2004 Harley-Davidson Softail problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Wheels (1) · Suspension:front (1) · Engine And Engine Cooling (1)
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.
Equipment:other:owners/Service/Other Manual 2008-10-20 · M-1233 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
harley davidson: a change to the final torque of the fork cap (part number 45419-80) and for tube plug (part number 45838-77). the new torque for both parts is 60-70 ft lbs (81.3-94.9nm). *pe
What owners report
2010-03-25 · Unknown Or Other · 10,000 mi“this is a failure of the electronic security system on a 2004 hd heritage motorcycle. we noticed an electronic failure several times and over the course of one year found that it occurred only and consistently every time we parked in the immediate vicinity of overhead high tension lines. while only an inconvenience to us, perhaps this will help in …”
2005-07-09 · Suspension:front · 500 mi“after 500 miles, wobble was discovered in handlebars between 38 to 42 miles per hour. taken to dealer was told it was trait on model. called harley, they told me to take it to another dealer of my choice. took back to dealer where purchase was made. they adjusted steering head bearings. problem solve. after another 500 miles, same situation o…”
2004-10-05 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 500 mi“vehicle stalled intermittently. dealer stated the vehicle needed new pipes, air breather and carburetor.*ak…”
2004-09-28 · Wheels“while driving at high speeds vehicle shook, causing consumer to slow down. consumer contacted dealership about this issue, however, the problem recurred. *ak the bikes wheels were unstable. the solid wheels caught wind vorticies which caused the vehicle to be unstable. the dealer refuse to change the wheels. *nm…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.