RoadVitals

2016 Harley-Davidson Fxdls Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
3
Latest Aug 21, 2020
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
4
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2016 Harley-Davidson Fxdls, 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

  • Brakes240.0%
  • Engine120.0%
  • Powertrain (other)120.0%
  • Suspension120.0%

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.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

LOUD NOISE COMING FROM REAR WHEEL AFTER 30 MINUTES OF RIDING. MOST NOTICEABLE AT 25-35 MPH. SLIGHTLY MORE THAN NORMAL REAR BRAKE CALIPER NOISE. APPLYING REAR BRAKES DID NOT CHANGE SYMPTOMS. CORNERING AND LEANING THERE WAS AN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION THROUGHOUT BIKE. TOOK IN FOR SERVICE REQUESTING REAR WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED BASED ON SYMPTOMS. REAR WHEEL BEARINGS WERE BAD. NOISE STARTED WHEN IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 3200 MILES CHANGED AT APPROXIMATELY 3700 MILES. SHOULD LAST 100,000 MILES. BIKE NOT LONGER HAS THE VIBRATION; HOWEVER, AFTER 30 MINUTES OF RIDING THE NOISE IS STILL PRESENT. STILL NEEDS FURTHER DIAGNOSIS; HOWEVER, DEALERSHIPS SEEM UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO DIAGNOSIS AND MAKE PROPER REPAIRS.

NHTSA ID 11350584 · filed Aug 21, 2020

HARLEY LATE-MODEL DYNA MOTORCYCLES FRONT BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER IS PRONE TO FAILURE. THE FAILURE MODE IS THAT THE PISTON IN THE MASTER CYLINDER DOES NOT RETURN TO THE FULLY EXTENDED POSITION, CAUSING THE BRAKE LEVER TO CONTACT THE BRAKE SWITCH WHILE RIDING, MAKING THE BRAKE LIGHT REMAIN ILLUMINATED DURING RIDING WITHOUT THE BRAKE APPLIED. (THIS FAILURE WILL ALSO REGISTER A CODE IN THE BODY CONTROL MODULE OF THE MOTORCYCLE; SAID CODE RELATING TO FRONT BRAKE SWITCH BEING STUCK ON.) I HAVE OWNED 3 LATE-MODEL DYNAS ('09 FXDB, '14 FXDF & '16 FXDLS) AND 2 OF THEM HAVE HAD SAID FAILURE. SAID FAILURE OCCURRED WITHIN THE 2-YEAR BASIC WARRANTY PERIOD ON MY '14 FXDF, AND HAS OCCURRED NOW ON MY '16 FXDLS (14 MONTHS BEYOND THE BASIC 2-YR WARRANTY). THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED LAST YEAR ON MY STEP-FATHER'S '14 FXDC (SHORTLY BEYOND THE BASIC 2-YR WARRANTY). SOCIAL MEDIA INDICATES THAT THIS FAILURE IS COMMON ENOUGH TO WARRANT A RECALL. SAFETY CONCERN OF SAID FAILURE IS SUCH THAT IF THE BRAKE LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY WHILE RIDING, DRIVERS BEHIND THE MOTORCYCLE RIDER DO NOT HAVE AN INDICATION WHEN THE RIDER HAS ACTUALLY BEGUN BRAKING.

NHTSA ID 11218895 · filed Jun 10, 2019

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HARLEY-DAVIDSON LOW RIDER S (FXDLS). WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE CLUTCH DID NOT ENGAGE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO MOVE FORWARD. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO OLD GLORY HARLEY-DAVIDSON (301-575-0575, LOCATED AT 11800 LAUREL BOWIE RD, LAUREL, MD 20708) WHERE THE ENGINE AND THE CLUTCH WERE REBUILT. THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED IN HOT WEATHER AND DID NOT SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER WHO REPLACED THE ENGINE AND THE CLUTCH. THE VEHICLE WORKED WELL DURING THE WINTER, BUT STILL OVERHEATED IN HOT WEATHER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REMEDIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 585.

NHTSA ID 11265861 · filed Oct 3, 2019

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HARLEY-DAVIDSON LOW RIDER S (FXDLS). WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE CLUTCH DID NOT ENGAGE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO MOVE FORWARD. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO OLD GLORY HARLEY-DAVIDSON (301-575-0575, LOCATED AT 11800 LAUREL BOWIE RD, LAUREL, MD 20708) WHERE THE ENGINE AND THE CLUTCH WERE REBUILT. THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED IN HOT WEATHER AND DID NOT SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER WHO REPLACED THE ENGINE AND THE CLUTCH. THE VEHICLE WORKED WELL DURING THE WINTER, BUT STILL OVERHEATED IN HOT WEATHER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REMEDIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 585.

NHTSA ID 11265861 · filed Oct 3, 2019

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

LOUD NOISE COMING FROM REAR WHEEL AFTER 30 MINUTES OF RIDING. MOST NOTICEABLE AT 25-35 MPH. SLIGHTLY MORE THAN NORMAL REAR BRAKE CALIPER NOISE. APPLYING REAR BRAKES DID NOT CHANGE SYMPTOMS. CORNERING AND LEANING THERE WAS AN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION THROUGHOUT BIKE. TOOK IN FOR SERVICE REQUESTING REAR WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED BASED ON SYMPTOMS. REAR WHEEL BEARINGS WERE BAD. NOISE STARTED WHEN IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 3200 MILES CHANGED AT APPROXIMATELY 3700 MILES. SHOULD LAST 100,000 MILES. BIKE NOT LONGER HAS THE VIBRATION; HOWEVER, AFTER 30 MINUTES OF RIDING THE NOISE IS STILL PRESENT. STILL NEEDS FURTHER DIAGNOSIS; HOWEVER, DEALERSHIPS SEEM UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO DIAGNOSIS AND MAKE PROPER REPAIRS.

NHTSA ID 11350584 · filed Aug 21, 2020

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

Data on this page last refreshed .