1996 Harley-Davidson SOFTAIL: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
2 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1996 model year. Data snapshot: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 2 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 1 | 50.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
| Power Train | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Power Train: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 2 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1 |
2000: 1; 2001: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 855638 · 2000-01-27 (January 27, 2000)
SPEEDOMETER STICKS INTERMITTENTLY, DOESN'T INDICATE THE CORRECT SPEED. EVENTUALLY SPEEDOMETER WILL UNSTICK AND WORK NORMALLY. *AK *ML
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 855638 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 889733 · 2001-06-04 (June 4, 2001)
WAS DRIVING MOTORCYCLE WHEN CAM BEARINGS BLEW OUT AND SCATTERED METAL PIECES THROUGHOUT ENGINE, CAUSING IT TO STALL OUT. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 889733 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
96V204000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System
Reported: 1996-10-22 (October 22, 1996)
THE EFFECTS OF REFORMULATED GASOLINE ALONG WITH CERTAIN USAGE OF THE FUEL SUPPLY VALVE AFFECTS THE SUPPLY OF GASOLINE TO THE CARBURETOR. THIS CONDITION REQUIRES TWO FACTORS: (1) THE USE OF REFORMULATED FUELS CONTAINING MBTE AND (2) STARTING THE MOTORCYCLE WITH THE FUEL VALVE HANDLE IN THE OFF POSITION.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE FUEL FLOW TO BE UNPREDICTABLE THUS CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN INCREASING THE RISK OF A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS THE REPLACE THE DIAPHRAGM IN THE FUEL VALVE.
NHTSA campaign record ↗