RoadVitals

2008 Harley-Davidson Flhrse4 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 Nov 10, 2015
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 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhrse4, 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

  • Driver assistance240.0%
  • Electrical120.0%
  • Fuel system120.0%
  • Other / unspecified120.0%

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

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

RIDING VEHICLE WHEN SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED. SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE THROTTLE CONTROL ACTUATOR. HD HAS REVISED THIS ASSEMBLY, BUT IT IS STILL PROBLEMATIC. SEARCH RESULTS ARE LOADED WITH OTHER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE. HD KNOWS ABOUT IT AND HAS ISSUED A TSB ON IT, BUT HAS DONE NOTHING IN THE ORDER OF A RECALL FOR THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY SITUATION.

NHTSA ID 10789686 · filed Nov 10, 2015

I WAS OPERATING MY 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHRSE4 ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN THE THROTTLE BY WIRE CUT OUT IN TRAFFIC ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND EACH TIME, THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED FOR REPAIR. EACH TIME, THE SERVICE DEPT. STATED THE ISSUE WAS FIXED, ONLY TO OCCUR AGAIN DURING A FUTURE RIDE. APPARENTLY, THE THROTTLE BY WIRE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE EVER SINCE HARLEY DAVIDSON STARTED USING IT IN THEIR MOTORCYCLES. MY 3RD AND LAST INCIDENT I HAD, I WAS TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC, AND MY THROTTLE CUT OUT TO IDLE, AND THEN CAME ON FULL THROTTLE WHILE I WAS MOVING WITH TRAFFIC, NEARLY CAUSING ME TO COLLIDE WITH THE REAREND OF A PICKUP TRUCK, AND CRASH MY MOTORCYCLE. I PULLED OVER AFTER AVOIDING THE COLLISION, AND SHUT THE MOTORCYCLE DOWN FOR A FEW MINUTES. UPON STARTING IT BACK UP, THE MOTORCYCLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE, AND SINCE I WAS CLOSE TO THE HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP, I RODE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SLOWLY ON BACK STREETS. UPON REACHING THE DEALERSHIP, THE ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT WAS ON, AND MY BUTTERFLY VALVE ON THE BIKE WAS FLUTTERING VIOLENTLY DUE TO SOME SORT OF SHORT IN THE THROTTLE SYSTEM. MY BIKE IS CURRENTLY AT THE SERVICE DEPT. AWAITING A LOOK BY AN "EXPERT" FROM ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. I HAVE OWNED THIS MOTORCYCLE A TOTAL OF 13 MONTHS NOW, AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM, FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS TOTAL. ACCORDING THE DEALERSHIP, A DIFFERENT PART HAS FAILED THIS TIME, BUT I KNOW THAT THE THROTTLE BY WIRE IS THE CULPRIT DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND REPEAT FUNCTION ISSUES. THIS ISSUE HAS NEARLY CAUSED ME SEVERAL ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE SUDDEN DROP IN ACCELERATION, AND CUTTING OUT. WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE DEPT. IF I WAS THE FIRST WITH THIS PROBLEM, THEY TOLD ME OF AT LEAST 20 OTHER 2008 OR NEWER H-D MOTORCYCLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE BEFORE THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL ON THE THROTTLE BY WIRE/ FLY BY WIRE ISSUE? *TR

NHTSA ID 10282699 · filed Sep 2, 2009

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

I WAS OPERATING MY 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHRSE4 ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN THE THROTTLE BY WIRE CUT OUT IN TRAFFIC ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND EACH TIME, THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED FOR REPAIR. EACH TIME, THE SERVICE DEPT. STATED THE ISSUE WAS FIXED, ONLY TO OCCUR AGAIN DURING A FUTURE RIDE. APPARENTLY, THE THROTTLE BY WIRE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE EVER SINCE HARLEY DAVIDSON STARTED USING IT IN THEIR MOTORCYCLES. MY 3RD AND LAST INCIDENT I HAD, I WAS TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC, AND MY THROTTLE CUT OUT TO IDLE, AND THEN CAME ON FULL THROTTLE WHILE I WAS MOVING WITH TRAFFIC, NEARLY CAUSING ME TO COLLIDE WITH THE REAREND OF A PICKUP TRUCK, AND CRASH MY MOTORCYCLE. I PULLED OVER AFTER AVOIDING THE COLLISION, AND SHUT THE MOTORCYCLE DOWN FOR A FEW MINUTES. UPON STARTING IT BACK UP, THE MOTORCYCLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE, AND SINCE I WAS CLOSE TO THE HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP, I RODE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SLOWLY ON BACK STREETS. UPON REACHING THE DEALERSHIP, THE ENGINE SERVICE LIGHT WAS ON, AND MY BUTTERFLY VALVE ON THE BIKE WAS FLUTTERING VIOLENTLY DUE TO SOME SORT OF SHORT IN THE THROTTLE SYSTEM. MY BIKE IS CURRENTLY AT THE SERVICE DEPT. AWAITING A LOOK BY AN "EXPERT" FROM ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. I HAVE OWNED THIS MOTORCYCLE A TOTAL OF 13 MONTHS NOW, AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM, FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS TOTAL. ACCORDING THE DEALERSHIP, A DIFFERENT PART HAS FAILED THIS TIME, BUT I KNOW THAT THE THROTTLE BY WIRE IS THE CULPRIT DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND REPEAT FUNCTION ISSUES. THIS ISSUE HAS NEARLY CAUSED ME SEVERAL ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE SUDDEN DROP IN ACCELERATION, AND CUTTING OUT. WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE DEPT. IF I WAS THE FIRST WITH THIS PROBLEM, THEY TOLD ME OF AT LEAST 20 OTHER 2008 OR NEWER H-D MOTORCYCLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE BEFORE THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL ON THE THROTTLE BY WIRE/ FLY BY WIRE ISSUE? *TR

NHTSA ID 10282699 · filed Sep 2, 2009

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 H-D FLHRSE4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THERE WAS FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THAT THE FUEL TANK O-RING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.

NHTSA ID 10654814 · filed Nov 13, 2014

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

Other / unspecified

Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, HE NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT SIDE SADDLE BAG FELL OFF OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE RETAINING PINS WERE LOOSE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SERVICED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 8,500.

NHTSA ID 10294244 · filed Dec 2, 2009

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 .