2012 Harley-Davidson Flstse3 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 Flstse3, 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 & structure250.0%
- Other / unspecified250.0%
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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFTAIL (NA). WHILE RIDING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND DISCOVERED THAT THE SADDLEBAG SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V427000 (EQUIPMENT). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,700.
THE SADDLE BAG ON THE RIGHT SIDE FELL OFF WHEN I HIT A SMALL BUMP AT VERY LOW SPEED. THIS WAS THE FIRST RIDE ON THE BIKE AND HAD JUST PICKED IT UP FROM THE DEALER. FELL INTO TRAFFIC. *TR
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
HAD SADDLEBAGS INSTALLED AS PER HARLEY DAVIDSON OEM PARTS THAT CAME WITH BIKE. INDICATOR SHOWED THAT THEY WERE "LOCKED" IN PLACE. LEFT SIDE SADDLEBAG CAME OFF IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON I-15, SALT LAKE CITY. FOUR LANES OF HIGH SPEED HEAVY TRAFFIC. BAGS HAVE STEEL BRACKETS, PLASTIC CASE, LEATHER LID. THEY ARE MADE TO BE "DETACHABLE", BY TURNING A LOCK BRACKET AND SLIDING OFF. I WAS NOT AWARE OF IT FALLING OFF. ANOTHER VEHICLE MADE ME AWARE I HAD A PROBLEM. DANGEROUS GETTING OUT OF TRAFFIC AND ONTO AN EXIT TO EVALUATE ISSUE. MADE CIRCLE BACK TO LOCATION. SADDLEBAG WAS ENTIRELY DESTROYED. I AM SURE THAT MANY VEHICLES HIT DEBRIS. SOME DEBRIS WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS TO TIRES. ALL GEAR IN BAG WAS SCATTERED AND DESTROYED. UNABLE TO RETRIEVE ANYTHING, VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. INVESTIGATED THIS ISSUE ON LINE. HARLEY DAVIDSON ONLY MADE 800 OF THESE TYPE VEHICLES IN 2012. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, MANY OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS ACCEPTED NO LIABILITY REGARDING THIS ISSUE. WONDER ID SOMEONE HAS TO DIE FIRST. *TR
THE SADDLE BAG ON THE RIGHT SIDE FELL OFF WHEN I HIT A SMALL BUMP AT VERY LOW SPEED. THIS WAS THE FIRST RIDE ON THE BIKE AND HAD JUST PICKED IT UP FROM THE DEALER. FELL INTO TRAFFIC. *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 .