RoadVitals

2000 Harley-Davidson Flhrci Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Latest Jul 19, 2010
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2000 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

  • Engine250.0%
  • Body & structure125.0%
  • Brakes125.0%

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.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE SERVICE LIFE OF THE NEW TWIN CAM ENGINE'S BOTTOM END. THERE SEEMS TO BE A LARGE NUMBER OF CONNECTING ROD BEARING FAILURES ONCE THE BIKE HAS REACHED 40,000 MILES. MINE FAILED AT 68,000 MILES BUT I HAVE TALKED WITH ONE RIDER WHOSE BOTTOM END FAILED AT 43,000 MILES. HARLEY APPEARS TO HAVE CHANGED THE WAY THEY BUILD THE FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLIES. THEY ARE NO LONGER PUTTING AN INSERT IN THE CONNECTING RODS FOR THE BEARINGS TO RIDE ON. INSTEAD THEY ARE MERELY FLAME HARDENING THE AREA. ONCE THE HARDENING FAILS THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY RAPIDLY DETERIORATES. ALL THE PERIODICALS AND HARLEY DEALERSHIPS ARE TOUTING THAT THIS BOTTOM END SHOULD LAST 100,000 MILES EASILY. HOWEVER, IF MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND THE EXPERIENCE OF NUMEROUS HARLEY OWNERS ON THE INTERNET ARE ANY INDICATION THEN THERE ARE A LOT OF MOTORCYCLE ENGINES OUT THERE REQUIRING A REBUILD WELL BEFORE 100,000 MILES. I HAVE WRITTEN TO HARLEY DAVIDSON AND ASK THEM TO REIMBURSE ME THE $1,000 I SPENT TO HAVE THE BOTTOM END REBUILT WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE THE COST OF ADDITIONAL PARTS AND TIME BY DOING MOST OF THE WORK MYSELF. ADDITIONALLY I ASK THEM TO TRY TO ENGINEER A BETTER FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLY. HARLEY REFUSED MY REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD FORWARD MY LETTER TO THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. *JB

NHTSA ID 10088136 · filed Aug 18, 2004

WHILE RIDING MOTORCYCLE, CAM BEARING FAILED, CAUSING MOTORCYCLE TO COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER REPAIRS, ENGINE IS NOISY AND EXHIBITS AN OIL LEAK. *TT

NHTSA ID 899631 · filed Nov 29, 2001

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

TOOK MY 2000 HARLEY IN FOR SERVICE AND MECHANIC NOTICED A CLUNK. AFTER INSPECTION HE FOUND THE SWINGARM (FRAME) HAD A CRACK. AT THIS TIME IT IS BEING REPAIRED WITH NEW PARTS. OLD PART WILL BE SAVED. THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID 10344012 · filed Jul 19, 2010

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

REAR BRAKE FAILURE, RIDING IN HIGH ALTITUDES. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AFTER RIDING THIS MOTORCYCLE 500+ MILES A DAY, AND TRAVELING THROUGH MOUNTAINS, THE REAR BRAKE WILL SUDDENLY NOT WORK, THE PEDAL JUST DROPS TO THE FLOORBOARD. AFTER SITTING FOR ABOUT 2 MIN. BRAKE OPERATION RETURNS TO NORMAL. I RETURNED THE BIKE TO 2 DIFFERENT HARLEY DEALERS IN MI. WHERE I LIVE. BOTH COULD NOT VERIFY THE PROBLEM AND NOTHING WAS DONE. I WROTE A LETTER TO HARLEY EXPLAINING THE PROBLEM AND THE DEALERS LACK OF CONCERN. ( I AM A PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC IN A CHRYSLER, JEEP, DODGE DEALER AND I ASSURED THEM SUCH A COMPLAINT WOULD NOT BE TREATED SO LIGHTLY BY US) I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM SOMEONE IN HARLEY DAVIDSON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED "OFF THE RECORD" HARLEY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT HAS NO FIX FOR IT,THE NEW BIKES SWITCHED FROM DOT5 BRAKE FLUID TO DOT4, BUT MY BIKE IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH DOT4, SO I WAS ADVISED I SHOULD BUY A NEW BIKE. ON SATURDAY, OCT. 15, 2006 MY REAR BRAKE FAILED IN KNOXVILLE TENN. AND I REAR ENDED A TRUCK WITH MY BIKE. GOOGLE ACTUALLY HAS A WEB FORUM ABOUT HARLEY REAR BRAKE FAILURES. HTTP://GROUPS.GOOGLE.COM/GROUP/REC.MOTORCYCLES.HARLEY/BROWSE_THREAD/THREAD/9BBBD0EEB1692582/C17370B426F02402%23C17370B426F02402 DO I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I AM SERIOUSLY INJURED TO GET MY BIKE FIXED RIGHT? *NM *JS *TR

NHTSA ID 10171284 · filed Oct 18, 2006

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

Data on this page last refreshed .