2018 Harley-Davidson Fxlr 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 Fxlr, 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
- Brakes125.0%
- Electrical125.0%
- Engine125.0%
- Fuel system125.0%
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
FOR SOME REASON THE FUEL CAP VIBRATES QUITE LOUD AT CURTAIN RPM. I ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES. THE REAR BRAKE WAS SQUEALING A LOT AND AT ONE POINT MY FRONT BRAKE WAS GOING SOFT ON ME. THE FIRST TIME I HAD IT IN THERE FOR THAT REASON THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING, THE BRAKES OF THE CAP. OF COURSE I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THIS AND TOOK IT BACK THE FOLLOWING WEEK. THIS TIME THEY SAID THE SAME THING, THAT IT COULD BE HEARD AND NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE BIKE. AFTER THAT I CONTACTED HARLEY DIRECTLY AND WITHIN 2 HOUR RECEIVED A CALL FROM ROMMEL HARLEY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT TURNS OUT THAT THE PART NUMBER AS MY GAS CAP WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE AND THE NEW MODEL WAS ORDERED, ALSO THEY BROKE MY BRAKES DOWN TO PIECES TO FULLY INSPECT THEM AND HAND FILE THEM. THE ISSUE WITH THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES ARE BETTER BUT I CAN TOLERATE IT, AS FOR THE GAS CAP IT STILL IS DOING THE SAME THING. WHEN I CONTACTED THEM I WAS TOLD NOTHING MORE CAN BE DONE SO AGAIN I CONTACTED HARLEY DIRECTLY AND ASKED WHAT COULD BE DONE. THEY CALLED ROMMEL AND SPOKE WITH THEY. I WAS CALLED BACK AND INFORMED THAT NOTHING WOULD BE DONE AND I HAD TO DEAL WITH IT BECAUSE ROMMEL SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. ALSO HAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CODES P1510H P2127H P2138H. REDUCED POWER MODE ALONG WITH RANDOM THROTTLE FROM ALMOST STALLING TO THE BIKE DECIDE TO GIVE ITSELF FULL GO REQUIRING EITHER TAKING THE BIKE OUT OF GEAR OR PULLING THE CLUTCH IN. NOTHING WAS DONE BECAUSE "WE NEED TO SEE IT HAPPEN". ERROR CODES WE'RE STILL STORED AND COULD BE READ. NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH MOTORCYCLES BUT WHEN YOU'RE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND IT DECIDED TO GO FULL THROTTLE IT'S QUITE A SCARY THING ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT'S QUITE HARD IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT IN THAT SITUATION.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
FOR SOME REASON THE FUEL CAP VIBRATES QUITE LOUD AT CURTAIN RPM. I ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES. THE REAR BRAKE WAS SQUEALING A LOT AND AT ONE POINT MY FRONT BRAKE WAS GOING SOFT ON ME. THE FIRST TIME I HAD IT IN THERE FOR THAT REASON THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING, THE BRAKES OF THE CAP. OF COURSE I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THIS AND TOOK IT BACK THE FOLLOWING WEEK. THIS TIME THEY SAID THE SAME THING, THAT IT COULD BE HEARD AND NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE BIKE. AFTER THAT I CONTACTED HARLEY DIRECTLY AND WITHIN 2 HOUR RECEIVED A CALL FROM ROMMEL HARLEY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT TURNS OUT THAT THE PART NUMBER AS MY GAS CAP WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE AND THE NEW MODEL WAS ORDERED, ALSO THEY BROKE MY BRAKES DOWN TO PIECES TO FULLY INSPECT THEM AND HAND FILE THEM. THE ISSUE WITH THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES ARE BETTER BUT I CAN TOLERATE IT, AS FOR THE GAS CAP IT STILL IS DOING THE SAME THING. WHEN I CONTACTED THEM I WAS TOLD NOTHING MORE CAN BE DONE SO AGAIN I CONTACTED HARLEY DIRECTLY AND ASKED WHAT COULD BE DONE. THEY CALLED ROMMEL AND SPOKE WITH THEY. I WAS CALLED BACK AND INFORMED THAT NOTHING WOULD BE DONE AND I HAD TO DEAL WITH IT BECAUSE ROMMEL SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. ALSO HAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CODES P1510H P2127H P2138H. REDUCED POWER MODE ALONG WITH RANDOM THROTTLE FROM ALMOST STALLING TO THE BIKE DECIDE TO GIVE ITSELF FULL GO REQUIRING EITHER TAKING THE BIKE OUT OF GEAR OR PULLING THE CLUTCH IN. NOTHING WAS DONE BECAUSE "WE NEED TO SEE IT HAPPEN". ERROR CODES WE'RE STILL STORED AND COULD BE READ. NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH MOTORCYCLES BUT WHEN YOU'RE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND IT DECIDED TO GO FULL THROTTLE IT'S QUITE A SCARY THING ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT'S QUITE HARD IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT IN THAT SITUATION.
