2013 Harley-Davidson Fxdf 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 2013 Harley-Davidson Fxdf, 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
- Brakes133.3%
- Exterior lighting133.3%
- Other / unspecified133.3%
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING MY MOTORCYCLE DURING A MULTI BIKE RIDE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT ON MY MOTORCYCLE WAS STAYING BRIGHTLY LIT, AS THOUGH I WAS BRAKING, FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE LIGHT WAS STAYING LIT AFTER I HAD RELEASED PRESSURE ON THE MASTER CYLINDER LEVER, ON A SPORADIC BASIS. I HAVE ALSO FOUND OUT, ON HARLEY DAVIDSON OWNER FORUMS, THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE FIXED ON A TEMPORARY BASIS BY SPRAYING LUBRICANT ON THE BRAKE PISTON THAT CONTACTS THE BRAKE LEVER. THE UNIT CAN BE REBUILT WHICH IS ALSO A TEMPORARY FIX SINCE THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT THE PISTON RETURN SPRING IS MARGINALLY TOO WEAK. THIS CAUSES THE PISTON NOT TO RETURN THE LEVER FAR ENOUGH FORWARD TO RELEASE PRESSURE ON THE MECHANICAL STOPLIGHT SWITCH. I SUBMIT THAT THIS WEAK RETURN SPRING IS A WIDESPREAD DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT ALLOWS THE BRAKE LIGHT TO CONTINUE TO STAY ON AND, THEN, WHEN THE RIDER DOES GRAB THE LEVER TO STOP, THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A CHANGE IN THE STOPLIGHT INTENSITY WHICH ENDANGERS THE RIDER FROM A POSSIBLE REAR END COLLISION. DEALERS, KNOWING THAT THE SPRING IS A PROBLEM, HAVE STRETCHED THE RETURN SPRING WHEN REBUILDING THE MASTER CYLINDER TO TRY TO PREVENT THIS BUT THAT IS NOT A SATISFACTORY LONG TERM RESOLUTION. THE RETURN SPRINGS NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH A STRONGER SPRING, NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, TO ENSURE THAT THE LEVER IS RETURNED FAR ENOUGH FORWARD TO TURN OFF THE STOPLIGHT SWITCH. I WONDER HOW MANY HD BIKES HAVE BEEN STRUCK FROM THE REAR BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT.
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
WHILE DRIVING MY MOTORCYCLE DURING A MULTI BIKE RIDE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT ON MY MOTORCYCLE WAS STAYING BRIGHTLY LIT, AS THOUGH I WAS BRAKING, FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE LIGHT WAS STAYING LIT AFTER I HAD RELEASED PRESSURE ON THE MASTER CYLINDER LEVER, ON A SPORADIC BASIS. I HAVE ALSO FOUND OUT, ON HARLEY DAVIDSON OWNER FORUMS, THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE FIXED ON A TEMPORARY BASIS BY SPRAYING LUBRICANT ON THE BRAKE PISTON THAT CONTACTS THE BRAKE LEVER. THE UNIT CAN BE REBUILT WHICH IS ALSO A TEMPORARY FIX SINCE THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT THE PISTON RETURN SPRING IS MARGINALLY TOO WEAK. THIS CAUSES THE PISTON NOT TO RETURN THE LEVER FAR ENOUGH FORWARD TO RELEASE PRESSURE ON THE MECHANICAL STOPLIGHT SWITCH. I SUBMIT THAT THIS WEAK RETURN SPRING IS A WIDESPREAD DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT ALLOWS THE BRAKE LIGHT TO CONTINUE TO STAY ON AND, THEN, WHEN THE RIDER DOES GRAB THE LEVER TO STOP, THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A CHANGE IN THE STOPLIGHT INTENSITY WHICH ENDANGERS THE RIDER FROM A POSSIBLE REAR END COLLISION. DEALERS, KNOWING THAT THE SPRING IS A PROBLEM, HAVE STRETCHED THE RETURN SPRING WHEN REBUILDING THE MASTER CYLINDER TO TRY TO PREVENT THIS BUT THAT IS NOT A SATISFACTORY LONG TERM RESOLUTION. THE RETURN SPRINGS NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH A STRONGER SPRING, NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, TO ENSURE THAT THE LEVER IS RETURNED FAR ENOUGH FORWARD TO TURN OFF THE STOPLIGHT SWITCH. I WONDER HOW MANY HD BIKES HAVE BEEN STRUCK FROM THE REAR BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT.
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
CPSC: HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THESE SADDLE BAGS, SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO MY MOTORCYCLE, AND ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT. THIS EVENT OCCURRED ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS; I RODE OVER A POT HOLE ON THE HIGHWAY ON THE FIRST INCIDENT, AND AN EXPANSION JOINT ON THE HIGHWAY ON THE SECOND INCIDENT. THE SUSPENSION COMPRESSED, THE LEFT SADDLEBAG BRACKET CAUGHT BENEATH THE UPPER BELT GUARD AND BENT THE UPPER BELT GUARD INTO THE PRIMARY DRIVE BELT AND PULLEY. *BF
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 .