2013 Harley-Davidson Flhtcutg 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 Flhtcutg, 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
- Engine571.4%
- Brakes228.6%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
AFTER PURCHASING MY BRAND NEW 2013 HD TRI GLIDE I WAS SURPRISED TO FEEL THE HEAT THAT WAS PRODUCED BY THE ENGINE AND EXHAUST ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BIKE. THE TEMPS OUTSIDE WERE ABOUT 80 DEGREES AND MY INNER RIGHT THIGH FELT AS THOUGH IT WAS ON FIRE. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, BOWLING GREEN HARLEY DAVIDSON, THE SERVICE DEPT RECOMMENDED THAT I HAVE THEM REMOVE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AS THIS WOULD HELP WITH SOME OF THE HEAT ISSUE. I PAID CASH FOR THIS TO BE DONE TO THE EMPLOYEE AS THEY SAID THIS WAS NOT A COMPANY PROCEDURE. THEY ALSO RECOMMENDED HIGHWAY PEGS ATTACHED TO THE FARING WHICH I HAD DONE. THIS WOULD ELEVATE MY LEG AWAY FROM THE HEAT. THE TEMPERATURE WAS BETTER AT 80 DEGREES AND UNDER BUT HERE IN KY IT'S OVER THAT MOST OF JUNE THROUGH MID SEPTEMBER. LAST SUMMER I RODE FROM KY TO CT OVER 2 DAYS THAT WERE 95-100 DEGREES AND HAD TO WEAR MY CHAPS AS MY LEG WAS HOT AND RED. HD HAS JUST KEPT TELLING ME THIS IS NORMAL FOR THE TRIKE. I ONLY FOUND OUT TODAY ABOUT BEING ABLE TO FILE A COMPLAINT OR I WOULD HAVE DONE IT SOONER. MY 8 YEAR OLD SON RIDES WITH ME AND EVEN THOUGH HIS FOOT PLACEMENT IS HIGHER HE COMPLAINS OF THE HEAT. *TR
AT SLOW SPEED OR STOPPED THERE IS ETREME HEAT COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. IT IS SO HOT IT FEELS LIKE MY LEG IS BEING BURNED. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THE ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WITH A SYSTEM WITHOUT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THIS AT A COST OF CLOSE TO $2,000 ON A VEHICLE ALREADY COSTING $30,000. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *JS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
When engine is hot, approximately 170F+ per oil temperature gauge, rear brake lights remain ON after only pressing the rear brake pedal. Seems to be more prevalent when motorcycle is stationary. Lights will only turn OFF after cooling and the engine is turned OFF and then ON again. This has happened multiple times. Has not happened with front brakes.
ON THREE OCCASIONS, AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT RIDDIN FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, THE REAR BRAKES STOPPED WORKING AFTER THE FIRST DEPRESSION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE REAR BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER INTERNAL PISTON WOULD NOT RETURN TO ITS NORMAL POSITION AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL. FORTUNATLY I HAVE, ON ALL THREE OCCASIONS NEVER BEEN OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY BEFORE DISCOVERING THIS PROBLEM, AS I WAS ON EACH OCCASION JUST DONG A PRE TRIP CHECK OF THE MACHINE. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE DEALER THAT I PURCHASED IT FROM. I WAS TOLD BY THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY ONLY ADDED BRAKE FLUID. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY SIGNS OF LEAKAGES. I ALSO CHECKED FOR LEAKS BEFORE I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. NONE WERE FOUND. IN THE FALL OF 2018 I WAS GOING TO TAKE THIS MOTORCYCLE FOR A RIDE. BEFORE I LEFT MY GARAGE, WHERE THE BIKE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR AT LEAST FOUR MONTHS, I ENCOUNTERS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKES. THIS TIME I INSPECTED THE MASTER CYLINDER FLUID LEVEL MYSELF AND SAW THAT IT WAS FULL. I STRONGLY PUMPED THE REAR BRAKE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES UNTIL THE MASTER CYLINDER PISTON RETURNED TO ITS NORMAL POSITION AND I WAS ABLE TO FEEL THE BRAKES OPERATING PROPERLY. I RODE THE MOTORCYCLE APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES THAT DAY. LATER THAT DAY I RETURNED THE MOTORCYCLE TO MY GARAGE WHERE I REMAIND UNTOUCHED UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO. WHILE DOING A GENERAL CHEC OF THE MOTORCYCLE I FOUND THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE TAKEN THE BIKE BACK TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEMS TO THEM. THE MACHINE IS STILL UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I AM AWAITING THEIR DIAGNOSIS AT THIS TIME. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY BE AN ISSUE THAT MAY BE COMMON TO OTHER SIMILAR HARLEY DAVIDSON MODELS.
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 .