2012 Harley-Davidson Flstn 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 2012 Harley-Davidson Flstn, 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
- Electrical233.3%
- Other / unspecified233.3%
- Exterior lighting116.7%
- Suspension116.7%
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
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
ABOUT 10:30 PM WHILE EN ROUTE TO WORK I WAS RIDING ON THE FREEWAY AT THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT AND I NOTED FLASHING LIGHTS APPEARING ON THE SPEEDOMETER- THE LOW FUEL LAMP AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM LAMP. I PULLED OVER THE EMERGENCY LANE RIGHT AWAY TO MAKE ANY ASSESSMENT. I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY TO SECURE A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR ME. THE FLASHING LOW FUEL LAMP AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM LAMP PERSISTED. I CALLED FOR MY TOWING SERVICE THE FOLLOWING MORNING BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE THE MOTORCYCLE HOME. ON 7/1/2014 I CALLED FOR MY TOWING SERVICE TO TRANSPORT MY BIKE TO AN HD DEALERSHIP TO REQUEST A DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE. MY MOTORCYCLE IS IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AS OF TODAY, 7/3/2014. I LOOKED AT MY MOTORCYCLE THIS MORNING AND SPOKE TO THE TECHNICIAN DOING THE SERVICE. I WAS SHOWN A PART THAT NEEDED REPLACEMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PART MAY BE THE CAUSE. THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE WIRING. I AM NOT A MECHANIC OR A MOTORCYCLE TECHNICIAN BUT I NOTED WHAT MAY BE A FACTORY RELATED DEFECT. THIS DEFECT IS SERIOUS IN THAT IT AFFECTED MY SAFETY. I READ THE FOLLOWING AND IT DOES APPLY: "..UNITED STATES CODE... (TITLE 49, CHAPTER 301) DEFINES MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ... SAFETY AS THE PERFORMANCE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE OR MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT....ACCIDENTS OCCURRING BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, OR PERFORMANCE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND AGAINST ... RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY IN AN ACCIDENT, AND INCLUDES NONOPERATIONAL SAFETY OF A MOTOR VEHICLE. A DEFECT INCLUDES ANY DEFECT IN PERFORMANCE, CONSTRUCTION, A COMPONENT, OR MATERIAL OF A MOTOR VEHICLE OR MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT. GENERALLY, A SAFETY DEFECT IS DEFINED AS A PROBLEM THAT EXISTS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE OR ITEM OF MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT THAT: POSES AN RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY, AND MAY EXIST IN A GROUP OF VEHICLES OF THE SAME DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE, OR ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT OF THE SAME TYPE AND MANUFACTURE." *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLSTN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED THE MOTORCYCLE FAILED TO START. IT WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER HAVING A JUMP PERFORMED. ALSO, THE MOTORCYCLE WOULD STALL INTERMITTENTLY WHILE RIDING IT. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE BODY CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000. UPDATED 09/26/12*LJ
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
PURCHASED MY FIRST BIKE, A 2012 SOFTTAIL DELUXE WITH 4,700 MILES PURCHASED FROM MY COWORKER WHO HAD ONLY PUT 500 MILES ON THE BIKE IN LAST TWO YEARS (SINCE THE 5000K SERVICE WAS DONE @ 4200MI.). TOOK THE BIKE OUT ON A COUNTY ROAD FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A NEW RIDER AND THE BIKE DEVELOPED A HANDLEBAR SHAKE THAT I COULD NOT FIGHT AT 45 MI/HR. THEN WHEN THE BIKE WAS SLOWING THE WHOLE BIKE WOULD WOBBLE. MY FIRST RIDE ENDED UP BEING TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND THE SPOKES ON THE REAR RIM HAD COME LOOSE AND HAD ELONGATED THE SPOKE HOLES IN THE RIM. MY DEALERSHIP CALLED IT UNSAFE TO RIDE AND URGED ME TO LEAVE THE BIKE. A NEW RIM WAS BACKORDERED, THEN DELAYED TWICE BEFORE I CHANGED THE ORDER TO A MAG REAR WHEEL WHICH I'M STILL WAITING FOR. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE BIKE SERVICED WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY. MY DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THE RIM AND THE BATTERY WAS $1280.00.
2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLSTN WITH ONLY 2,000 MILES. WIRE WHEEL SPOKES WORKED LOOSE. WHEEL WOBBLED. MY HARLEY WAS UNCONTROLLABLE AND NOT SAFE TO RIDE. I HAD THE SPOKES TIGHTENED UP BY THE HARLEY DEALER, BUT AT ABOUT 5,000 MILES SPOKES CAME LOOSE AGAIN. SAME THING HAPPENED AROUND 10,000. MY HARLEY IS NOT SAFE TO RIDE AND THE HARLEY DEALERS ARE NOT WILLING TO RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM OR FIX OR REPLACE MY WIRE WHEELS . *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
ABOUT 10:30 PM WHILE EN ROUTE TO WORK I WAS RIDING ON THE FREEWAY AT THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT AND I NOTED FLASHING LIGHTS APPEARING ON THE SPEEDOMETER- THE LOW FUEL LAMP AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM LAMP. I PULLED OVER THE EMERGENCY LANE RIGHT AWAY TO MAKE ANY ASSESSMENT. I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY TO SECURE A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR ME. THE FLASHING LOW FUEL LAMP AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM LAMP PERSISTED. I CALLED FOR MY TOWING SERVICE THE FOLLOWING MORNING BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE THE MOTORCYCLE HOME. ON 7/1/2014 I CALLED FOR MY TOWING SERVICE TO TRANSPORT MY BIKE TO AN HD DEALERSHIP TO REQUEST A DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE. MY MOTORCYCLE IS IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AS OF TODAY, 7/3/2014. I LOOKED AT MY MOTORCYCLE THIS MORNING AND SPOKE TO THE TECHNICIAN DOING THE SERVICE. I WAS SHOWN A PART THAT NEEDED REPLACEMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PART MAY BE THE CAUSE. THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE WIRING. I AM NOT A MECHANIC OR A MOTORCYCLE TECHNICIAN BUT I NOTED WHAT MAY BE A FACTORY RELATED DEFECT. THIS DEFECT IS SERIOUS IN THAT IT AFFECTED MY SAFETY. I READ THE FOLLOWING AND IT DOES APPLY: "..UNITED STATES CODE... (TITLE 49, CHAPTER 301) DEFINES MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ... SAFETY AS THE PERFORMANCE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE OR MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT....ACCIDENTS OCCURRING BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, OR PERFORMANCE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND AGAINST ... RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY IN AN ACCIDENT, AND INCLUDES NONOPERATIONAL SAFETY OF A MOTOR VEHICLE. A DEFECT INCLUDES ANY DEFECT IN PERFORMANCE, CONSTRUCTION, A COMPONENT, OR MATERIAL OF A MOTOR VEHICLE OR MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT. GENERALLY, A SAFETY DEFECT IS DEFINED AS A PROBLEM THAT EXISTS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE OR ITEM OF MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT THAT: POSES AN RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY, AND MAY EXIST IN A GROUP OF VEHICLES OF THE SAME DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE, OR ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT OF THE SAME TYPE AND MANUFACTURE." *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLSTN. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE REAR WHEEL WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE REAR WHEEL BUT THE REPLACEMENT DID NOT REMEDY THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 800. UPDATED 02/15/12*BF
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 .