Service Brakes. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
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NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

9 reports

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Mileage unknown · Apr 27, 2023

Service Brakes

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I PURCHASED A 2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC LAST JUNE. I WAS RIDING HOME LAST WEEK AND WENT TO USE THE REAR BREAK PEDAL AND THE BRAKE WAS ROCK HARD. I SCHEDULED A SERVICE TO DIAGNOIS THE ISSUE AND FOUND THAT THE ABS MODULE CAN CAUSE THE ISSUE. I WAS NOTIFIED TODAY THAT THE ABS MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL FOR THE FLUID CHANGE. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE ONGOING WITH NUMEROUS HARLEYS FROM THE YEAR 2009-2014. THIS ISSUE OF A HARD PETAL WHILE RIDING HOME COULD HAVE RESULTED IN MY DEATH AS THEY DID FUNCTION CORRECT ON THE WAY TO HARLEY DEALER AND FAILED ON MY RIDE HOME. THIS PART SHOULD BE COVERED BY HARLEY AS THIS COULD RESULT IN DEATH.

NHTSA ODI #11519295

70,000 miles · Feb 20, 2018

Service Brakes

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REAR BRAKES WOULD NOT OPERATE. I WAS RIDING AND WHEN I WENT TO APPLY THE REAR BRAKES, IT WAS AS IF I WAS AS IF THE PEDAL WAS FROZE AND NO STOP AT ALL. THE FRONT DID WORK BUT THE REAR WAS COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. FLUSHING THE BRAKE SYSTEM DID NOT WORK AND I ENDED UP REPLACE THE ABS BRAKE MODULE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IN THE OWNERS MANUAL IT STATES IF THE ABS SYSTEM FAILS YOU WILL STILL HAVE ADEQUATE BRAKING OTHER THAN ANTI-LOCK. THAT IS NOT CORRECT....THE ABS MODULE CAN FREEZE AND NOT LET ANY BRAKE FLUID GO TO THE REAR BRAKES.

NHTSA ODI #11073800

90,000 miles · Oct 24, 2017

Service Brakes

ABS MODULE FAILURE AT SPEED. HD STATES THAT WITH ABS FAILURE, BRAKES ARE OPERABLE WITHOUT ABS FEATURE. REAR PEDAL HAS NO RESISTANCE AND FRONT LEVER IS LOCKED. BRAKE OPERATION IS NORMAL WITH SWITCH OFF, BUT WITH BIKE RUNNING OR SWITCH IN ON POSITION, SYMPTOMS RETURN.

NHTSA ODI #11039230

38,505 miles · Aug 26, 2017

Service Brakes

FRONT BRAKE LEVER LOCKED UP, NO FRONT BRAKES. INVESTIGATED HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. FOUND THAT HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT WAS NOT ALLOWING FLUID TO FLOW, THEREBY CAUSING FRONT BRAKES NOT TO APPLY. INVESTIGATED CONCERN ON HARLEY FORUM THAT I AM A MEMBER OF, MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF THIS CONCERN. I AM REQUESTING THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTOR COM…

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NHTSA ODI #11019863

9,000 miles · Jul 11, 2016

Service BrakesCrashInjury

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER WERE DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A PAVEMENT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BACK, RIBS, LEFT FOOT, NECK AND LEFT LUNG INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE CRASH SCENE TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V506000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000. UPDATED 08/30/16*LJ *TR

NHTSA ODI #10884028

24,000 miles · May 5, 2016

Service Brakes

I WAS RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE AND EXITING THE FREEWAY RAMP DISCOVERED I HAD NO REAR BRAKES. COULD NOT DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL, LIKE IT WAS FROZEN. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE ABS MODULE. IF ABS FAILS IT SHOULD GO TO NON ABS BRAKES (FAIL SAFE) INSTEAD OF NO BRAKES. ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS PROBLEM CAUSES…

