2003 Harley-Davidson Harley Davidson problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Suspension (1) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor (1) · Power Train:manual Transmission (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Harley-Davidson Harley Davidson model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (1)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System 2002-11-22 · 1129 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
flashing trouble codes on 2003 fuel injected motorcycles. *tt
What owners report
2007-07-19 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 647 mi“my 2003 fatboy harley davidson had a plastic screen fail in the gas tank. this then made the fuel pump fail while also damaging the liner on the inside of the tank. just to repair the plastic screen and fuel pump cost in excess of $ 700. there must be mant cases such as mine. i have less than 2000 miles on my bike and feel this was a factory defect…”
2005-03-02 · Power Train:automatic Transmission · 2,700 mi“while down shifting at highway speed the motorcycle stalled. consumer restarted the motorcycle. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak the consumer stated that the vehicle stalls at any speed. the consumer stated that he has experienced multiple failures from 0 to 2000 miles. the vehicle may stall twice in 30 miles som…”
2004-07-08 · Suspension · 190 mi“while down shifting/turning at 15 mph vehicle stalled. motorcycle fell onto the consumer when getting off, and consumer sustained injuries. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. model v-rod. *ak…”
2004-04-18 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings · 💥 crash · 🔥 fire“fuel line failure on fuel injected harley davidson motorcycles causing engine fire. *jb…”
2004-03-03 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor · 100 mi“harley davidson road king 2003. when applying the front and back brakes upon approaching a stop motorcycle made a loud squeak. motorcycle was taken to the dealer three times for this problem. dealer replaced the brake pads, changed the rotors, and currently was replacing other parts as a process of elimination. *ak…”
2003-11-06 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline · 3,000 mi“2003 vrsca (v-rod): 200 miles after 2500 mile servicing noticed strong smell of gas in engine oil and air filter. after 500 miles after 2500 mile servicing oil level had risen a little bit. dealer has been notified, but waiting for oppointment.*ak…”
2003-07-16 · Power Train:manual Transmission · 15 mi“harley davidson vrsca (v-rod) has a chronic engine stalling problem when the clutch is disengaged while stopping or at idle. this has proven to be very dangerous in high density traffic situations i.e. rush hour traffic in major metropolitan cities. *ak…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.