2002 Harley-Davidson Sportster Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2002 Harley-Davidson Sportster. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the visibility. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Dt: the contact stated the rear upper valve cover leaked. The dealership replaced the front and rear upper valve covers. Since the valves were replaced the problem has not returned. *ak updated 1/4/2006 - the rear rocker box cover leaked. The front and rear box cover were replaced. The gaskets…”
“After motorcycle has been ridden for 30-45 minutes shift lever becomes almost unusable if motorcycle has been left to idle of is turned off, after a few minutes of moving up and down it can be used. Very dangerous if I can not shift into appropriate gear. *ak”
“Custom 1200, at 65 mph, left mirror snapped off and hit consumer in the face. Consumer suffered facial injuries.*ak jlg”
“Custom 1200, mirrors on vehicle are very high stemmed, vibration will not allow rider to see traffic behind him when changing lanes. Dealer stated there was nothing he could do.*ak *slc”
“Left hand mirror will fly off while traveling on highway. Dealership is aware of problem.*ak”
“While driving, intake manifold leaks and motorcycle completely shuts down. *ak consumer adds that bike would stall intermittently and is also making a popping noise and backfiring. *tt”
“While driving, intake manifold leaks and motorcycle completely shuts down. *ak consumer adds that bike would stall intermittently and is also making a popping noise and backfiring. *tt”
Defect investigations
REAR VIEW MIRROR STEM FAILURES
PROMPTED BY THE REFERENCED OWNER COMPLAINT, ODI OPENED THIS PE AFTER DETERMINING THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERS HAD FREQUENTLY REPLACED THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (OE) MIRRORS ON 2002 SPORTSTER 1200 CUSTOM MODEL MOTORCYCLES BECAUSE OF STEM FRACTURES ON THE MIRROR ASSEMBLY.THE STEMBEING THE TUBULAR STRUCTURE WHICH CONNECTS…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2002 Harley-Davidson Sportster as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.