2018 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 2018 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
- Engine457.1%
- Powertrain (other)342.9%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON A RURAL ROAD AND WAS TRYING TO SPEED UP. NOTICED BIKE HAD LOST ALL POWER AND FELT LIKE I WAS RUNNING INTO A 100MPH WIND AT 60 MPH. CHECK INGINE LIGHT CAME ON INFO BUTTON SAID LOW OIL. IT WAS FULL OF OIL 20 MILES PRIOR WHEN I TOOK OFF. I PULLED OVER IN A VERY UNSAFE AREA WITH 18 WHEELERS FLYING BY AT 60+ MPH AND CHECKED THE OIL THERE WAS BARELY ANY ON THE DIPSTICK. ALL THE OIL WAS PUMPED INTO THE CRANK CASE AND NOT BACK TO THE OIL PAN BOGGING DOWN THE MOTOR POTENTIALLY BURNING UP THE ENGINE AND ABSOLUTELY PUTTING MY LIFE IN HARM'S WAY, ESPECIALLY IN AN UNSAFE AREA. THIS PROBLEM CALLED "SUMPING" IS ABSOLUTELY AN UNSAFE CONDITION TO THE RIDER, THE ENGINE OF A $30,000 MOTORCYCLE AND POTENTIALLY A PASSENGER AS WELL. HARLEY DAVIDSON IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT CHOOSES TO ONLY FIX THE BIKES ON AN "AS NEEDED" BASIS INSTEAD OF A PREVENTATIVE FIX TO TRY AND KEEP PEOPLES LIVES SAFE. PLEASE HELP US, THE RIDERS, OUR PASSENGERS AND PROPERTY SAFE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM
I WAS DRIVING MY BIKE WHEN IT JUST CUT OFF AND I HEARD SOMETHING RATTLE. HARLEY PICKED UP MY BIKE BECAUSE I WAS STRANDED AND THEY SAID I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THEN A WEEK LATER AFTER PICKING THE BIKE UP THE BIKE CUT OFF AGAIN WHILE DRIVING AND NOW THEY SAID I NEED A NEW ENGINE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WOULD I NEED A NEW ENGINE IF MY BIKE IS BRAND NEW OR A TRANSMISSION. THIS IS HORRIBLE AND EXTREMLY DANGEROS BECASUE I WAS ON A HIGHWAY BOTH TIMES.
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
I WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON A RURAL ROAD AND WAS TRYING TO SPEED UP. NOTICED BIKE HAD LOST ALL POWER AND FELT LIKE I WAS RUNNING INTO A 100MPH WIND AT 60 MPH. CHECK INGINE LIGHT CAME ON INFO BUTTON SAID LOW OIL. IT WAS FULL OF OIL 20 MILES PRIOR WHEN I TOOK OFF. I PULLED OVER IN A VERY UNSAFE AREA WITH 18 WHEELERS FLYING BY AT 60+ MPH AND CHECKED THE OIL THERE WAS BARELY ANY ON THE DIPSTICK. ALL THE OIL WAS PUMPED INTO THE CRANK CASE AND NOT BACK TO THE OIL PAN BOGGING DOWN THE MOTOR POTENTIALLY BURNING UP THE ENGINE AND ABSOLUTELY PUTTING MY LIFE IN HARM'S WAY, ESPECIALLY IN AN UNSAFE AREA. THIS PROBLEM CALLED "SUMPING" IS ABSOLUTELY AN UNSAFE CONDITION TO THE RIDER, THE ENGINE OF A $30,000 MOTORCYCLE AND POTENTIALLY A PASSENGER AS WELL. HARLEY DAVIDSON IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT CHOOSES TO ONLY FIX THE BIKES ON AN "AS NEEDED" BASIS INSTEAD OF A PREVENTATIVE FIX TO TRY AND KEEP PEOPLES LIVES SAFE. PLEASE HELP US, THE RIDERS, OUR PASSENGERS AND PROPERTY SAFE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL (FLTRXS). THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V734000 (POWER TRAIN). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. INDIANAPOLIS SOUTHSIDE HARLEY-DAVIDSON (4930 SOUTHPORT CROSSING PL, INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46237, (317) 885-5180) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE CONTACT WAS BEHIND 400 OTHER CONSUMERS WAITING FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. VIN PROVIDED HAS NO DISPLAYABLE RECORDS. VEHICLE PURCHASE DATE SHOULD BE ON OR BEFORE INCIDENT DATE.*JB
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 .