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2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL883HUG

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: 0 of 3 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 And Engine Cooling. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. 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.

1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

3 reports
Mileage unknown · Aug 8, 2004
Vehicle Speed ControlCrashInjury

2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON 883 SPORTSTER. USED WITH 1600 MILES. PURCHASED AT SACRAMENTO HARLEY DAVIDSON ON 2-7-03. RIDING ON 2-11-03 WHEN ACCELERATOR STUCK. LOST CONTROL, RODE GUARD RAIL, TRIED TO SLOW BIKE, FELL FROM BIKE, BIKE CONTINUED SEVERAL YARDS OVER WIRE FENCE AND UP A HILL. LATER APPEARS THAT SIEVES HOLDING THROTTLE CABLES IN…

Read full complaint

2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON 883 SPORTSTER. USED WITH 1600 MILES. PURCHASED AT SACRAMENTO HARLEY DAVIDSON ON 2-7-03. RIDING ON 2-11-03 WHEN ACCELERATOR STUCK. LOST CONTROL, RODE GUARD RAIL, TRIED TO SLOW BIKE, FELL FROM BIKE, BIKE CONTINUED SEVERAL YARDS OVER WIRE FENCE AND UP A HILL. LATER APPEARS THAT SIEVES HOLDING THROTTLE CABLES INTO HOUSING PERIODICALLY SLIP OUT AND PINCH CABLES, NOT ALLOWING THROTTLE HANDLE TO RETURN TO NEUTRAL POSITION. BECAUSE OF SURROUNDING CIRCUMSTANCES, STATE FARM PURSUED HARLEY DAVIDSON FOR RESTITUTION OF DAMAGES AT WHICH TIME HARLEY DAVIDSON SETTLED FOR A PARTIAL AMOUNT. I AM STILL SEEKING COUNCIL. NO ONE IS WILLING TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER, NOR WILL ANYONE HANDLE MY CASE FOR FEAR OF "GETTING A REPUTATION". ARE THEY ALL AFRAID OF HARLEY DAVIDSONS REPUTATION? I AM CONVINCED THAT THIS BIKE IS FAULTY. I WAS ORDERED TO KEEP THE BIKE IN ITS AFTER COLLISION STATE TILL THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED OR UNTILL THE 2 YEAR STATUTE HAS PASSED. I AM AT A LOSS OF WHAT TO DO NEXT. THE BIKE WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME, BUT BECAUSE OF THE REQUEST, I WAS UNABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. SACRAMENTO HARLEY DAVIDSON IS UNWILLING TO PROVIDE PROOF OF PRE-PURCHASE SAFETY INSPECTION OR ANY OTHER RECORDS THAT PERTAIN TO THE BIKE. I CANNOT EVEN GET IT FIXED AND NO ONE WILL LOOK AT IT WITHOUT A HEFTY FEE. I WAS SEVERLY INJURED IN THE CRASH. I FRACTURED MY L-4 VERTEBRAE AND RUPTURED A DISC. I ALSO BROKE MY LEFT COLLAR BONE AND HAD MASSIVE ROAD RASH ON MY BACK, ARMS AND LEGS. I WAS IN A MAJOR TRAUMA CENTER HOSPITAL IN OUR AREA FOR 6 DAYS. I WAS FORTUNATE TO RETURN TO MY JOB AFTER 7 MONTHS WITHOUT LIMITATIONS PER SEY. I AM AN EMT-PARAMEDIC AND I FEEL THAT EVENTUALLY THINGS WILL CATCH UP WITH ME, AS MY JOB IS VERY PHYSICALLY DEMANDING. I STILL HAVE A MODERATE AMOUNT OF INTERMITTENT PAIN THAT I WILL HAVE THE REST OF MY LIFE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I LOOK FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY HEARING FROM YOU SOON. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10086425

Mileage unknown · Nov 8, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE IN MOTION, THE CUSTOMER STATES THE MOTORCYCLE KEPT DYING. IT WOULD RESTART AND THEN DIE AGAIN WITH NO SPARKS. *JG

NHTSA ODI #568191

Mileage unknown · Aug 12, 2002
Suspension

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL DRIFT TO THE RIGHT EVEN WHEN THE CONSUMER CAN HAVE HANDLE BARS POINTING STRAIGHT. CONTACTED DEALER,AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK

NHTSA ODI #8016012

Official recalls

1

04V218000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.