RoadVitals

2008 Harley-Davidson Fxdwg

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

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.
13
Latest Jun 1, 2011
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Nov 20, 2007
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
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.
1
2 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 13 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2008 Harley-Davidson Fxdwg, most frequently naming the fuel system, brakes and engine categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 11 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Fuel system969.2%
  • Brakes215.4%
  • Engine17.7%
  • Other / unspecified17.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
07V535000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

Nov 20, 2007
538 units potentially affected
The defect: ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES BUILT AND SHIPPED TO CALIFORNIA, THE CATALYTIC MUFFLER PROTECTIVE HEAT SHIELD WAS NOT INSTALLED. THIS CONDITION COULD ALLOW DIRECT CONTACT WITH THIS MUFFLER AND CAUSE INJURY.
The risk: IF CONTACT OCCURS WHILE RIDING, IT COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE, LEADING TO INJURY OR DEATH.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE HEAT SHIELDS TO THE MUFFLERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 26, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANYManufacturer number 0133View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE08043ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

MOTORCYCLE STALLING

Opened Jul 17, 2008
Closed Aug 8, 2008

THE SUBJECT FUEL FILTER HOUSING (P/N 62229-08) CRACKS, RESULTING IN SUDDEN ENGINE STALL DUE TO UNREGULATED FUEL PRESSURE.HARLEY-DAVIDSON HAS MODIFIED THE HOUSING WITH A NEW PART NUMBER 62229-08A.SHORTLY AFTER OPENING THIS PE, ODI RECEIVED HARLEY'S DEFECT NOTIFICATION INDICATING THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE BEING RECALLED TO INSTALL THE NEW FUEL FILTER HOUSING.WITH THAT RECALL, RECEIVED PRIOR TO RELEASE OF OUR INFORMATION REQUEST, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CONCLUDED.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERYLed to recall 08V357000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 13
Brakes
Filed Jun 1, 2011

2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON NIGHT ROD SPECIAL REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH IS LOCATED 1/2" FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THIS SWITCH GETS HOT AND MELTS THE SWITCH ALLOWING ALL THE BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT AND CREATE A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10403977
Incident
May 21, 2011
Mileage
5,100 mi
Fuel system
Filed Sep 13, 2010

MY GAS GAUGE HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. IT WILL GO TO EMPTY AND STAY THERE WITH 1/2 TANK OF GAS, UNTIL I CUT THE POWER OF AND BACK ON IT WILL RESET TO I/2 TANKS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. HAVE REPLACED SENDING UNTIL 3 TIME . HARLEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON ALL V-ROD SINCE 2003 THE FIRST YEAR THEY CAME OUT. NEED SOMEONE HELP. IF IT WAS A CAR THE WOULD HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH A RECALL. I HAVE HAD TO WALL ONE TIME TO GET GAS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10355226
Incident
May 5, 2009
Mileage
4,500 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jul 22, 2010

MY 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON NIGHT ROD VROD. FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK. IT HASN'T WORKED SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT THE BIKE. THERE ARE MORE BROKEN GAUGES THAN WORKING ONES ON THIS MODEL OF BIKE. HARLEY THROWS RANDOM PARTS AND NEVER FIXES THE REAL PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10344787
Incident
Jul 20, 2010
Mileage
28 mi
Brakes
Filed May 21, 2009
Crash reported1 injury reported

BRAND: HARLEY DAVIDSON. MODEL: XR1200 (NEW MODEL NOT REPORTED IN YOUR MODEL LIST). CRASH WITH INJURIES. FRONT BRAKES FAILURE BY LOCK-UP ON A NEW HD XR1200 OWNED BY HD AND LENT TO ME FOR A DEMO-RIDE (OR TEST). THE MAIN WITNESS HAS STATED IN WRITING THAT HE HAS CHECKED AND DOUBLE-CHECKED THAT THE FRONT WHEEL WAS STILL BLOCKED BY THE FRONT BRAKES EVEN AFTER THE CRASH. THERE IS ALSO A POLICE REPORT WITH PICS, AND A MEDICAL REPORT WITH XRAYS. ALL THE DOCUMENTS ARE AT YOUR DISPOSAL. *TR

