Service Brakes. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

4 reports

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22,500 miles · Jul 26, 2018

Vehicle Speed Control

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KNOWN DEFECT IN THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WIRING IS NOT BEING CORRECTED BY LOCAL DEALERS WHEN PROBLEM VEHICLES ARE PRESENTED FOR SERVICE. I BELIEVE A RECALL IS WARRANTED TO ENSURE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ALREADY IDENTIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER ARE IMPLEMENTED BEFORE MORE OPERATORS/RIDERS ARE PLACED IN DANGER. THIS DEFECT CAN BE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AS THE MOTORCYCLE INSTANTLY REDUCES THE ENGINE POWER AVAILABLE WITHOUT PREVIOUS NOTICE TO THE RIDER, WHICH CAN RESULT IN THE MOTORCYCLE FAILING TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SPEED TO MAINTAIN STABILITY IN A TURN. THIS SO-CALLED "LIMP MODE" CONTINUES UNTIL THE MOTORCYCLE IS BROUGHT TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF AND THEN RESTARTED. THIS "LIMP MODE" BEHAVIOR MAY IN AND OF ITSELF ALSO CAUSE A HAZARD TO BOTH THE MOTORCYCLE OPERATOR AND NEARBY VEHICLES SHOULD THE FAILURE OCCUR WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE IS ON A ROADWAY WITH LIMITED OR NON-EXISTENT EMERGENCY OR BREAKDOWN AREAS. (A WEB SEARCH FOR "LIMP MODE HARLEY" RESULTS IN OVER 400,000 RESULTS, MOST OF WHICH WILL REFER TO THIS ISSUE.) TO HELP TECHNICIANS RESOLVE THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM NATURE OF THIS DESIGN ISSUE (BY REPLACING TERMINALS IN THE WIRING HARNESS WITH A MORE RESILIENT TYPE) THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED MULTIPLE THEORY AND DIAGNOSTICS PAPERS (TT418 IN 2009 AND TT418A IN 2011) DESCRIBING ACTIONS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. OF NOTE IS THAT THE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC) WHICH IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM ARE UNIQUE AND CAN ONLY BE REMOVED FROM THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) MANUALLY. MY MOTORCYCLE HAS HAD NUMEROUS EPISODES OF THIS FAILURE OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. IN THE LATEST CASE, I ALMOST DROPPED THE BIKE LEAVING A PARKING LOT AS THE LIMP MODE KICKED IN. ALTHOUGH THE DTC CODES (P2135 AND P1511) WERE PRESENT IN THE ECM THE DEALER CHARGED ME FOR THEIR TECHNICIAN TIME WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE REPAIRS CLEARLY IDENTIFIED IN THE TT418A PAPER.

NHTSA ODI #11113923

6,500 miles · Oct 25, 2014

Fuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

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WHILE RIDING IN RESIDENTIAL AREA BIKE BEGAN LURCHING AND UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONSTANT SPEED OR RPM. TOOK TO SHOP AND THEY STATED BIKE DID NOT HAVE ANY CODES DISPLAYING. THEY LUBRICATED ALL CONNECTIONS ON THROTTLE ASSEMBLY AND IT TEMPORARY RESOLVED ISSUE. NOW WHEN I START THE BIKE THE THROTTLE IS UNRESPONSIVE AND BIKE IS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. SOMETIMES SHUTTING DOWN AND RESTARTING WILL TEMPORARILY RESOLVE ISSUE, HOWEVER, BIKE IS NOT SAFE TO RIDE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WARRANTS A RECALL, HOWEVER NOT RECALLS TO DATE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10649933

14,500 miles · May 8, 2013

Vehicle Speed Control

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE WIRING IN THE THROTTLE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE REPAIR WOULD NOT GUARANTEE A REMEDY TO THE FAILURE AND IF THE FAILURE RECURRED, THE THROTTLE WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,500. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10511056

31,540 miles · Feb 19, 2012

Engine And Engine CoolingVehicle Speed Control

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WHILE RIDING AT 60MPH, THE ENGINE SLOWED THE BIKE DOWN TO 25MPH. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC WHERE A SURPRISE SLOW DOWN WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. I WAS ABLE TO RIDE THE BIKE ON THE SHOULDER AT 25MPH, AND LET TRAFFIC GO AROUND ME UNTIL THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAFELY GET OFF OF THE ROAD. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND WAITED 4 TO 5 MINUTES. I THEN RESTARTED THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE RESPONDED NORMALLY, AND I RODE HOME WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. THIS HAS HAPPENED 2 MORE TIMES OVER THE LAST 3 MONTHS. THE LAST TIME WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS FOR ME AS I WAS IN 55MPH, ALMOST BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. I WAS LUCKY THAT THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY TO EXIT THE ROAD WHERE I GOT OFF AND FOUND A SAFE PLACE TO STOP. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10448488

