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2003 Harley-Davidson SportsterProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 8 owner complaints about the 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls0None on recordOwner complaints80 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage2kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 29, 2007. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster has problems

8 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
Engine and engine cooling30
Structure20
Visibility20
Service brakes, hydraulic10
Steering10
Vehicle speed control10

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

0 recalls

2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster recalls and how many were fixed

No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.

Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other Sportster 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 median. How we score

'71'72'85'88'92'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'05'07'08
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster, and the recalls they led to.

  1. REAR VIEW MIRROR STEM FAILURESPE02083 · closed Feb 26, 2003
    Led to recall 03V-058
In owners' words

What Sportster owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

SPEEDOMETER-TACHOMETER BRACKET BREAKS FROM EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION THROUGH MOUNTING BOLT HOLES CAUSING GAUGE ASSEMBLY TO FALL OFF WHILE RIDING. UNIT HANGS BY THE WIRES & INTERFERES WITH THE STEERING FORKS & CONTROL OF VEHICLE. ALSO EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION AS DEEMED NORMAL BY THE MANUFACTURER…
Complaint 10078940 · Jun 28, 2004 · 2,142 miles
OK, MY COMPLAINT IS ON A 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON 1200 CUSTOM SPORTSTER. THE FRONT HEADLIGHT HAS FALLEN OFF DUE TO THE BOLT SHEARING FROM VIBRATION AND SO HAS THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ON THE LEFT SIDE. HARLEY HAS REPLACED THE ENGINE AT ABOUT 1300 MILES, STATING THAT IT HAD AN UNSAFE VIBRATION. THE ENGINE…
Complaint 10064207 · Mar 30, 2004

Own a 2003 Sportster?

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