2016 Harley-Davidson Fltru 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 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltru, 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
- Driver assistance225.0%
- Electrical225.0%
- Engine225.0%
- Body & structure112.5%
- Visibility112.5%
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
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE AND ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RAIN WHEN MY SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, DASH LIGHTS, FUEL INDICATOR AND VOLTAGE GAUGE STARTED TURNING ON AND OFF, MY FUEL INDICATION STARTED GOING FROM EMPTY TO HALF TANK OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL IT WENT DEAD, SAME WITH MY TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER. NOW THE TACHOMETER IS AT AROUND 1200 RPMS AND MY SPEEDOMETER IS AT 14 MPH. THERE'S ALSO SWELLING INSIDE THE GLASS DUE TO WATER FILTRATION I PRESUME WHICH HARLEY DAVIDSON DIDN'T SEAL THE SPEEDO AND TACH GAUGES REALLY WELL. I'M REALLY WORRIED DUE TO THIS AND ALSO WORRIED FOR MY FELLOW RIDERS LUCKILY I WAS GOING SLOW IN THE CITY BUT I'M AFRAID THIS COULD HAPPEN TO OTHER RIDERS GOING AT HIGH SPEEDS. I ALSO SEARCHED ONLINE AT MANY HARLEY DAVIDSON FORUMS AND SAW MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS ISSUE. WHILE THIS HAPPENED THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND IN A CITY STREET AROUND 3:40PM WHEN I LEFT WORK. I ATTACHED A PICTURE BELOW WHERE IF IS ZOOMED IN WATER CAN BE NOTICED INSIDE THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER.
I PURCHASED THIS MOTORCYCLE ON JULY 23, 2016 AND ACCORDING TO 16V-471 (ATTACHED), THE SUBMISSION DATE OF THE RECALL TO NHTSA WAS JUNE 24, 2016, THE PLANNED DEALER NOTIFICATION DATE WAS JULY 06, 2016 - JULY 08, 2016, THE PLANNED OWNER NOTIFICATION DATE WAS JULY 18, 2016 - JULY 22, 2016. THIS MEANS HARLEY DAVIDSON KNOWINGLY SOLD ME A POTENTIALLY DEADLY MOTORCYCLE WITHOUT NOTIFYING ME AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE (BECAUSE I WOULDN'T HAVE BOUGHT IT OF COURSE). I JUST HAD A FRIEND DIE ON A MOTORCYCLE. MY WIFE AND I ARE DISAPPOINTED AND ANGRY WITH HARLEY DAVIDSON FOR KNOWINGLY PUTTING OUR LIVES IN DANGER IN THE NAME OF PROFITABILITY. AT MINIMUM, THIS STILL-LIKE-NEW MOTORCYCLE NEEDS TO BE PICKED UP AND A REFUND ISSUED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE AND ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RAIN WHEN MY SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, DASH LIGHTS, FUEL INDICATOR AND VOLTAGE GAUGE STARTED TURNING ON AND OFF, MY FUEL INDICATION STARTED GOING FROM EMPTY TO HALF TANK OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL IT WENT DEAD, SAME WITH MY TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER. NOW THE TACHOMETER IS AT AROUND 1200 RPMS AND MY SPEEDOMETER IS AT 14 MPH. THERE'S ALSO SWELLING INSIDE THE GLASS DUE TO WATER FILTRATION I PRESUME WHICH HARLEY DAVIDSON DIDN'T SEAL THE SPEEDO AND TACH GAUGES REALLY WELL. I'M REALLY WORRIED DUE TO THIS AND ALSO WORRIED FOR MY FELLOW RIDERS LUCKILY I WAS GOING SLOW IN THE CITY BUT I'M AFRAID THIS COULD HAPPEN TO OTHER RIDERS GOING AT HIGH SPEEDS. I ALSO SEARCHED ONLINE AT MANY HARLEY DAVIDSON FORUMS AND SAW MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS ISSUE. WHILE THIS HAPPENED THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND IN A CITY STREET AROUND 3:40PM WHEN I LEFT WORK. I ATTACHED A PICTURE BELOW WHERE IF IS ZOOMED IN WATER CAN BE NOTICED INSIDE THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER.
AFTER A HEAVY RAIN, ALL THE INSTRUMENTS STOPPED WORKING
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON NOVEMBER 19, 2020, WHILE TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY THE ENGINE LIGHT AND TEMPERATURE LIGHT CAME ON MEANING THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING HOT, ON AN EXPRESSWAY THE MOTORCYCLIST NEEDS TO PULL OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE WHICH PUTS THE OPERATOR IN DANGER. IT TURNS OUT THE WATER PUMP MALFUNCTIONED ON A 2016 MOTORCYCLE. THE DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE WATER PUMPS STATING THE HARLEY HAS UPDATED THE WATER PUMPS SO OBVIOUSLY HARLEY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE WATER PUMPS ON 2014-2016 TOURING LIQUID COOLED MODELS. THIS SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED TO MY FATHER ON A 2015 TRI GLIDE IN 2018. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS SITUATION IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WHICH HARLEY IS AWARE OF YET NOT CORRECTING. THE WATER PUMP FAILURE PUTS THE OPERATOR AND PASSENGER IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION SHOULD THE WATER PUMP FAIL ON A BUSY EXPRESSWAY OR HIGHWAY.
WATER PUMP FAILED AUGUST 2018 ON A TRIP AND WAS REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY. THE 2ND PUMP FAILED AUGUST 2019 FOR THE SAME REASON AND WAS REPLACED WITH UPGRADED WATER PUMP BY DEALER IN SEPT 2019. JULY 2020 THE UPGRADE HAS FAILED. GOING TO DEALER 3RD TIME FOR REPLACEMENT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE ULTRA (FLTRU). WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE SADDLEBAG MOUNTING RECEPTACLE FAILED AND THE CONTACT'S SADDLEBAG FELL ONTO THE ROAD. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER (ROCK-N-ROLL CITY HARLEY-DAVIDSON 4985 W 150TH ST, CLEVELAND, OH 44135) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE. THE DEALER OFFERED TO REPAIR THE MOTORCYCLE AND COVER THE COST OF THE SADDLEBAG. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THE CONTENTS OF THE SADDLE BAG. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,800. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
BLINDING GLARE FROM SUN REFLECTING OFF THE SCREEN ON THE BOOM AUDIO INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM. GLARE IS SO BAD THAT THE DRIVER IS BLINDED AND CANNOT SEE THE ROADWAY.
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 .