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2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

9 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious04E094000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System

IF THE BIKE WERE OPERATING WITH THE VALVE IN THE 'ON' POSITION, THE BIKE COULD RUN OUT OF FUEL, THE EXPECTED FUEL RESERVE WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL VALVE AND REPLACE IT, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN JANUARY 27, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-342-4080. IF YOU HAVE HAD OR INSTALLED A REPLACEMENT FUEL SHUT-OFF VALVE IN YOUR MOTORCYCLE, PLEASE TAKE YOUR VEHICLE TO YOUR DEALER TO HAVE THE VALVE INSPECTED FOR PROPER OPERATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

CERTAIN FUEL SHUT-OFF VALVES USED AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT, P/NOS 61338-02, 62169-02A, 61338-94D, AND 62169-95C FOR USE ON CERTAIN 2005 CARBURETED SPORTSTERS, DYNA, SOFTAIL, AND TOURING MODEL MOTORCYCLES. THESE VALVES MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE 'ON' POSITION AND THE 'RESERVE' POSITION OF THE VALVE MAY HAVE BEEN REVERSED.

Serious04V607000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System

IF THE BIKE WERE OPERATING WITH THE VALVE IN THE 'ON' POSITION, THE BIKE COULD RUN OUT OF FUEL, THE EXPECTED FUEL RESERVE WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL VALVE AND REPLACE IT, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN FEBRUARY 7, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-342-4080.

CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL SHUT-OFF VALVES. THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE 'ON' POSITION AND THE 'RESERVE' POSITION OF THE VALVE MAY HAVE BEEN REVERSED.

Complaint volume

9 this model-year 6 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
0Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 9 complaints. Severity Index 0.00.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Power Train · Manual Tran…2 · 22%Equipment · Motorcycle · …2 · 22%Fuel System, Gasoline1 · 11%Service Brakes, Hydraulic1 · 11%Fuel System, Gasoline · C…1 · 11%Electrical System · Start…1 · 11%Equipment Adaptive/Mobili…1 · 11%
  1. Power Train:Manual Transmission — 2 reports
  2. Equipment:Motorcycle:Helmets — 2 reports
  3. Fuel System, Gasoline — 1 reports
  4. Service Brakes, Hydraulic — 1 reports
  5. Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System — 1 reports
  6. Electrical System:Starter Assembly — 1 reports
  7. Equipment Adaptive/Mobility — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1996 (1) · 1998 · 1999 (1) · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2005

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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