2011 Harley-Davidson Flstse2 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 2011 Harley-Davidson Flstse2, 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
- Body & structure240.0%
- Brakes120.0%
- Driver assistance120.0%
- Other / unspecified120.0%
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
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE SADDLE BAGS FLY OFF THE MOTORCYCLE WHEN THE BAGS ARE EMPTY AND SPEED IS APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. *TR
WHILE TRAVELING ON I-95 SOUTH OF BOSTON MY LEFT SIDE SADDLEBAG FLEW OFF WHILE I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. I DID NOT IMPACT ANY OBJECT AND HAVE NEVER DETACHED THE SADDLEBAG WHILE THE BIKE HAS BEEN IN MY OWNERSHIP (I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER). THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME I HAD TRAVELED AT THESE SPEEDS WHILE ON AN INTERSTATE THOUGH THE FIRST TIME I DID SO IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS. I WAS WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG UNTIL I DISCOVERED MULTIPLE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON AN ONLINE FORUM FOR OWNERS OF THE SAME BIKE. THE FORUM IS CVO HARLEY AT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE: WWW.CVOHARLEY.COM > CUSTOM VEHICLE DISCUSSIONS > CVO' SOFTAIL CONVERTIBLE (MODERATOR: FORUM ADMIN) > TOPIC: OH [XXX], LOST MY LEFT BAG. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLSTSE2 SOFTTAIL CVO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE BIKE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE CONTACT TO DRIVE THROUGH A RED LIGHT AT 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS AIR IN THE HYDRAULIC LINE. AS A RESULT, THE AIR HAD TO BE BLED FROM THE LINE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400. UPDATED 4/20/15*CN UPDATED 9/26/2017
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SCREAMIN EAGLE SOFTAIL (FLSTSE2). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANDRAE'S HARLEY-DAVIDSON (2010 N LINCOLN AVE, URBANA, IL 61801, (217) 328-2092) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT NO FAILURE WAS FOUND. THE CONTACT THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT HARLEY-DAVIDSON DID NOT MAKE REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR THE SPEEDOMETER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR THE MOTORCYCLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.
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
THE SADDLE BAGS FLY OFF THE MOTORCYCLE WHEN THE BAGS ARE EMPTY AND SPEED IS APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. *TR
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 .