AI Damage1998 Harley-Davidson Softail: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Harley-Davidson Softail filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 3
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 33% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 33% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 33% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 3 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 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.
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…
When turning handle bars from side to side handles will hit fuel tank on either side of cycle. Fuel tank gets dented. Dealer stated it was a known defect, and there was nothing he could do to remedy the problem.
The design of the brake pedal is too short and interferes with applying the brakes while foot is resting on the floorboard. Foot becomes trapped between the floorboard and the brake pedal. This is the heritage softail motorcycle. Owner has notified the manufacturer about the problem.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Softail has 3 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 3, about average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Harley-Davidson Softail?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, steering, suspension. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: jerking, harsh shifts (33%), vibration (33%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Harley-Davidson Softail?
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 1998 Harley-Davidson Softail 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 1998 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.