IllustrationFUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING CORRECTLY GOES FROM FULL TO EMPTY IN 15 MINUTES.
2002 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Vrsca
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Vrsca years →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: 7 of 13 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 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. 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
What owners actually said
13 reportsTHE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT PROPERLY WORK DUE TO FLOAT ISSUES. THIS CAN LEAVE PEOPLE STRANDED. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE AND I DO NOT SEE WHY HARLEY HAS NOT BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE AS OF YET...
THE FUEL GAGE INDICATED 1/2 TANK, I STOPPED AND FILLED THE FUEL TANK. WHEN THE FUEL TANK WAS FILLED AND I WAS RIDING AWAY I SAW THE NEEDLE NOW INDICATED THE TANK WAS EMPTY. AFTER RIDING FOE SOME 20 MILES THE GAGE NEEDLE GRADUALLY BEGAN TO RISE TO 3/4 FULL THEN DROP THEN RISE TO 7/8 FULL. THIS HAS HAPPENED NOW EVERY TIME I HAVE F…
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THE FUEL GAGE INDICATED 1/2 TANK, I STOPPED AND FILLED THE FUEL TANK. WHEN THE FUEL TANK WAS FILLED AND I WAS RIDING AWAY I SAW THE NEEDLE NOW INDICATED THE TANK WAS EMPTY. AFTER RIDING FOE SOME 20 MILES THE GAGE NEEDLE GRADUALLY BEGAN TO RISE TO 3/4 FULL THEN DROP THEN RISE TO 7/8 FULL. THIS HAS HAPPENED NOW EVERY TIME I HAVE FILLED THE TANK. THE FORUMS ARE FULL OF OTHERS WHO EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING WITHOUT ANY SATISFACTION FROM THE MANUFACTURE. THIS IS MY FIRST VEHICLE WITH THIS MANUFACTURE AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS COULD BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE TANK RUNS DRY IN THE DESERT OR ALIGAYTOR ALLEY OR DEEP IN THE FOREST. *TR
1. FUEL GAUGE GOES TO 100% EMPTY JUST AFTER SHOWING 1/2 TANK. THE INDICATOR NEEDLE DROPS WITHIN 3 TENTHS TO 1 MILE OF USE AFTER THE 1/2 TANK MARK SHOWS. THIS ISSUE HAS STRANDED ME MORE THAN A HALF DOZEN TIMES AS I TRY TO ESTIMATE FUEL LEFT IN TANK WHILE USING THE MOTORCYCLE. 2. ELECTRIC FANS MOUNTED DIRECTLY TO RADIATOR…
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1. FUEL GAUGE GOES TO 100% EMPTY JUST AFTER SHOWING 1/2 TANK. THE INDICATOR NEEDLE DROPS WITHIN 3 TENTHS TO 1 MILE OF USE AFTER THE 1/2 TANK MARK SHOWS. THIS ISSUE HAS STRANDED ME MORE THAN A HALF DOZEN TIMES AS I TRY TO ESTIMATE FUEL LEFT IN TANK WHILE USING THE MOTORCYCLE. 2. ELECTRIC FANS MOUNTED DIRECTLY TO RADIATOR WORKED LOOSE. HOUSING RUB AGAINST RADIATOR CAUSED THE RADIATOR TO BURST WHILE HOT AND AGAIN STRANDING MYSELF AND PASSENGER ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD DUE TO OVER HEATING OF THE ENGINE. THE POTENTIAL OF BURNS TO LEGS EXISTS AS WHEN THE RADIATOR BURST HOT COOLING SOLUTION WAS SPRAYED TO LEGS. I WAS ABLE TO REACT FAST ENOUGH NOT GET SOAKED THUS AVERTED GETTING BURNED. I CONTACTED HARLEY DAVIDSON ABOUT BOTH PROBLEMS AND WAS ADVISED THERE IS NO RECALL NOTICE FOR THESE ISSUES NOR WAS THERE WARRANTY FOR REPAIRS FOR EITHER DEFECT. *TR
FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ CORRECTLY. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH EVERY MODEL OF THE V-ROD FROM THE FIRST MODEL IN 2002 UNTIL PRESENT. HARLEY KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO MAKE A RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM.
THE FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD DOES NOT NOR HAS IT EVER WORKED SINCE 2004. COMPLAINING TO HARLEY DAVIDSON DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER SINCE THE PROBLEM HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE 2002. RUNNING OUT OF GAS IN THE DESERT OF ARIZONA IS DANGEROUS IN ITSELF, MUCH LESS BECAUSE OF AN INACCURATE OR NON-FUNCTIONING GAS GAUGE....…
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THE FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON V-ROD DOES NOT NOR HAS IT EVER WORKED SINCE 2004. COMPLAINING TO HARLEY DAVIDSON DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER SINCE THE PROBLEM HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE 2002. RUNNING OUT OF GAS IN THE DESERT OF ARIZONA IS DANGEROUS IN ITSELF, MUCH LESS BECAUSE OF AN INACCURATE OR NON-FUNCTIONING GAS GAUGE........ *TR
FUEL GAUGE NEVER WORKED. *TR
2002 HARLEY VROD REAR BRAKE SWITCH FAILURE. SWITCH DOES NOT LIGHT THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT. FAILURE IS PERMANENT. DOES NOT WORK. HAVE NOT TAKEN TO DEALER. READ BLOGS INDICATING IT IS WIDESPREAD AND COSTS APPROX $150 AND RECURS. *TR
FUEL GAUGE ON 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON VRSCA MOTORCYCLE DOES NOT WORK AS DESIGNED. *TR
GAS GAUGE ON HARLEY DAVIDSON VROD, MODEL 2002 VRSCA AND ON MY HARLEY DAVIDSON VROD MODEL 2003 VRSCA HAVE QUIT WORKING. BOTH MOTORCYCLES HAD LESS THAN 2000 MILES AND LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD WHEN THEY QUIT WORKING. *TR
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.