AI DamageHarley-Davidson Softail: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Harley-Davidson Softail across 16 model years: 49 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 14% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Wheels 8% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 6% of all complaints
- 7 Equipment 6% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 10 complaints (20% of all).
- Fuel system: 7 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (12% of all).
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (8% of all).
- Wheels: 4 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 49 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Upon hitting the ground, the bike burst into flames. This is very unusual as the speed was low, the impact was not severe (my brother ended up with a severely sprained ankle), but the bike was totaled. I believe there is cause for concern. The bike is a fuel injected twin cam 88 engine.
While driving the motorcycle speed 20-25 mph, front tires started to shake, front end started to jerk, the road curved left, motorcycle kept pulling to the right, hit a curb, frontal impact and lost control, dealer contacted ,and claimed officer, island cycle did repairs, and ny harley davidson manufacturer is revtech…
Consumer states that while riding the front end started wheel hopping. Owner tookmotor cycle into a private mechanic and was informed that the front end loosened up and wore out the neck bearing and racers, causing a collision. The dealer has been made aware of the problem.
I have a 2013 harley davidson softail slim. Fls. Right from day one there has been extreme heat from the motor. Especially from the right side where my oil tank is. The heat gets so hot that it has burned the inside if my thigh.
Upon deceleration, a wobble occurs in the rear tire. This problem has occurred 3 times now. The dealership has given the same answer all three times that the rear spokes have backed loose.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 harley davidson softail. While driving various speeds, the clutch failed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed that the master cylinder and the clutch plates needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other models of this make
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.