Filed Feb 11, 2026
It has been over 90 days, and dealership has not submitted the transfer paperwork for my vehicle that I’ve purchased
- NHTSA ID
- 11717375
- Incident
- Jan 5, 2026
2003 Harley-Davidson Flhri
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
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.
3
Latest Feb 11, 2026
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
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.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported
Overview
Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Harley-Davidson Flhri, most frequently naming the brakes and steering categories. 6 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Brakes150.0%
- Steering150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Brakes
Filed Apr 18, 2010
HARLEY DAVIDSON 2003 FLHRI TOURING MOTORCYCLE. NOTICED FLUID ALONG FRAME NEAR FLOORBOARD MOUNT FOR SOMETIME, WAS NOT SURE WERE IT WAS COMING FROM. ON A RIDE AND BRAKE PETAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN, REAR BRAKE FAILURE. BROUGHT BIKE HOME. I REMOVED THE EAR BRAKE LINE TO FIND IT HAD BEEN RUBBING AGAINST THE FRAME. HARLEY PUT A THIN PLASTIC SLEEVE IN THE AREA OF THE FRAME WHERE FLOORBOARD MOUNT IS. THE PROBLEM WAS LINE IS ROUTED AGAINST THIS AREA AND RUBBED RIGHT THROUGH METAL BRAKE LINE. BROUGHT TO AMERICAN HARLEY IN LEOMINSTER MASS. GOT NEW LINE AND IT HAD BEEN TOTALLY REDESIGNED. THE NEW LINE IS RUBBER WERE THE ORIGINAL WAS METAL COMING OUT OF MASTER CYLINDER BACK TO JUNCTION BEFORE CALIPER. I RECENTLY CHANGED THE OIL ON MY FRIENDS FLHCI ROAD KING AND HER BIKE HAS BRAKE FLUID ALL OVER THE PLACE IN SAME AREA WHERE THE LINE COMES IN CONTACT WITH FRAME AT FLOORBOARD MOUNTS. HARLEY KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT IS WHY PART HAS BEEN TOTALLY CHANGED. I ALMOST LOST MY LIFE ON THIS DAYNOT BEING ABLE TO STOP AT THE END OF WILLIAMS STREET IN UPTON BECAUSE OF SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE. I HAVE OLD BRAKE LINE AND I PLAN ON CHANGING MY FRIENDS LINE AND COMPARE BOTH. SHE HAS A 2004 TOURING. I INTEND TO MAKE SURE THIS IS ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY . IT IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THANKYOU. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10326236
- Incident
- Oct 20, 2009
- Mileage
- 43,000 mi
Steering
Filed Jan 14, 2005
Crash reported1 injury reported
TRAVELING ALONG ON MY 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING MOTOR CYCLE, LET OFF ON THE GAS AND IMMEDIATLY WENT INTO A SPEED WOBBLE. I LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10106351
- Incident
- Oct 24, 2003
- Mileage
- 2,837 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
M1684
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SERVICE BULLETIN M1684: MARKET SPECIFIC BATTERY INTRODUCTION. PURPOSE: Initial Release. This bulletin informs dealers of the availability of new batteries for new Original Equipment (OE) vehicle production and in the Parts and Accessories (P&A) catalog. Availability of the new Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries will vary by market and will be transitioning over the next few months. NOTE: The ring terminal screws are not compatible between Leoch and East Penn batteries. The new batteries will include new ring terminal screws, which must be used. The ring terminal screws from the old battery need to be discarded.
M1555
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SERVICE BULLETIN M1555 (REV E): BATTERY WARRANTY GUIDELINES. PURPOSE: Revision E. Added: Added procedures for the DCA-8000 E Battery Tester.* Updated: All sections. This bulletin informs the dealership network that Harley-Davidson has provided guidelines for battery warranty.
M1490
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.8.8): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.8.8. Release Date: Week of August 5, 2024. New Features for Harley-Davidson vehicles: Advanced Module Replace for 2021 and later Revolution Max; 2023 and later CVO Touring; and 2024 Street Glide (FLHX), Road Glide (FLTRX). New Features for LiveWire vehicles: Updated calibrations for 2024 S2DM EV1/ EV6; 2024 S2MH EV1; and 2024 S2DM, S2MH. Changes: Added Hand Control Module (HCM) (Part No. 71500522A and 71500536A) for reflash support.
PAB1158
ENGINE; POWER TRAIN
GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1158: OIL FILTER PACKAGING AND CASE QUANTITY UPDATE. PURPOSE: To inform dealerships that Harley-Davidson has made updates to oil filters including new part numbers, packaging design, and bulk case quantity changes.
M1490
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.6.4): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.6.4. Release Date: Week of May 1, 2024. New Features for LiveWire S2DM and S2MH, 2024 Revolution® Max, and 2024 Touring.
PAB1146
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1146: 68193-95 BULB WEDGE, FENDER TIP LAMP. Purpose: To inform dealers of an issue with the bulb wire terminals not being to specification. The light bulbs were used in numerous front and rear fender tip light assemblies for domestic and international applications.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.