2016 Harley-Davidson Fltrxs 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 Fltrxs, 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
- Electrical844.4%
- Driver assistance316.7%
- Exterior lighting211.1%
- Steering15.6%
- Brakes15.6%
- Tires & wheels15.6%
- Fuel system15.6%
- Powertrain (other)15.6%
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
Got caught in bad rain and both speedo and tach filled up with water. Bike completely shut down on highway doing 60mph (70 mph highway) and if I did not pull in on clutch, bike would have went down and I could have possibly lost my life. I believe a less experienced rider would have not been so fortunate. It is clear this is a manufacture defect as the seal on these gauges are minimal or undervalued for the part. I was given no advance warning this was going to fail and I do not try to ride in rain or any type of weather. This bike has been garaged all of its life and only the second time it has seen rain as I have several other Harley's. I believe this should be a warranty issue that Harley would WANT to do, to ensure it's customers ride a safe motorcycle.
During a ride my speedometer/tachometer failed due to water intrusion. From what I have seen this is a very common issue. When this happened it caused me to loose my ABS, loss all other gauges. This was a huge saefty concern as I could not monitor anything and could have been potentially dangerous or deadly! This is a huge safety concern that I feel like harley is brushing under the rug! They need to offer some sort of support or repair for this before it claims someones life not mention the passengers life. Very serious issue that they are willing to do nothing about.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
Got caught in bad rain and both speedo and tach filled up with water. Bike completely shut down on highway doing 60mph (70 mph highway) and if I did not pull in on clutch, bike would have went down and I could have possibly lost my life. I believe a less experienced rider would have not been so fortunate. It is clear this is a manufacture defect as the seal on these gauges are minimal or undervalued for the part. I was given no advance warning this was going to fail and I do not try to ride in rain or any type of weather. This bike has been garaged all of its life and only the second time it has seen rain as I have several other Harley's. I believe this should be a warranty issue that Harley would WANT to do, to ensure it's customers ride a safe motorcycle.
During a ride my speedometer/tachometer failed due to water intrusion. From what I have seen this is a very common issue. When this happened it caused me to loose my ABS, loss all other gauges. This was a huge saefty concern as I could not monitor anything and could have been potentially dangerous or deadly! This is a huge safety concern that I feel like harley is brushing under the rug! They need to offer some sort of support or repair for this before it claims someones life not mention the passengers life. Very serious issue that they are willing to do nothing about.
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
Got caught in bad rain and both speedo and tach filled up with water. Bike completely shut down on highway doing 60mph (70 mph highway) and if I did not pull in on clutch, bike would have went down and I could have possibly lost my life. I believe a less experienced rider would have not been so fortunate. It is clear this is a manufacture defect as the seal on these gauges are minimal or undervalued for the part. I was given no advance warning this was going to fail and I do not try to ride in rain or any type of weather. This bike has been garaged all of its life and only the second time it has seen rain as I have several other Harley's. I believe this should be a warranty issue that Harley would WANT to do, to ensure it's customers ride a safe motorcycle.
I WAS RIDING HOME FROM WORK AND GOT STUCK IN A RAIN STORM AND MY TACH SPEEDO AND FUEL AND AMP GAUGES ALL QUIT WORKING I HAVE CHECKED FUSES AND ARE ALL GOOD I TALKED TO THE HARLEY DEALER AND THEY SAD IT NEEDS A NEW SPEEDO AND TACHOMETER CLUSTER THEY SAY WHEN IT GETS WET IT WILL SHORT OUT. SO I FEEL THAT IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND THERE SHOULD B A RECALL ON THEM. MY BIKE ONLY HAS LITTLE OVER 4000 MILES ON IT AND THEY WON'T COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY I FEEL IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT ANY OF THE GAUGES WORKING AND I HAVE READ THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE AND FEEL IT SHOULD B A RECALL TO HAVE HARLEY MAKE IT RIGHT AND PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO POTENTIAL OTHER PEOPLE AND CAUSING A ACCIDENT OR EVEN DEATH IN WORST CASE PLEASE HELP US MAKE THEM DO THE RIGHT THING HERE AND FIX THIS PROBLEM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL (NA). WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HARLEY-DAVIDSON OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200.
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
During a ride my speedometer/tachometer failed due to water intrusion. From what I have seen this is a very common issue. When this happened it caused me to loose my ABS, loss all other gauges. This was a huge saefty concern as I could not monitor anything and could have been potentially dangerous or deadly! This is a huge safety concern that I feel like harley is brushing under the rug! They need to offer some sort of support or repair for this before it claims someones life not mention the passengers life. Very serious issue that they are willing to do nothing about.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
PURCHASED A MICHELIN COMMANDER 3 FRONT TIRES FOR MY 2016 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL. RIDING HOME AFTER THE INSTALLATION THERE WAS A BUZZ/VIBRATION IN THE HANDLEBARS FROM 30 MPH TO 40. I CALLED MICHELIN AND THEY SAID TO HAVE THE BALANCE CHECKED AND THE WHEEL BEARINGS CHECKED. BOTH WERE FINE. I PUT 100 MILES ON THE TIRE AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. I CALLED MICHELIN BACK AND AGREED TO REPLACE THE TIRE. TIRE WAS ON BACKORDER FOR APPROX 30 DAYS. ONCE IT ARRIVED IT WAS INSTALLED. SAME PROBLEMS AND THE SAME POINTS BEFORE. I CALLED MICHELIN AGAIN AND ALL THEY COULD SAY IS THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE IT AGAIN AND LET THEIR REP KNOW OF THE PROBLEM.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE GAS CAP IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE AND PUT BACK ON. THIS LEAVES OWNERS/OPERATORS WITH THE DECISION TO LEAVE IT OFF OR VERY LOOSE IF POSSIBLE. OR, IN SOME CASES STUFF SOMETHING ELSE IN THE FILLER INSTEAD OF THE FACTORY STOCK GAS CAP IN ORDER TO EASILY REFUEL. IT SEEMS LIKE A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS WELL AS VERY INCONVENIENT. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY ONE MONTH OLD. PURCHASED 8/24/2016
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
COMPLETE FAILURE OF HYDRAULIC CLUTCH. RECALL FOR CLUTCH PROBLEM WAS PERFORMED IN AUGUST OF 2017. ON FEBRUARY 24TH 2018, MOTORCYCLE WAS STARTED IN MY GARAGE AND UPON SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR, THE MOTORCYCLE LUNGES FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE MOTORCYCLE, PERSONNEL BELONGINGS AND BODILY INJURY.
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 .