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Harley-Davidson XLYears to avoid, problems & recalls

NHTSA has 7 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls on record for the Harley-Davidson XL.

Years to avoidNoneBased on weighted complaintsBest years—Fewest complaints for their ageOwner complaints7Top: VisibilitySafety recalls41989–2005 model years

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years.

Best & worst years

Harley-Davidson XL 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 median. Tap a year for its full report.

'89'90'95'96'97'98'99'05
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2005Not rated–/1003 complaints · 1 recall1999Not rated–/1002 complaints · 0 recalls1998Not rated–/1002 complaints · 0 recalls1997Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall1996Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall1995Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall1990Not rated–/1000 complaints · 2 recalls1989Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall
Complaints by system

Most common Harley-Davidson XL problems

All model years combined: 7 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
Visibility20
Exterior lighting10
Fuel system, gasoline10
Electrical system10
Suspension10
Latches/locks/linkages10
4 recalls

Harley-Davidson XL recalls

Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.

–Storage: tank assembly04V-465 · 2005 · Sep 30, 2004 · 2,828 vehicles–Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system96V-204 · 1995–1997 · Oct 22, 1996 · 176,515 vehicles–12v/24v/48v battery: cables90V-002 · 1989–1990 · Nov 4, 1990 · 1,914 vehicles–12v/24v/48v battery: cables90V-102 · 1990 · Jun 1, 1990 · 3,268 vehicles