1999 Harley-Davidson Flhrci Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1999 Harley-Davidson Flhrci, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine457.1%
- Brakes114.3%
- Electrical114.3%
- Fuel system114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
MOTORCYCLE HESITATES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
REAR CAMSHAFT BEARING ASSEMBLY DISINTEGRATED, SENDING METAL PARTICLES THROUGH THE LUBRICATION SYSTEM INTO THE OIL PUMP, NECESSITATING REPLACEMENT OF MANY ENGINE COMPONENENTS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
BACKGROUND ON M/C FIRST OWNER: UNKNOWN SECOND OWNER: BOUGHT BIKE WITH 7750 MILES ON IT / REPLACED BRAKES ONCE / HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF BIKE BEING IN AN ACCIDENT THIRD OWNER: MYSELF / THOUGHT I NEEDED REAR BRAKE PADS. *AK I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY BRAKES ON A 1999 FLHRC-I VIN # [XXX] HARLEY DAVIDSON M/C. IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THE REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER MOUNTING BRACKET WAS WELDED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT CAUSES THE CLEVIS END TO PITCH DOWN FAR ENOUGH TO PUT THE PUSH ROD WAY OUT OF LINE CAUCUSING IT TO STRIKE THE PUSH ROD WASHER. THIS ACTION KEEPS THE PISTON FROM GOING FORWARD ITS FULL STROKE. A PERSON WOULD THINK THAT A NEW SET OF BRAKE PADS WERE IN ORDER. BY MOVING THE CLEVIS PIN HOLE ON THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL DOWN .375 I AM NOW ABLE TO GET FULL STROKE OF THE PISTON. UPDATED 07/30/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
THEY SAY,AT HARLEY-DAVIDSON THAT MY MOTORCYCLE HAS A ELECTICAL PROBLEM,AND SHOULD BE FIXED RIGHT AWAY.I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP THE VERY DAY I GOT MY RECALL LETTER,ON OR ABOUT 6/29/04.AT THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THEY WERE "WAITING ON PARTS"TRHAT WAS ABOUT TEN WEEKS AGO.....AT WHAT POINT AN TIME DO I GET SATISFACTION FROM HARLEY DAVIDSON AND T.S.I. MOTORCYCLE IN WILLIMANTIC CT. ????THE LETTER STATES "THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE A QUIT WHILE RIDING SITUATION,WHICH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING AND ULTIMATELY LEAD TO A CRASH,THERBY PRESENTING A RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY TO THE RIDER. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
AFTER STORAGE MY HARLEY WAS HARD STARTING. AFTER SOME FRESH GAS THE BIKE BEGAN TO RUN. MAYBE A MONTH AFTER THIS GAS BEGAN SQUIRTING OUT OF THE TANK WHERE THE FUEL LINE AND THE RETURN LINE ARE ATTACHED. I SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, CLEANED UP THE GAS AND REPEATED THE STARTUP. SAME THING. AS THE BIKE WAS JUST STARTED I DID NOT GET GASOLINE ON ME, ONLY ON THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION AND RUNNING BOARD. THE ENGINE WAS COOL, I SHUT IT DOWN WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DISCUSSED WITH DEALER AND READ HARLEY MANUAL. THEY SPECULATED THAT SOMETHING WAS IN THE TANK, PRESUMABLY BAD GAS. AT DEALER RECOMMENDATION I TOOK TANK OFF AND WASHED IT OUT WITH FRESH GAS, CARB CLEANER AND WATER. THE PAINT LIKE SUBSTANCE THAT HARLEY USES TO COAT THE TANK WAS COMING OUT OF TANK. I HAVE COLLECTED SEVERAL LARGE PIECES. AND THERE ARE MANY MORE BRITTLE DELAMINATING PIECES IN THE TANK. I CALLED HARLEY'S SERVICE. THEY ACKNOWLEDGE USING THIS "PAINT" INSIDE THE TANK. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS FOR ASSEMBLY ONLY. THEIR ADVICE WAS TO TAKE TANK APART AND WHILE USING METAL BEADS AND SOAP AND WATER, AGITATE THE PAINT OFF THE INSIDE OF THE TANK. THEY CLAIM THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNEXPECTED EVENT, BUT THAT IT SHOULD NOT CAUSE GAS TO SQUIRT OUT. THEY OFFERED NO SOLUTION. I HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO EFFECT THE REPAIR SO THE TANK IS AVAILABLE ALONG WITH PAINT CHIPS FROM INSIDE TANK. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .