AI Damage1999 Harley-Davidson Sportster: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Harley-Davidson Sportster filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and equipment. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 50% of all complaints
- 2 Equipment 17% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 17% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 17% of all complaints
- Visibility: 3 complaints (50% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 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.
The right hand (starboard) side mirror broke off from the handlebars and broke on the pavement, the break happened where the mirror shaft meets the signal light just above the threads. Nlm
While driving at 60 mph entire mirror broke right off and flew off. This left turn signals hanging by the cable. Motorcycle was taken to the dealership. Problem has not been corrected. Please provide any further information.
Received a recall notice from harley davidson. Contacted dealer and made appt. Took in motorcycle and refused to fix it, did not have parts and did not know when they would be in. Was told at the service dept. That the handlebars were probably okay to go ahead and ride it.
I received a recal notice on 11/17/99, I have been contacting the dealer since and they have denied me the repair with the excuse of un abeilability of parts. I contacted the manufacturer and they report parts have been sent and should be aveilable. Recall%96v167000.
While driving the left exterior mirror fell off the motorcycle. Manufactor has yet to be contacted.
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 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sportster has 4 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 6, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Harley-Davidson Sportster?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, equipment, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 6.
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Harley-Davidson Sportster?
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 1999 Harley-Davidson Sportster 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 1999 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.