NHTSA ID
10269581
Incident
Sep 26, 2008
Fuel system
Filed Jul 24, 2008

FUEL FILTER CANISTER FAILURE FOR 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC. BIKE HAS A BUILD DATE OF 09/07. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THE EARLY MODEL O8'S AND HARLEY IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. YET THEY HAVE UPDATED THE FILTER CANISTER. THERE HAS BEEN NUMEROUS FAILURES. THESE HAVE BEEN NOTED ON THE VARIOUS HARLEY DAVIDSON FORUM WEBSITES. MANY RIDERS LIKE MYSELF ARE TAKING A PROACTIVE APPROACH AND REPLACING CANISTER BEFORE IT FAILS AND LEAVES THE RIDER STRANDED OR WORSE IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IT ONLY FAILS ONCE. DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN IT FAILS, THIS COULD HAVE DEADLY EFFECT ON RIDER. CORRECTED PROBLEM BY BUYING NEW UPDATED CANISTER AND REPLACING OLD ONE. UPON INSPECTION OF OLD ONE, IT HAD STRESS CRACKS ON CANISTER TABS. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON PART # 62229-08. THE UPDATED PART # IS 62229-08A. HAD TO PUT THIS UNDER FXDWG, BECAUSE THERE IS NO FLHCUI LISTED ON WEBSITE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10235698
Incident
Jul 23, 2008
Mileage
2,580 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jul 20, 2008

AIT APROX 1,800 MILES, MY 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE FUEL FILTER SHELL WHILE I WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE. I WAS EXITING INTERSTATE 65 SOUTH IN BRENTWOOD, TN AND UPON ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM THE EXIT, I WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND BY A CAR. THE MOTORCYCLE GAVE NO WARNING/INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. UPON ATTEMPTING TROUGH THE EXIT RAMP. THE BIKE SPUTTERED AND ALMOST STOPPED, WHILE THE AUTOMOBILES BEHIND ME LOCKED UP THEIR BRAKES TRYING TO AVOID ME. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME AFTER SUFFERING INTERMITTENT SPUTTERING AND THE BIKE HAS REMAINED IN MY GARAGE SINCE THEN. MY NEAREST DEALER HAS A PART ON ORDER, BUT NOT IN STOCK. I WAS TOLD THEY HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OF THESE PARTS FAIL ON YEAR 2008 MOTORCYCLES. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AS THESE ARE DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10235070
Incident
Jul 16, 2008
Mileage
1,862 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jul 20, 2008

THE MOTORCYCLE JUST STOPPED RUNNING. FUEL TANK WAS FULL BUT NO FUEL WAS GETTING TO THE ENGINE. LEFT ME STRANDED. WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. HTTP://WWW.HDFORUMS.COM/M_3599675/TM.HTM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10235065
Incident
Jul 17, 2008
Mileage
2,611 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jul 8, 2008

ON SUNDAY JULY 6 2008 I WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 95 AROUND PORT ST LUCY IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT ABOUT 70 MPH WHEN MY 2008 FLHTCU JUST DIED FOR NO APPARENT REASON FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT I DID A SEARCH OF THIS SORT OF PROBLEM AND FOUND MANY SIMILAR ONES BUT WITH NO RECALL NOTICE FROM HARLEY DAVIDSON ,I DID BRING IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM IN THE FUEL SYSTEM AND THAT THEY WOULD ORDER THE PARTS ,I FEEL THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH WORSE SCENARIO HAD THE BEEN NO WAY FOR ME TO PULL OVER QUICKLY WITHOUT TRAFFIC AND THAT SERIOUS INJURY COULD HAVE HAPPENED PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE OTHERS GET INJURED OR DIE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10233594
Incident
Jul 6, 2008
Mileage
6,250 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

M1684

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SERVICE BULLETIN M1684: MARKET SPECIFIC BATTERY INTRODUCTION. PURPOSE: Initial Release. This bulletin informs dealers of the availability of new batteries for new Original Equipment (OE) vehicle production and in the Parts and Accessories (P&A) catalog. Availability of the new Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries will vary by market and will be transitioning over the next few months. NOTE: The ring terminal screws are not compatible between Leoch and East Penn batteries. The new batteries will include new ring terminal screws, which must be used. The ring terminal screws from the old battery need to be discarded.

