Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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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 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhx submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
My front brake lever froze and can not be pulled in on my 2012 Harley Davidson motorcycle. Dealership is saying brake pistons are froze up and ABS module will need to be replaced. I’ve owned the bike 6 years and have never been told the brake fluid needed to flushed every 2 years. There was a recall on this issue but only for years 2008-2011 and my bike is 2012, but was built on 2011. I never received recall notice.
2012 HARLEY STREET GLIDE ABS CONTROL MODULE IS FAILING. CAUSING THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER TO BECOME ROCK HARD AND UNUSABLE. SAME EXACT MODULE THAT WAS RECALLED ON 2008-2010 WAS ALSO USED IN 2011-2013. EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD AS YOU CAN NOT STOP IF SOMEONE PULLS OUT IN FRONT OF YOU.
FRONT BRAKES COMPLETE FAILURE RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. ABS FAILED & INSTEAD OF REVERTING TO NON ABS IT LOCKED OUT THE BRAKE SYSTEM RESULTING IN NO BRAKES. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW ON 2008 & UP HARLEY'S WITH ABS. I BELIEVE THAT AN INVESTIGATION & RECALL ARE IN ORDER PLEASE. I WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED, THIS CAN LEAD TO FATALITIES!!
THE ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKES. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET REVEALED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH HARLEY DAVIDSON ABS BRAKE SYSTEMS. THERE WAS NO INDICATOR LIGHT OR WARNING THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTED JUST SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE. LUCKILY I WAS JUST MOVING THE MOTORCYCLE AROUND THE YARD WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY ROLL TO A STOP. HAD THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR IN TRAFFIC THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. THIS VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 8,000 MILES ON IT AND IS GARAGE KEPT IN A CLIMATE CONTROLLED BUILDING. ANY HELP OR ADVISE WOULD BE APPRECIATED AND I HOPE THIS CAN HELP OR POSSIBLY SAVE THE LIVES OF OTHER RIDERS.
THE FRONT BRAKES WERE FINE GOING TO WORK BUT WHEN I LEFT WORK THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER WAS STIFF AS A BOARD AND HAD NO FRONT BRAKES. THE BIKE WAS NOT IN MOTION WHEN I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM.
I WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH ON A 45 MPH 6 LANE COUNTY ROAD AND A CAR CUT IN FRONT OF ME. I DOWNSHIFTED ONE GEAR AND GRABBED THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER AND STEPPED ON REAR BRAKE PEDAL. THEY WERE BOTH AS HARD AS A ROCK AND I HAD NO BRAKES. I JUMPED THE CURB AND ROLLED INTO A GRASSY EMBANKMENT AND THE BIKE FELL ON ME. I HAD NO BRAKES AND RODE HOME WITH A CAR BEHIND ME WITH FLASHERS ON, LESS THAN ONE MILE HOME.
FRONT BAKE IS HARD TO APPLY UPON START UP. IT HAS ALSO BEEN HARD A FEW TIMES AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN RIDDEN FOR A LITTLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE (FLHX). WHILE PARKING THE MOTORCYCLE, THE BRAKES FAILED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (STEEL CITY HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 1375 WASHINGTON RD, WASHINGTON, PA 15301) FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000. *TT CARFAX NOT ABLE TO DISPLAY VIN RECORD UPDATED 9/26/18*JB
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.
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