1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sportster years
- Not enough data 10th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA about the 1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster. That ranks 10th out of 11 Sportster model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (1 complaints, 100%). There are no safety recalls on file for this model year.
- 1owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 100% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Motorcycle is at a stop, motorcycle will then backfire through carburetor when accelerating, it will stall out. Needs to restart,dealership says cannot fix problem. Has been in shop twice a week since it was bought,serious loud pinch which causes loss of power on accleration just on hot days. This…
Other Harley-Davidson Sportster years
← 1996 Sportster · 1998 Sportster →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Sportster | 2 | 0 |
| 2007 Sportster | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 Sportster | 4 | 1 |
| 2003 Sportster | 8 | 0 |
| 2002 Sportster | 6 | 0 |
| 2001 Sportster | 6 | 0 |
| 2000 Sportster | 9 | 0 |
| 1999 Sportster | 6 | 1 |
| 1998 Sportster | 6 | 0 |
| 1997 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 Sportster | 6 | 1 |
See all Harley-Davidson Sportster problems by year, every Harley-Davidson model, or the Harley-Davidson VIN decoder.
Similar Harley-Davidson models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 1 complaint.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sportster model years, the 1997 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.