M1650

ENGINE; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM; POWER TRAIN; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SERVICE BULLETIN M1650: MILWAUKEE EIGHT AND TWIN CAM CAMSHAFT DRIVE GEAR RETENTION KIT CHANGES. PURPOSE: This bulletin informs dealers that changes have been made to the Camshaft Drive Gear Retention Kit and service proceduresfor the Milwaukee-Eight and Twin Cam applications. In an effort to increase the clamp load of the camshaft drive sprocket bolted joint and prevent the drive bolt from loosening in high lift camshaft applications, the following changes have been made: a. The camshaft drive bolt final torque has been increased to 40 ft-lbs (54 N·m) for all Milwaukee-Eight and certain Twin Cams models. See Vehicles Affected. This increase in torque will make the bolt a one time use application. Never re-use a camshaft drive bolt for service after tightening to the increased specification. See service manual for updated procedure. b. A new camshaft drive gear retention kit (Part No. 91800088) has been created. This new kit is compatible with all Milwaukee-Eight and Twin Cam engines using Parts and Accessories (P&A) camshaft and Original Equipment (OE) camshaft applications. See Instruction sheet for specific fitment on Twin Cam OE camshaft applications. The new kit utilizes friction washers to prevent unwanted rotation of components in the drive sprocket bolted joint under stress. The use of liquid threadlocker on the threads of the bolt and pre-lube to the head of the bolt flange and outside of the washer help the bolt reach full stretch when tightening. NOTE: Engines produced at all Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) plants will not come with the new kits installed. They will continue to be produced with (Part No. 25566-06).

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.8.8): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.8.8. Release Date: Week of August 5, 2024. New Features for Harley-Davidson vehicles: Advanced Module Replace for 2021 and later Revolution Max; 2023 and later CVO Touring; and 2024 Street Glide (FLHX), Road Glide (FLTRX). New Features for LiveWire vehicles: Updated calibrations for 2024 S2DM EV1/ EV6; 2024 S2MH EV1; and 2024 S2DM, S2MH. Changes: Added Hand Control Module (HCM) (Part No. 71500522A and 71500536A) for reflash support.

PAB1158

ENGINE; POWER TRAIN

GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1158: OIL FILTER PACKAGING AND CASE QUANTITY UPDATE. PURPOSE: To inform dealerships that Harley-Davidson has made updates to oil filters including new part numbers, packaging design, and bulk case quantity changes.

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.6.4): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.6.4. Release Date: Week of May 1, 2024. New Features for LiveWire S2DM and S2MH, 2024 Revolution® Max, and 2024 Touring.

M1612

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; POWER TRAIN; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SERVICE BULLETIN M1612 (REV A): MILWAUKEE-EIGHT AND TWIN CAM TRANSMISSION GEAR PACKS. Purpose: Revision. Update: Notes for Table 3 and 4. * Updated: Part Numbers. This bulletin informs dealers that all: Twin Cam gear packs on CVO, Dyna, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models and Milwaukee-Eight gear packs on CVO, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models ordered after December 04, 2023 will not come with the shift drum, forks, shafts and related hardware. Models Affected: 2006-2017 Twin Cams: Dyna models 2007-2016 Twin Cams: CVO, Police, Touring and Trike models 2007-2017 Twin Cams: Softail models 2017-2024 Milwaukee-Eight: CVO, Police, Touring and Trike models 2018-2024 Milwaukee-Eight: Softail models

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Harley-Davidson Fxdwg by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2017000—
2016000—
2015000—
2014000—
2013100—
2012100—
2011000—
2010300—
2008Viewing131149.5
2007210—
2005100—
2004000—
2003310—
2002410—
2001300—
2000200—
1999620—
1998100—
1997200—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.