Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Brakes reportsComplaints 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.
10
Latest Apr 27, 2023
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
32%
of 31 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1
What this page shows
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2010 Harley-Davidson Flhtcu submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Owner reports naming brake
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Brakes
Filed Apr 27, 2023
I PURCHASED A 2010 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC LAST JUNE. I WAS RIDING HOME LAST WEEK AND WENT TO USE THE REAR BREAK PEDAL AND THE BRAKE WAS ROCK HARD. I SCHEDULED A SERVICE TO DIAGNOIS THE ISSUE AND FOUND THAT THE ABS MODULE CAN CAUSE THE ISSUE. I WAS NOTIFIED TODAY THAT THE ABS MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL FOR THE FLUID CHANGE. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE ONGOING WITH NUMEROUS HARLEYS FROM THE YEAR 2009-2014. THIS ISSUE OF A HARD PETAL WHILE RIDING HOME COULD HAVE RESULTED IN MY DEATH AS THEY DID FUNCTION CORRECT ON THE WAY TO HARLEY DEALER AND FAILED ON MY RIDE HOME. THIS PART SHOULD BE COVERED BY HARLEY AS THIS COULD RESULT IN DEATH.
NHTSA ID
11519295
Incident
Apr 12, 2023
Brakes
Filed May 25, 2018
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCU. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO OPERATE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V076000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO BLUE RIDGE HARLEY-DAVIDSON (2002 13TH AVE DR. SE, HICKORY, NC 28602) WHERE THE RECALL WAS REPAIRED ALONG WITH SOME OTHER UNKNOWN BRAKE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE REPAIRS THAT HE PAID FOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,250. *LN *TT
NHTSA ID
11097969
Incident
May 5, 2018
Mileage
21,250 mi
Brakes
Filed Feb 20, 2018
REAR BRAKES WOULD NOT OPERATE. I WAS RIDING AND WHEN I WENT TO APPLY THE REAR BRAKES, IT WAS AS IF I WAS AS IF THE PEDAL WAS FROZE AND NO STOP AT ALL. THE FRONT DID WORK BUT THE REAR WAS COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. FLUSHING THE BRAKE SYSTEM DID NOT WORK AND I ENDED UP REPLACE THE ABS BRAKE MODULE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IN THE OWNERS MANUAL IT STATES IF THE ABS SYSTEM FAILS YOU WILL STILL HAVE ADEQUATE BRAKING OTHER THAN ANTI-LOCK. THAT IS NOT CORRECT....THE ABS MODULE CAN FREEZE AND NOT LET ANY BRAKE FLUID GO TO THE REAR BRAKES.
NHTSA ID
11073800
Incident
Jan 17, 2018
Mileage
70,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Oct 24, 2017
ABS MODULE FAILURE AT SPEED. HD STATES THAT WITH ABS FAILURE, BRAKES ARE OPERABLE WITHOUT ABS FEATURE. REAR PEDAL HAS NO RESISTANCE AND FRONT LEVER IS LOCKED. BRAKE OPERATION IS NORMAL WITH SWITCH OFF, BUT WITH BIKE RUNNING OR SWITCH IN ON POSITION, SYMPTOMS RETURN.
NHTSA ID
11039230
Incident
Oct 16, 2017
Mileage
90,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Aug 26, 2017
FRONT BRAKE LEVER LOCKED UP, NO FRONT BRAKES. INVESTIGATED HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. FOUND THAT HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT WAS NOT ALLOWING FLUID TO FLOW, THEREBY CAUSING FRONT BRAKES NOT TO APPLY. INVESTIGATED CONCERN ON HARLEY FORUM THAT I AM A MEMBER OF, MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF THIS CONCERN. I AM REQUESTING THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY BE INVESTIGATED AND HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
NHTSA ID
11019863
Incident
Aug 19, 2017
Mileage
38,505 mi
Brakes
Filed Jul 11, 2016
Crash reported1 injury reported
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER WERE DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A PAVEMENT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BACK, RIBS, LEFT FOOT, NECK AND LEFT LUNG INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE CRASH SCENE TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V506000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000. UPDATED 08/30/16*LJ *TR
NHTSA ID
10884028
Incident
May 21, 2011
Mileage
9,000 mi
Brakes
Filed May 5, 2016
I WAS RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE AND EXITING THE FREEWAY RAMP DISCOVERED I HAD NO REAR BRAKES. COULD NOT DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL, LIKE IT WAS FROZEN. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE ABS MODULE. IF ABS FAILS IT SHOULD GO TO NON ABS BRAKES (FAIL SAFE) INSTEAD OF NO BRAKES. ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS PROBLEM CAUSES LOSS OF LIFE
NHTSA ID
10863506
Incident
Apr 30, 2016
Mileage
24,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Feb 13, 2016
WHILE RIDING BIKE AND TRIED TO STOP ON A CITY STREET. REAR BRAKE PEDAL WENT ROCK HARD AND WOULD NOT ACTIVATE THE REAR BRAKE CALIPER. CHECKED REAR CALIPER TO SEE IF IT WAS LOCKED UP AND CALIPER WAS FINE. CALIPER PISTONS MOVED FREELY. TOOK BIKE TO DEALER AND THEY FOUND THE ABS DISTRIBUTION BLOCK WAS BAD AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS FULL OF FLUID IT WOULD NOT ALLOWING FLUID TO TRAVEL TO REAR CALIPER. THEY REPLACED BLOCK. MY CONCERN IS A TOTAL REAR BRAKE FAILURE. I HAD NO REAR BRAKES AND MADE IT DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO STOP AN 800 LB MOTORCYCLE AT ANY SPEED. I HAVE FOUND ON SEVERAL FORUMS USERS DESCRIBE THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH VARYING YEARS AND MODELS OF HARLEY DAVIDSON BIKES WITH ABS.
NHTSA ID
10825939
Incident
Jan 30, 2016
Mileage
21,230 mi
Brakes
Filed Dec 7, 2015
AFTER RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE NORMALLY FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES, I STOPPED AT MY DESTINATION AND SHUT DOWN THE BIKE NORMALLY. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES LATER, I GOT BACK ON THE BIKE TO GO BACK HOME. AT THIS POINT, I FOUND MY RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LEVER WAS FROZE UP AND WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. I HAD THE BIKE TOWED TO MY HARLEY DEALER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME A FEW DAYS LATER AND TOLD ME THE ABS HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT WAS BAD. HE ALSO TOLD ME WHEN THE BIKE WAS BROUGHT IN, THE REAR BRAKE WAS ALSO FROZE UP. I AUTHORIZED THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT TO FIX THE BIKE. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THE ABS ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT WAS ALSO BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES. MY MAJOR CONCERN IS THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN RIDING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED AND I COULD HAVE BEEN HURT OR KILLED. I THINK THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE ABS SYSTEM. IF THE SYSTEM FAILED, THE BIKE SHOULD AT THE VERY LEAST REVERT TO NORMAL BRAKING INSTEAD OF ABS. IN MY CASE, I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER.
NHTSA ID
10808898
Incident
Nov 6, 2015
Mileage
18,670 mi
Brakes
Filed Mar 17, 2013
ABS BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, WILL NOT ACTIVATE. *TR
NHTSA ID
10503346
Incident
Mar 17, 2013
Mileage
8,805 mi
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own