RoadVitals

2003 Harley-Davidson Flhri 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 Feb 11, 2026
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 2003 Harley-Davidson Flhri, 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

  • 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.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

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report

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Apr 18, 2010

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

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Jan 14, 2005

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 .