2003 Harley-Davidson Flhtc 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 2003 Harley-Davidson Flhtc, 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
- Body & structure150.0%
- Other / unspecified150.0%
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
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS A DETACHABLE BACKREST THAT KEEPS THE PASSENGER ON THE BIKE. THERE ARE TWO BARS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT THAT KEEP THE BACKREST IN PLACE. WHILE RIDING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE TWO SIDE UPRIGHT BARS RANDOMLY FAILED AND CAUSED THE BACKREST TO COME OUT OF PLACE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND HARLEY DAVIDSON SENT A REPLACEMENT. FOUR YEARS AFTER THE REPLACEMENT WAS RECEIVED, THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE UPRIGHT HANDLE BARS FAILED WHILE RIDING 50 MPH. THE REAR PASSENGER NEARLY FELL FROM THE VEHICLE. THE REAR PASSENGER SUSTAINED A CUT TO HER HAND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE SECOND FAILURE BECAUSE THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOT HANDLED PROPERLY THE FIRST TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE FOR THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS 45,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000. THE CONSUMER SENT THE BACKREST TO THE MANUFACTURER AND FOUND THAT THE BACKREST HAD A STRESS ON THE LEFT SIDE. UPDATED 08/05/08. *JB
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS A DETACHABLE BACKREST THAT KEEPS THE PASSENGER ON THE BIKE. THERE ARE TWO BARS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT THAT KEEP THE BACKREST IN PLACE. WHILE RIDING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE TWO SIDE UPRIGHT BARS RANDOMLY FAILED AND CAUSED THE BACKREST TO COME OUT OF PLACE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND HARLEY DAVIDSON SENT A REPLACEMENT. FOUR YEARS AFTER THE REPLACEMENT WAS RECEIVED, THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE UPRIGHT HANDLE BARS FAILED WHILE RIDING 50 MPH. THE REAR PASSENGER NEARLY FELL FROM THE VEHICLE. THE REAR PASSENGER SUSTAINED A CUT TO HER HAND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE SECOND FAILURE BECAUSE THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOT HANDLED PROPERLY THE FIRST TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE FOR THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS 45,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000. THE CONSUMER SENT THE BACKREST TO THE MANUFACTURER AND FOUND THAT THE BACKREST HAD A STRESS ON THE LEFT SIDE. UPDATED 08/05/08. *JB
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 .