NHTSA vehicle safety data

2021 Harley-Davidson XL883N Recalls & Complaints

The 2021 Harley-Davidson XL883N has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns and 2 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2021 Harley-Davidson XL883N. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2021 Harley-Davidson XL883N owner complaints

Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Harley-Davidson XL883N, describing incidents dated August 16, 2021 to August 29, 2021.

Most-cited components

Electrical System 1 complaint
Service Brakes 1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Control 1 complaint

Of the 2 complaints on file, 1 reports a crash; across both complaints, owners report 1 injury (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11434433 · Filed September 26, 2021
Code coming up C1032 ABS system issue, guess it’s been plaguing Harley for a long time lots of people are reporting it online. Needs to get fixed
ODI #11431026 · Filed August 30, 2021
On August 16 around 7:00 pm I was riding my motorcycle on Emmett road. I went down one of the slops and there was a corner coming up so I tried to break with my front brake and it had no pressure, I contentiously squeezed the front brake but it wasn't gaining enough pressure to activate the brakes…

Read all 2 complaints

Brake Fluid Warning Labels May Detach/FMVSS 122

NHTSA #22V160000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Fluid · NHTSA notice

Reported March 16, 2022 · Harley-Davidson Motor Company

Potentially affected: 4,177 vehicles

Repair completion: 100% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Harley-Davidson campaign 0632 · Owners notified April 4, 2022

Defect description

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain 2021-2022 XL1200X, XL883N, and 2021 XL1200NS XL Sportster motorcycles. The brake fluid warning labels may detach from the brake fluid reservoir caps. As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 122, "Motorcycle Brake Systems."

Safety consequence

Missing brake fluid warning labels may lead to improper brake system maintenance, affecting brake performance and increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Harley-Davidson will mail replacement labels to owners, free of charge. Owners may also take their motorcycles to a dealer for label inspection and replacement, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2022. Harley's number for this recall is 0632.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Headlights May Fail

NHTSA #21V225000 · Exterior Lighting — Headlights — Bulbs · NHTSA notice

Reported March 31, 2021 · Harley-Davidson Motor Company

Potentially affected: 31,346 vehicles

Repair completion: 54.2% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Harley-Davidson campaign 0177 · Owners notified April 15, 2021

Defect description

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Sportster (XL) motorcycles and 796 headlight assemblies that may have been sold as replacement parts for 2005-2019 Sportster, 2005-2017 Softail, 2005-2017 Dyna, and 2005-2011 V-Rod motorcycles. The glass bulb within the headlight assembly may fail, causing a loss of both high and low beams.

Safety consequence

A loss of both headlight beams can reduce visibility and increase the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will install a headlamp bulb shield, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2021. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0177.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2021 Harley-Davidson XL883N. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

2 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Harley-Davidson XL883N.

Electrical System; Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #11434433

Incident: August 29, 2021 · Filed: September 26, 2021

Code coming up C1032 ABS system issue, guess it’s been plaguing Harley for a long time lots of people are reporting it online. Needs to get fixed

Service Brakes

ODI #11431026

Crash 1 injury

Incident: August 16, 2021 · Filed: August 30, 2021

On August 16 around 7:00 pm I was riding my motorcycle on Emmett road. I went down one of the slops and there was a corner coming up so I tried to break with my front brake and it had no pressure, I contentiously squeezed the front brake but it wasn't gaining enough pressure to activate the brakes. I then tried to use my rear brake and it had pressure but it didn't work correctly and failed as well. I dropped a few gears to try and slow down with the engine rmps but bu that time it was to late and I hit the gravel on the side of the road so I wouldn't crash on the pavement and risk getting even more injured. I was rushed to the hospital and later that week retrieved my bike from the towing company.

Other Harley-Davidson XL883N model years

Check your 2021 Harley-Davidson XL883N VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Harley-Davidson XL883N at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Harley-Davidson VIN