Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2005 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui, most frequently naming the brakes, electrical and driver assistance categories. 6 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| May 2006 | 2 | 2 |
| Sep 2006 | 1 | 3 |
| Oct 2006 | 1 | 4 |
| Sep 2013 | 1 | 5 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
HARLEY DEALERSHIP TOLD ME TO UPGRADE THE CAM TENSIONER ON THE TWIN CAM 88 MOTOR FROM 1991-1996. THEY HAVE A TENDENCEY TO "EXPLODE" AFTER 20-25K MILES. $500 FOR THE PART #25284-11, $500-$1000 FOR LABOR. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE SERVICE MANUALS FOR CHECKING THIS PART. TO REPLACE IT REQUIRES A COMPLETE MOTOR TEAR DOWN. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR A MOTOR PART NOT TO LAST OVER 20K MILES.
2005 HARLEY ULTRA REAR BRAKES FAILED. *TS THE FRICTION MATERIAL HAD FALLEN OFF THE BACKING PLATE. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE PADS HIMSELF. ALMOST TWO MONTHS LATER THE REAR WHEEL DEVELOPED A 10 INCH SPLIT WHICH CAUSED THE BIKE TO OPERATE ERRATICALLY. THE BIKE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE WHEEL UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER THE TECH PUT THE NEW WHEEL ON HE TOOK THE BIKE FOR A TEST DRIVE. UPON RETURNING TO THE SHOP THE FRONT BRAKES FAILED. THE FRICTION MATERIAL HAD FALLEN OFF THE BACKING PLATE. THE TECH REPLACED THE FRONT PADS, BUT NOT UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH, THE HYDRAULIC REAR BRAKE DID NOT WORK AT ALL. THE FRONT BRAKE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE BRAKING. THE ROAD CONDITION WAS HARD SURFACED. ALSO, THE SECOND TIME THE FRONT BRAKE LINING PAD HAD FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER BUT WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR DUE TO HIGH VOLUME OF WORK AND INSTEAD THE CONTACT FIXED THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED BUT WAS ADVISED THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. UPDATED 10/17/2006 - *NM
HARLEY DAVIDSON HORN DOESN'T WORK. THE HORN WAS REPLACED AT 1000 MILES. STILL DOESN'T WORK. IT SOUNDS LIKE A WOUNDED DUCK. HARLEY DEALER SAYS THE HORN IS FINE AND THAT YOU MUST BE RUNNING THE ENGINE AT 2000 RPM FOR THE HORN TO WORK. IT WORKED FINE WHEN PURCHASED. I SAY ITS A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING. IF YOU NEED THE HORN YOU MUST BE DRIVING AT 2000 RPM OR BETTER. MAKES NO SENSE. YOU MUST INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM. SOMEONE WILL GET HURT. *NM
NO EVENTS OTHER THAN POOR WORKMANSHIP. HORN DOESN'T WORK. SAFETY IS MY CONCERN. HARLEY-DAVIDSON SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY HORN. THEY SAY THAT AT 2000 RPM WHEN YOU PRESS THE HORN BUTTON IT WORKS. SITTING STILL OR IDLING THE HORN WILL NOT WORK. THEY SAY NO ONE USES THE HORN AT IDLE OR SITTING STILL. IF I AM SITTING AT A LIGHT AND SOMEONE TURNS INTO MY LANE I NEED TO WARN THEM. HARLEY SAYS PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND REV THE ENGINE TO 2000 RPM THEN BLOW THE HORN. *NM
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SERVICE BULLETIN M1684: MARKET SPECIFIC BATTERY INTRODUCTION. PURPOSE: Initial Release. This bulletin informs dealers of the availability of new batteries for new Original Equipment (OE) vehicle production and in the Parts and Accessories (P&A) catalog. Availability of the new Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries will vary by market and will be transitioning over the next few months. NOTE: The ring terminal screws are not compatible between Leoch and East Penn batteries. The new batteries will include new ring terminal screws, which must be used. The ring terminal screws from the old battery need to be discarded.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SERVICE BULLETIN M1555 (REV E): BATTERY WARRANTY GUIDELINES. PURPOSE: Revision E. Added: Added procedures for the DCA-8000 E Battery Tester.* Updated: All sections. This bulletin informs the dealership network that Harley-Davidson has provided guidelines for battery warranty.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.8.8): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.8.8. Release Date: Week of August 5, 2024. New Features for Harley-Davidson vehicles: Advanced Module Replace for 2021 and later Revolution Max; 2023 and later CVO Touring; and 2024 Street Glide (FLHX), Road Glide (FLTRX). New Features for LiveWire vehicles: Updated calibrations for 2024 S2DM EV1/ EV6; 2024 S2MH EV1; and 2024 S2DM, S2MH. Changes: Added Hand Control Module (HCM) (Part No. 71500522A and 71500536A) for reflash support.
ENGINE; POWER TRAIN
GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1158: OIL FILTER PACKAGING AND CASE QUANTITY UPDATE. PURPOSE: To inform dealerships that Harley-Davidson has made updates to oil filters including new part numbers, packaging design, and bulk case quantity changes.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.6.4): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.6.4. Release Date: Week of May 1, 2024. New Features for LiveWire S2DM and S2MH, 2024 Revolution® Max, and 2024 Touring.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1146: 68193-95 BULB WEDGE, FENDER TIP LAMP. Purpose: To inform dealers of an issue with the bulb wire terminals not being to specification. The light bulbs were used in numerous front and rear fender tip light assemblies for domestic and international applications.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.