Harley-Davidson XL SeriesYears to avoid, problems & recalls
NHTSA has 5 owner complaints and 6 safety recalls on record for the Harley-Davidson XL Series.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years.
Best & worst years
Harley-Davidson XL Series years to avoid
Complaints by model year, colored by the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the XL Series median. Tap a year for its full report.
'82'84'87'89'91'92'95'99
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
1999Not rated–/1002 complaints · 0 recalls1995Not rated–/1001 complaint · 0 recalls1992Not rated–/1001 complaint · 0 recalls1991Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall1989Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall1987Not rated–/1001 complaint · 2 recalls1984Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall1982Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall
Complaints by system
Most common Harley-Davidson XL Series problems
All model years combined: 5 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
1Electrical system
1Engine and engine cooling
1Steering
1Visibility
1Wheels1 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 1 |
6 recalls
Harley-Davidson XL Series recalls
Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.
Unknown or other90V-182 · 1991 · Oct 16, 1990 · 3,269 vehicles12v/24v/48v battery: cables89V-069 · 1989 · May 2, 1989 · 5,439 vehiclesWheels87V-129 · 1987 · Aug 14, 1987 · 13,303 vehiclesPower train86V-153 · 1987 · Nov 13, 1986 · 2,829 vehiclesElectrical system: alternator/generator/regulator84V-056 · 1984 · May 2, 1984 · 2,417 vehiclesDisc: caliper82V-044 · 1982 · May 4, 1982 · 11,714 vehicles
1 investigation
NHTSA investigations of the XL Series
- HANDLEBAR LOWER CLAMP FRACTURINGNo recall