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2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200rProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 3 owner complaints about the 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200r, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints30 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage7kService brakes, hydraulic, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 15, 2013. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200r has problems

3 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic20
Engine10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200r recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Harley-Davidson.

Best & worst years

2005 vs. every other Sportster 1200r year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sportster 1200r median. How we score

'04'05
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What Sportster 1200r owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

FAILURE OF FRONT BRAKE. NEAR WRECK WITH STOPPING CAR. CANNOT CORRECT PROBLEM. DEALER CANNOT GET REPAIR PARTS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT IS GETTING WORSE. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT BUT GETTING MORE FREQUENT. *JB
Complaint 10167853 · Sep 11, 2006 · 6,580 miles
SAFETY RECALL ON 2005 HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER1200R--- DEFECTIVE FRONT MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE ON 7/05/06. PROMISED RECALL KIT BY 7/10/06. AS OF TODAY ( 8/23/06 ) DEALER HAS STILL NOT RECEIVED RECALL KIT RESULTING IN ME DRIVING AN UNSAFE MOTORCYCLE!!! I WANT MY BIKE FIXED…
Complaint 10166370 · Aug 23, 2006

Own a 2005 Sportster 1200r?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.