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NHTSA ODI #10863506

21,230 miles · Feb 13, 2016

Service Brakes

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WHILE RIDING BIKE AND TRIED TO STOP ON A CITY STREET. REAR BRAKE PEDAL WENT ROCK HARD AND WOULD NOT ACTIVATE THE REAR BRAKE CALIPER. CHECKED REAR CALIPER TO SEE IF IT WAS LOCKED UP AND CALIPER WAS FINE. CALIPER PISTONS MOVED FREELY. TOOK BIKE TO DEALER AND THEY FOUND THE ABS DISTRIBUTION BLOCK WAS BAD AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS FULL OF FLUID IT WOULD NOT ALLOWING FLUID TO TRAVEL TO REAR CALIPER. THEY REPLACED BLOCK. MY CONCERN IS A TOTAL REAR BRAKE FAILURE. I HAD NO REAR BRAKES AND MADE IT DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO STOP AN 800 LB MOTORCYCLE AT ANY SPEED. I HAVE FOUND ON SEVERAL FORUMS USERS DESCRIBE THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH VARYING YEARS AND MODELS OF HARLEY DAVIDSON BIKES WITH ABS.

NHTSA ODI #10825939

18,670 miles · Dec 7, 2015

Service Brakes

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AFTER RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE NORMALLY FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES, I STOPPED AT MY DESTINATION AND SHUT DOWN THE BIKE NORMALLY. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES LATER, I GOT BACK ON THE BIKE TO GO BACK HOME. AT THIS POINT, I FOUND MY RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LEVER WAS FROZE UP AND WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. I HAD THE BIKE TOWED TO MY HARLEY DEALER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME A FEW DAYS LATER AND TOLD ME THE ABS HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT WAS BAD. HE ALSO TOLD ME WHEN THE BIKE WAS BROUGHT IN, THE REAR BRAKE WAS ALSO FROZE UP. I AUTHORIZED THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT TO FIX THE BIKE. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THE ABS ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT WAS ALSO BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES. MY MAJOR CONCERN IS THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN RIDING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED AND I COULD HAVE BEEN HURT OR KILLED. I THINK THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ABS SYSTEM. IF THE SYSTEM FAILED, THE BIKE SHOULD AT THE VERY LEAST REVERT TO NORMAL BRAKING INSTEAD OF ABS. IN MY CASE, I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER.

NHTSA ODI #10808898

8,805 miles · Mar 17, 2013

Service Brakes

ABS BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, WILL NOT ACTIVATE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10503346

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.

11V506000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Oct 19, 2011

HARLEY-DAVIDSON IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2012 TOURING, CVO TOURING AND TRIKE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 6, 2008, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 16, 2011. SEE THE ABOVE LIST FOR THE MODELS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY BE EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE EXCESSIVE HEAT MAY CAUSE THE SWITCH TO NOT ACTIVATE THE BRAKE LAMP OR ACTIVATE THE BRAKE LAMP WHEN NO BRAKE IS APPLIED AND/OR CAUSE A BRAKE FLUID LEAK AT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, AFFECTING REAR BRAKE PERFORMANCE. EITHER CONDITION MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: HARLEY-DAVIDSON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL A INSTALL A REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH KIT, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING OCTOBER 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.

09V457000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:mounting

Dec 1, 2009

HARLEY-DAVIDSON IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 TOURING FAMILY MOTORCYCLES, INCLUDING CVO TOURING AND TRIKE PRODUCTS, MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 6, 2008 THROUGH NOVEMBER 19, 2009. THE FRONT FUEL TANK MOUNTS MAY DISTORT IN REACTION TO SEVERE FRAME DAMAGE FROM A FRONTAL COLLISION. THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE A FUEL LEAK AT THE WELD OF THE FRONT BRACKET TO THE TUNNEL.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A FUEL LEAK IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY RESULT IN A FIRE, WHICH COULD LEAD TO INJURY OR DEATH TO THE RIDER.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LEFT AND RIGHT BRACE, WHICH ARE INTENDED TO REDUCE FRONT MOUNT DISTORTION DURING CERTAIN CRASH CONDITIONS. THIS REPAIR WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 11, 2009. 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.