMINOUS TO RE-COPY HERE. AS AN ASIDE, IN PREPARING THIS FORM I HAVE FOUND NO WAY OF INDICATING PARAGRAPHS AND HAVE INADVERTENTLY TOTALLY ERASED THIS TEXT ON TWO OCCASIONS, THUS THIS TRUNCATED VERSION. AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE ENDANGERMENT CAUSED TO ME AND TO OTHERS, I LOST POWER AND CONTROL NUMEROUS TIMES, NECESSITATING MY COASTING ACROSS MULTIPLE LANES TO A SHOULDER WITHOUT POWER. ONCE I STALLED ADJACENT TO A CENTER DIVIDE WITH NO CLEARANCE FROM PASSING VEHICLES. ANOTHER TIME I STALLED ON THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE DURING COMMUTE TRAFFIC WITH NO CENTER DIVIDE OR SHOULDER. THERE WERE ONLY TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC IN MY DIRECTION AT THE TIME AND THE PROBLEM WAS EXACERBATED BY A MOTORIST STOPPING TO MAKE SURE I WAS NOT GOING TO JUMP OVER THE BRIDGE RAILING TO MY DEATH. VEHICLES OF ALL SIZE AND DESCRIPTION HAD TO SQUEEZE PAST ME INTO THE REMAINING LANE, LITERALLY MISSING ME BY 4-5 INCHES. THE MACHINE HAS BEEN IN TO GOLDEN GATE HARLEY-DAVIDSON ON MANY OCCASIONS FOR THIS PROBLEM, MOST RECENTLY FOR A 24-DAY PERIOD. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER MODELS OF H-D MOTORCYCLES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #736587

Mileage unknown · Jul 4, 1998
Electrical System

IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE AT 55 MPH CAUSED COMPLETE POWER FAILURE. THE SECOND FAILURE CAUSED LOW VOLTAGE TO ENGINE INGITION AND LOSS OF POWER.

NHTSA ODI #537733

Mileage unknown · Dec 19, 1997
Electrical System

WHILE STOPPING AT HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION SWITCHED THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF AND TO THE ACCESSORY POSITION, RESULTING IN NO POWER TO THE VEHICLE. IF THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED A THIGHWAY SPEED IN THE ON POSITION IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED IMMEDIATE POWER FAILURE IF THIS HAD HAPPENE DIN TRAFFIC IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH SERIO…

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WHILE STOPPING AT HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION SWITCHED THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF AND TO THE ACCESSORY POSITION, RESULTING IN NO POWER TO THE VEHICLE. IF THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED A THIGHWAY SPEED IN THE ON POSITION IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED IMMEDIATE POWER FAILURE IF THIS HAD HAPPENE DIN TRAFFIC IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH SERIOUS OR FATAL INJURIES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #523320

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

EA98009 · Unexpected Engine Stalling When Riding

Opened Apr 30, 1998 · Closed Aug 13, 1998

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling

ALLEGED IGNITION SWITCH FAILS RESULTING IN SUDDEN AND UNFORSEEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHEN RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE