IllustrationTHE HOUSING THAT HOLDS THE TACH AND SPEEDOMETER IS DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED OR CAST AND METAL FATIGUE CAUSES THE BRACKET TO SEPARATE WHERE IT IS BOLTED TO THE FRAME. THE TACH/SPEEDO UNIT THEN CAN FALL FREE FROM THE BIKE- A VERY DANGEROUS EVENT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IN 7500 MILES THE HOUSING HAS FAILED TWICE. *TR
2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200S
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 XL1200S years →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: 1 of 1 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.
- Equipment. 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 reports0 injury reports
Equipment complaints
1 reportsOfficial recalls
104V218000 · Exterior Lighting:tail Lights
May 7, 2004
ON CERTAIN DYNA, XL, AND TOURING MOTORCYCLES, THE TAIL LIGHT BULB CAN FALL OUT OF THE SOCKET.
Consequence & remedy
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.
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.