Official recalls

18V076000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:fluid

Jan 29, 2018

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling all 2008-2011 Touring, CVO Touring and VSRC motorcycles equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS), including Road King (FLHR), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHP), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHPE), Electra Glide Standard Police (EFI) (FLHTP), Electra Glide Classic (EFI) (FLHTC), Electra Glide Ultra Classic (EFI) (FLHTCU) and Street Glide (EFI) (FLHX), 2008 VROD (VRSCAWA), CVO Road King 4 (FLHRSE4), Night Rod (VRSCDA), CVO Ultra Classic 3 (FLHTCUSE3), Night Rod Special (VRSCDXA), 2008-2010 Road King Classic (EFI) (FLHRC), 2008-2009 Road Glide (EFI) (FLTR) and Electra Glide Standard (EFI) (FLHT), 2009-2010 V-Rod (VRSCAW), 2009 CVO Ultra Classic (FLHTCUSE4) and CVO Road Glide 3 (FLTRSE3), 2009-2011 Night Rod Special (VRSCDX) and V-Rod Muscle (VRSCF), 2010 CVO Ultra Classic 5 (FLHTCUSE5) and CVO Street Glide (FLHXSE), 2010-2011 Electra Glide Ultra Limited (FLHTK) and Road Glide Custom (FLTRX), 2011 Road Glide Ultra 103 (FLTRU103), Street Glide 103 (FLHX103), Road King Classic 103 (FLHRC103), CVO Ultra Classic 6 (FLHTCUSE6), CVO Road Glide Ultra (FLTRUSE), Road Glide Custom 103 (FLTRX103), and CVO Street Glide 2 (FLHXSE2) motorcycles. Deposits may form on components within the brake system if the DOT 4 brake fluid is not replaced for a prolonged period of time beyond the 2-year maintenance schedule specified in the Owners Manual.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: These deposits may cause a valve within the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit to stick, reducing braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will flush the entire brake system with new Platinum Label DOT 4 brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0171.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip

Consequence: These deposits may cause a valve within the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit to stick, reducing braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will flush the entire brake system with new Platinum Label DOT 4 brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0171.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:fluid

Consequence: These deposits may cause a valve within the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit to stick, reducing braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.

08V357000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:filler Pipe And Cap

Jul 30, 2008

HARLEY DAVIDSON IS RECALLING 47,579 MY 2008 FLHP, FLHPE, FLHR, FLHRC, FLHRSE4, FLHT, FLHTC, FLHTCU, FLHTCUSE3, FLHTP, FLHX, AND FLTR MOTORCYCLES. THESE MOTORCYCLES MAY EXPERIENCE A CRACKING OF THE FUEL FILTER SHELL LEADING TO LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE. THIS LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE CAN CAUSE DIMINISHED PERFORMANCE AND, IN SOME CASES, MAY CAUSE AN ENGINE STALL OR A NO-START CONDITION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WHICH COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH TO THE RIDER.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER SHELL FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

PE16009 · Sudden Brake Failure - Motorcycle

Opened Jul 6, 2016 · Closed Apr 23, 2018

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation in July 2016 based on forty-three (43) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ).During the course of this investigation ODI received a total of 145 VOQs related to the alleged defect on the subject motorcycles.Owners allege they experience a sudden and complete loss of brakes on one or both wheels.To better understand the cause of the braking issue on the subject motorcycles, ODI requested NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) conduct inspections and testing of affected vehicle braking systems.Through its work, VRTC determined that deposits were forming on the valves in the Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) of the Antilock Braking System (ABS). These deposits could prevent the proper function of the HCU and render the brakes ineffective.To understand why deposits were forming in the HCU, Harley Davidson completed an analysis of the Dow 460 brake fluid used as original equipment on the subject motorcycles and determined that it had stability issues if left in the brake system for an extended period of time.Harley Davidson found that if a brake fluid flush was not conducted as outlined in the owner?s manual for the motorcycles, and was left in the system for a period of time beyond their recommendation; deposits could form in the HCU.Through further testing, Harley Davidson identified an alternate, commercially available, brake fluid that did not have the same stability issues as the original fluid and could stop the proliferation of any current brake system deposits.ODI sent Information Request (IR) letters to Harley Davidson and Dow Chemical (the supplier of the brake fluid on the subject motorcycles) to collect information about the subject bikes and the alleged defect.Harley Davidson responded in full on Sept 30, 2016 and Dow responded with a confidential submission on October 25, 2017.ODI analyzed the information contained in both IR responses and concluded that motorcycles manufactured during Model Years (MY) 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 were failing at a rate greater than their peers.Based on this analysis and the brake fluid study conducted by Harley Davidson, a group of motorcycles was identified that were potentially affected by the instability of the original brake fluid.2008 marked the introduction of ABS on Harley Davidson motorcycles and a change in the Dow 460 brake fluid used in the 2012 MY vehicles provided the bases for the scope of the affected population.With recall action 18V-076 taken by Harley Davidson this investigation is closed as further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: https://www.nhtsa.gov/ using the complaint identification numbers attached to this resume.

PE08043 · Motorcycle Stalling

Opened Jul 17, 2008 · Closed Aug 8, 2008

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline; Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery

THE SUBJECT FUEL FILTER HOUSING (P/N 62229-08) CRACKS, RESULTING IN SUDDEN ENGINE STALL DUE TO UNREGULATED FUEL PRESSURE.HARLEY-DAVIDSON HAS MODIFIED THE HOUSING WITH A NEW PART NUMBER 62229-08A.SHORTLY AFTER OPENING THIS PE, ODI RECEIVED HARLEY'S DEFECT NOTIFICATION INDICATING THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE BEING RECALLED TO INSTALL THE NEW FUEL FILTER HOUSING.WITH THAT RECALL, RECEIVED PRIOR TO RELEASE OF OUR INFORMATION REQUEST, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CONCLUDED.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery

Fuel System, Gasoline