Reliability & cost of ownership
Harley-Davidson Softail Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Harley-Davidson Softail? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Harley-Davidson Softail problems by model year
7 recall entries and 39 owner complaints on file across 12 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Softail | 0 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 Softail | 1 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2011 Softail | 1 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2010 Softail | 0 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2008 Softail | 0 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2007 Softail | 1 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2005 Softail | 3 | 4 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2004 Softail | 1 | 4 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2003 Softail | 0 | 7 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2002 Softail | 0 | 4 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 Softail | 0 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2000 Softail | 0 | 7 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Harley-Davidson Softail, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- engine and engine cooling8 complaints
- fuel system6 complaints
- gasoline6 complaints
- power train5 complaints
- tires3 complaints
- wheels3 complaints
- engine3 complaints
- electrical system3 complaints