Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Brakes reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Apr 2, 2019
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
57%
of 14 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1
What this page shows
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 2008 Harley-Davidson Fltr 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.
Owner reports naming brake
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Brakes
Filed Apr 2, 2019
WHILE RIDING ON 3/31/2018 I WAS APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT AND BEGAN MY DOWN SHIFTING AND BRAKING. I STEPPED ON THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL AND TO MY SURPRISE THERE WAS LITTLE RESISTANCE, I PUMPED THE PEDAL AGAIN ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME RESULT. I THEN PUMPED THE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES NOTING SAME RESULT AS PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS BUT WAS ABLE TO STOP USING MY FRONT BRAKE. WE PULLED OFF INTO A GAS STATION PARKING LOT TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM. UPON INSPECTION, I FOUND ONE OF TWO WIRES (RED) ON THE REAR BRAKELITE SWITCH SENSOR HAD MELTED OFF FROM THE SWITCH AN WAS LYING NEXT TO THE SWITCH SENSOR AND FLUID HAD LEAKED/SPRAYED OUT COVERING THE SURROUNDING AREA. LOOKING MORE CLOSELY, I FOUND THAT THE BRASS TERMINAL POST OF THE SWITCH HAD MELTED OFF THE SWITCH HOUSING AND WAS STILL LODGED WITHIN THE WIRE CONNECTOR. I RECALLED THIS HAPPENING TO A RELATIVE A FEW YEARS AGO AND IN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE THROUGH FORUMS AND GENERAL ONLINE RESEARCH, I FOUND THERE ARE SEVERAL CASES REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND EVEN A RECALL (HARLEY DAVIDSON RECALL 0145) WHICH ONLY COVERED 2009-2011. THIS SAFETY ISSUE OBVIOUSLY APPLIES TO THE 2008 MODEL FLTRI AS WELL AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED.
NHTSA ID
11193282
Incident
Mar 31, 2019
Mileage
31,250 mi
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Feb 7, 2018
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLTR. WHILE DRIVING 5-65 MPH, THE REAR BRAKES SEIZED SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (FORT WORTH HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 3025 W LOOP 820 S, FORT WORTH, TX 76116, (817) 717-4325) FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIR. MONTHS LATER, THE CONTACT WAS NOTIFIED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V076000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) BY EMAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT CALLED TO DETERMINE THE RECALL SOLUTION TO REPAIR THE MOTORCYCLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. *TT *TR
NHTSA ID
11071624
Incident
May 15, 2017
Mileage
50,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Dec 14, 2017
FRONT BRAKES FAILED DUE TO BAD ABS MODULE WITH NO WARNING. VERY HARD TO PULL IN WHEN TRYING TO STOP. WORKED FINE AND NOW NOTHING. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN MYSELF WRECKING (REAR ENDING) SOMEONE IF IT HAPPENED A BUSY ROAD.
NHTSA ID
11054639
Incident
Nov 30, 2017
Mileage
66,000 mi
Brakes
Filed May 2, 2017
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLTR ROAD GLIDE. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DID NOT OFFER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50.
NHTSA ID
10983141
Incident
May 15, 2016
Mileage
50 mi
Brakes
Filed Jan 14, 2017
FRONT BRAKE ABS SYSTEM HCU FAILURE RESULTING IN LOSS OF FRONT BRAKE FUNCTION
NHTSA ID
10945268
Incident
Dec 17, 2016
Mileage
12,797 mi
Brakes
Filed Jul 26, 2016
Crash reported1 injury reported
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLTR ROAD GLIDE. WHILEDRIVING APPROXIMATELY10 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDALWAS DEPRESSED,BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT,THE CONTACT SIDESWIPED ANOTHER VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO AN ALUMINUM BRIDGE.A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LEFT ARM, LEFT FOREARM, LEFT KNEE, AND ANKLES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.
NHTSA ID
10888720
Incident
Jul 22, 2016
Mileage
36,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Apr 15, 2016
THE ABS MODULE ON MY BIKE HAS QUIT WORKING. WITH THE IGNITION ON THE MODULE CLOSES AND THE FRONT BRAKES CANNOT BE APPLIED. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WHILE RIDING, A CRASH WOULD BE INEVITABLE. THE MODULE SHOULD BE DESIGNED SO THAT THERE IS AN EMERGENCY BYPASS IN THE EVENT THE INTERNALS INSIDE THE MODULE BECOMES STUCK SO THAT THE RIDER IS NOT SUDDENLY WITHOUT BRAKES. HARLEY DAVIDSON SHOULD ISSUE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL.
NHTSA ID
10855689
Incident
Apr 15, 2016
Mileage
27,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Mar 16, 2012
THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED WHILE TRAVELING ON I-85 IN ATLANTA, GA. ON BRAKING TO EXIT THE INTERSTATE THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FULL DOWN POSITION WITH NO EFFECT ON BRAKING. I WAS CLOSE TO WORK AND WHEN I GOT TO WORK, I PRESSED THE PEDAL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG AND NOTICED A PUDDLE OF FLUID UNDER THE BIKE. WHEN I DEPRESSED THE PEDAL A LARGE AMOUNT OF FLUID STREAMED OUT OF THE AREA WHERE THE PLASTIC PART OF THE SWITCH INSERTS INTO THE METAL HOUSING. ALL OF THE FLUID LEAKED OUT. THERE WERE TWO PUDDLES APPROXIMATELY 8-10 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE WIRING CONNECTOR IS ALSO CHARRED FROM HEAT COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE EXHAUST IS STOCK. *TR
NHTSA ID
10452039
Incident
Mar 11, 2012
Mileage
50,000 mi
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.