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2006 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL883C

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: 2 of 2 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.

  • Engine. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. 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

What owners actually said

2 reports
200 miles · Feb 11, 2017
EngineUnknown Or Other

I BOUGHT THIS 3/28/2006 AND MY AIR CLEANER HAS OIL COMING OUT ONTO THE EXHAUST AND MYSELF AS WELL AS ANYWHERE BEHIND THE AIRCLEANER ON DOWN TO SOME DEGREE. I TOOK IT TO A HARLEY DEALER IN IOWA SINCE I WAS A WAYS FROM MY PURCHASE DEALER. THEY SAID TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT TO SEE IF IT WILL STOP. I WAS UPSET AND DID NOT GO BACK. WHY …

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I BOUGHT THIS 3/28/2006 AND MY AIR CLEANER HAS OIL COMING OUT ONTO THE EXHAUST AND MYSELF AS WELL AS ANYWHERE BEHIND THE AIRCLEANER ON DOWN TO SOME DEGREE. I TOOK IT TO A HARLEY DEALER IN IOWA SINCE I WAS A WAYS FROM MY PURCHASE DEALER. THEY SAID TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT TO SEE IF IT WILL STOP. I WAS UPSET AND DID NOT GO BACK. WHY DO THEY THINK I WAS THERE JUST TO SAY HI,UNBELIEVABLE. I HAVE SEEN WAYS TO DO DIVERT THE OIL. AT XL FORUM BUT IT IS NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM IT IS JUST A PATCH AT BEST. SOME SAY RUN LESS OIL. BUT IT STILL BOILS DOWN TO THE BAD COMPONET. I HAVE BEEN STUING OVER THIS FOR A LONG TIME AND FINALLY HAD TO SAY SOMETHING. AT ALMOST 60 YRS OLD I JUST NEED TO GET THIS OFF MY CHEST AND SEE IF SOMEONE WILL READ THIS AND GET AHOLD OF ME AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. WE WILL SEE. THIS HAPPENS WHILE RIDING THE BIKE AND SETTING AS LONG AS THE BIKE IS RUNNING. I AM JUST TIRED OF THE OIL GETTING ALL OVER MY CLOTHES AND HAVING TO CLEAN UP THE OIL SO NO ONE SAYS HAY IT'S A HARLEY WHAT DO YOU EXPECT. LIKE THE OLD SCHOOL BIKES. I HOPE OTHERS WILL SEE THIS AND TELL US ALL THAT THERE;S IS DOING IT TOO. ON THE PLUS SIDE IT RUNS HARD SOUNDS GREAT WITH CUSTOM EXHAUST NOT STRAIGHT PIPES. LOOKS GREAT PEARL BLACK YOU CAN;T GO WRONG WITH PEARL PAINT. I LOVE THE STANCE AND IT GIVES ME PLEASURE ON THE RODE MINUS THE OIL THING, WITHOUT THE OIL PROBLEM I WOULD SAY IT IS A PERFECT RIDE POWER LOOKS AND JUST PLAIN OLD FUN. SO SOMEONE PLEASE GET AHOLD OF ME TO GET THIS PERFECT THANKS...

NHTSA ODI #10954026

2,800 miles · Aug 25, 2007
Engine And Engine Cooling

WE PURCHASED A 2006 XLH SPORTSTER CUSTOM IN MAY OF 2006. RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN THE ROAD, WE NOTICED OIL ON MY HUSBAND'S PANT LEG. WE LATER CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT OUR PURCHASING STORE. I THEN TOLD THE MECHANIC THAT OUR MOTORCYCLE WAS LEAKING OIL FROM THE AIR FILTER. BEFORE TELLING HIM WHAT MODEL IT WA…

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WE PURCHASED A 2006 XLH SPORTSTER CUSTOM IN MAY OF 2006. RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN THE ROAD, WE NOTICED OIL ON MY HUSBAND'S PANT LEG. WE LATER CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT OUR PURCHASING STORE. I THEN TOLD THE MECHANIC THAT OUR MOTORCYCLE WAS LEAKING OIL FROM THE AIR FILTER. BEFORE TELLING HIM WHAT MODEL IT WAS, HE SAID, "IS IT A 2006 SPORTSTER?" HE THEN TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE 2006 SPORTSTERS' ROCKER ARM AND THEY WERE REPLACING THEM WITH THE 2007 ROCKER ARMS. THEY CALLED BACK THREE WEEKS LATER AFTER SUPPOSEDLY WAITING FOR THE PARTS FROM HARLEY DAVIDSON TO TELL US THAT HARLEY WOULD HAVE TO TEST THE BIKE WITH THE FACTORY PIPES ON BEFORE THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. NOW, IF ALL OF THE 2006 SPORTSTERS HAVE HAD THAT PROBLEM, THEN WHY ARE THEY QUESTIONING REPAIRING OUR SPORTSTER? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10200753

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.