2000 Harley-Davidson Harley Davidson: common problems

Owners of the 2000 Harley-Davidson Harley Davidson filed 20 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 20
involving a crash: 4

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 80% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
3 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
4 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
5 Suspension 5% of all complaints
6 Tires 5% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine and cooling: 16 complaints (80% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 1 complaints (5% of all).
Fuel system: 1 complaints (5% of all).
Service brakes: 1 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 1 complaints (5% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 20 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

engine failure or replacement2 · 10%
vibration1 · 5%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine and cooling	16	3
Electrical system	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Service brakes	1	1
Suspension	1	0
Tires	1	1
Vehicle speed control	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

As fo the first day I picked up my motorcycle it has had some problems with the engine. Iknow because I just traded in a 1997 h-d roadking for this new bike with the so called new improved engine. It has brought my wife and I nothing but headaches.
Engine and cooling · crash · 2001-06-05 · NHTSA complaint #746269
Harley davidson has admitted that certain twin cam engines manufactured during a certain date range is susceptible to catastrophic engine failure. I find it inconprehensible that recalls exist for distorted lenses, possible hatch failures, and a host of other manufacturer defects get the attention of the nhtsa, but…
Engine and cooling · crash · 2001-03-16 · NHTSA complaint #742028
While driving, big chunks of tread came off of rear dunlop elite ii tire mt90b16, consumer crashed and went into a ditch, causing 2 people to be injured and damge to motorcycle, consumer contacted dunlop.
Tires · crash · 2000-09-08 · NHTSA complaint #869971
Negative battery lead came loose engine stopped. Dealer reports it is a common failure battery leads always come loose due to bad design of terminal ends on battery cables.
Electrical system · 2000-10-18 · NHTSA complaint #733554
Throttle cable broke in center lane of busy highway in darkness near accident with passing cars.
Vehicle speed control · 2000-10-18 · NHTSA complaint #733550
Bearing failure results in total and immediate engine failure at the point of failure. Happened on this motorcycle and on my wife's (2000 hd heritage softail classic)as well, hers at 11,700 miles. It is a known problem with twin cam engines made before 12/15/99.
Engine and cooling · 2000-08-23 · NHTSA complaint #725433
Vibration would occur while driving over 55 mph, and carburetor would backfire. Dealer claimed vibration was normal.
Fuel system · 2000-06-30 · NHTSA complaint #864606

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

200011
20019

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 8,257 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Harley Davidson has 7 complaints (19 years in the data). This year has 20, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2000 Harley-Davidson Harley Davidson?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, electrical system, fuel system. Total complaints: 20. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: engine failure or replacement (10%), vibration (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 Harley-Davidson Harley Davidson?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2000 Harley-Davidson Harley Davidson from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2000 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.