Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
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Engine. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

1 reports

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3,116 miles · May 9, 2011

Unknown Or OtherInjury

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THE MOTORCYCLE HAS RUN VERY HOT FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT IT 5/10/2011. EVERY TIME I HAD SERVICE, I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE HEAT FROM THE PIPES. I STOPPED AT A HD DEALER IN ALEXANDRIA, LA ON 9/17/2010, AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE BIKE. I WAS TOLD AT INSTALLATION THE PIPES HAD BEEN INSTALLED WITH NO REMAP OR HIGH FLOW FILTER. I WAS CHARGED $413.57 TO INSTALL THE NEEDED FILTER AND DOWNLOADED A NEW REMAP. I LEFT ABOUT 5:30 P.M. TO RETURN TO MADISON, MS. THE ONLY STOPS WERE AT GAS STATIONS TO FILL UP. THE VENTS ON THE FAIRINGS WERE WIDE OPEN. I RODE WITH MY LEGS UP FROM THE PEDALS BUT COULD FEEL MY RIGHT LEG GETTING UNCOMFORTABLY HOT. WHEN I REACHED MY DESTINATION, I PULLED UP MY PANT LEG. I SAW MY RIGHT CALF WAS BLISTERED FROM THE EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM THE PIPES. (I HAVE A PICTURE OF MY BLISTERED LEG.) I CALLED HD HEADQUARTERS AND THEY SAID I SHOULD TAKE IT TO A DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT COOPERATIVE WHEN I CALLED TO TALK TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY SAID THE TRIKES RUN HOT . APRIL 2011, I WENT TO WILDCAT HD IN LONDON, KY BECAUSE THEY HAVE A TRIKE DYNAMOMETER. THEY TESTED THE BIKE AND IT SHOWED IT RAN A FEW DEGREES ABOVE ACCEPTABLE LIMITS. HD HEADQUARTERS REFUSED TO PAY FOR ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE BIKE. IT COST ME $1470 TO INSTALL POWER DUAL HEADPIPES AND A SUPER TUNER AS WELL AS THE COST OF THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE DYNAMOMETER. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRIKE THAT IT HAS BEEN A COMFORTABLE RIDE WITHOUT EXCESSIVE HEAT COMING FROM THE PIPES. IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY YET, HARLEY DAVIDSON DOESN'T CONSIDER THIS TO BE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. I HAVE LOOKED AT THE WEB PAGES AT HDFORUMS.COM AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH OTHER TRIKE OWNERS. THEY HAVE RECEIVED NO HELP FROM HD HEADQUARTERS. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON NEEDS TO ADDRESS AND FIX.

NHTSA ODI #10400369

Official recalls

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.