2013 Harley-Davidson Flhtcu 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 2013 Harley-Davidson Flhtcu, 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
- Brakes342.9%
- Powertrain (other)228.6%
- Engine114.3%
- Tires & wheels114.3%
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
CANNOT PULL THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER. HARD AS A ROCK, THE FRONT BRAKE IS INNOPERATIVE. ABS MODULE FAILURE. HAPPEND AT MY HOUSE.
ABS SYSTEM MODULE FAILURE. BACKING OUT OF GARAGE WITH IGNITION ON, PULLED FRONT BRAKE LEVER AND IT WAS LOCKED, COULD NOT PULL. HAD NO FRONT BRAKE. HAD TO STOP BIKE BY APPLYING REAR BRAKE. REAR BRAKE FUNCTIONED AS IT SHOULD. IF YOU TURN BIKE OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR A FEW HOURS, BRAKE PRESSURE IN FRONT EQUALIZES. YOU CAN THEN PULL FRONT BRAKE LEVER AND BRAKE WORKS AS IT SHOULD WITH IGNITION OFF. AS SOON AS YOU TURN IGNITION ON AND ABS MODULE POWERS UP THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER LOCKS UP AND IS UNUSABLE. WHEN RIDING THE FRONT WHEEL TURNS FREELY AS THE BRAKE IS NOT APPLIED, BUT FRONT BRAKE LEVER CANNOT BE PULLED. DIAGNOSIS TO ABS MODULE FAILURE! I LET BIKE SIT OVERNIGHT. PULLED BRAKE LEVER TO ENSURE BRAKES FUNCTIONED WITH IGNITION OFF, BRAKES WORKED FINE. PULLED FUSE 21 FOR ABS SYSTEM. TURNED ON IGNITION, ABS LIGHT COMES ON STEADY AS SYSTEM HAS NO POWER. BRAKES WORKED FINE ON TEST RIDE BUT WHEELS CAN BE LOCKED UP AS ABS IS NON FUNCTIONING. SHUT BIKE OFF, RE-INSTALLED FUSE, TURNED IGNITION BACK ON, ABS SYSTEM POWERED UP AND FRONT BRAKE LEVER LOCKED AND CANNOT BE USED. REPEATED SAME PROCEDURE AS ABOVE AND NOW HAVE FUNCTIONAL BRAKES TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE BIKE, BUT ABS SYSTEM FUSE PULLED AND ABS IS DISABLED. HARLEY DAVIDSON ABS MODULE FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE ENDING IF I HAD FOUND THIS OUT AT THE WRONG TIME WHEN I REALLY NEEDED THE BRAKES. THIS SYSTEM SHOULD FAIL ON THE SAFE SIDE AND BE ABLE TO HAVE OPERATIONAL BRAKES WITH NO ABS FUNCTION, BUT INSTEAD IT FAILS TO THE BAD AND DOES NOT ALLOW THE USE OF THE BRAKES AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. VERY POOR DESIGN ABS SYSTEM. WARRANTS A FULL RECALL AT HD EXPENSE! THIS COULD KILL PEOPLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
HYDRAULIC CLUTCH FAILURE THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH FAILED WHILE RIDING CITY ROADS CAUSING AN UNSAFE STOP, LOSS CONTROL, PERSONAL INJURY.
WHILE UP-SHIFTING GEARS FROM 2ND TO 3RD THE CLUTCH FAILED AND I COULD NOT DISENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION. I MANUALLY DOWN-SHIFTED TO FIRST TO SLOW DOWN THEN TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC AND TRIED TO FIND NEUTRAL TO BE ABLE TO STOP SAFELY BUT RAN OUT OF SPACE BEFORE I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND STALL THE ENGINE. AS THE ENGINE BEGAN TO STALL THE MOTORCYCLE STARTED TO JUMP & BUCK AND I LOST CONTROL AND FELL OVER. I EXTENDED MY LEG TO TRY AND STAY UPRIGHT BUT COULD NOT HOLD THE BIKE UPRIGHT AND SPRANG OR JAMMED MY KNEE. I CHECKED THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THE 2014 MODELS OF THIS SAME BIKE WAS UNDER WHAT APPEARED TO BE A VOLUNTARY RECALL BY HARLEY DAVIDSON FOR CLUTCH ISSUES. I CALLED HARLEY DAVIDSON TO SEE IF THE 2013 MODELS WERE ALSO UNDER SOME RECALL SINCE IT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME ISSUE WITH MY BIKE. THEY SAID NO, BUT I SHOULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS CONTINUOUSLY OVERHEATING AND CAUSING THE HEAT SHIELD TO FAIL. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF THE FAILURE CAUSING SEVERE BURNS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS WORKING NORMALLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,800. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,900.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
See attached document for complaint.
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 .