2018 Harley-Davidson Flhtk 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 2018 Harley-Davidson Flhtk, 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
- Engine250.0%
- Other / unspecified125.0%
- Powertrain (other)125.0%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN SLOWING FOR A STOP THE ENGINE WILL STALL WHEN THE CLUTCH LEVER IS PULLED IN. THE BIKE MUST BE SWITCHED OFF THEN BACK ON AND RESTARTED. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER COULD NOT REPRODUCE. HOWEVER, A LITTLE RESEARCH ON INTERNET SHOWS A LOT OF OWNERS WITH THE NEW MILWAUKEE 8 ENGINE ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE.
HEAD BOLT BROKE ON FRONT CYLINDER OF ENGINE CAUSING HEAD GASKET TO FAIL, WHICH LED TO OIL LEAK FROM HEAD GASKET. THIS LED TO ENGINE OIL BEING LEAKED ONTO SIDE OF MOTORCYCLE AS WELL AS ON PASSENGER BOOTS AND ONTO REAR TIRE. THIS OCCURRED WHILE VEHICL WAS TRAVELLING ON HIGHWAY WITH ENGINE AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE .WASINFORMED BY HARLEY MASTER TECH THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS
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
TIRE DEVELOPED SLICING IN THE TREAD HAVE HAD MULTIPLE HARLEY DEALERS TELL ME THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM
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
LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, POWER, AND ENGINE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED DUE TO OIL SUMP AND FAILURE OF OIL PUMP. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON RESTRICTED ACCESS ROAD.
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 .