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
FOR SOME REASON THE FUEL CAP VIBRATES QUITE LOUD AT CURTAIN RPM. I ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES. THE REAR BRAKE WAS SQUEALING A LOT AND AT ONE POINT MY FRONT BRAKE WAS GOING SOFT ON ME. THE FIRST TIME I HAD IT IN THERE FOR THAT REASON THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING, THE BRAKES OF THE CAP. OF COURSE I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THIS AND TOOK IT BACK THE FOLLOWING WEEK. THIS TIME THEY SAID THE SAME THING, THAT IT COULD BE HEARD AND NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE BIKE. AFTER THAT I CONTACTED HARLEY DIRECTLY AND WITHIN 2 HOUR RECEIVED A CALL FROM ROMMEL HARLEY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT TURNS OUT THAT THE PART NUMBER AS MY GAS CAP WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE AND THE NEW MODEL WAS ORDERED, ALSO THEY BROKE MY BRAKES DOWN TO PIECES TO FULLY INSPECT THEM AND HAND FILE THEM. THE ISSUE WITH THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES ARE BETTER BUT I CAN TOLERATE IT, AS FOR THE GAS CAP IT STILL IS DOING THE SAME THING. WHEN I CONTACTED THEM I WAS TOLD NOTHING MORE CAN BE DONE SO AGAIN I CONTACTED HARLEY DIRECTLY AND ASKED WHAT COULD BE DONE. THEY CALLED ROMMEL AND SPOKE WITH THEY. I WAS CALLED BACK AND INFORMED THAT NOTHING WOULD BE DONE AND I HAD TO DEAL WITH IT BECAUSE ROMMEL SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. ALSO HAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CODES P1510H P2127H P2138H. REDUCED POWER MODE ALONG WITH RANDOM THROTTLE FROM ALMOST STALLING TO THE BIKE DECIDE TO GIVE ITSELF FULL GO REQUIRING EITHER TAKING THE BIKE OUT OF GEAR OR PULLING THE CLUTCH IN. NOTHING WAS DONE BECAUSE "WE NEED TO SEE IT HAPPEN". ERROR CODES WE'RE STILL STORED AND COULD BE READ. NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH MOTORCYCLES BUT WHEN YOU'RE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND IT DECIDED TO GO FULL THROTTLE IT'S QUITE A SCARY THING ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT'S QUITE HARD IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT IN THAT SITUATION.
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
LIQUID GASOLINE EXPELS FROM FUEL TANK OVERPRESSURE VENT TUBE, AT A RATE >5 DROPS/SEC, ANYTIME WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING AND THE TANK IS AT OR BELOW 1/2. DEALER WARRANTY REPAIR, 2ND ATTEMPT, SOLUTION WAS TO REVERSE THE VENT LINE CHECK VALVE SO THE FUEL LEAK OUTFLOW STOPPED BUT NOW THE FUEL TANK BUILDS CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE WITH AMBIENT OR OTHER TEMPERATURE RISES LEAVING THE ONLY VENT PATH AS THE GAS CAP REMOVAL. VIDEO AVAILABLE OF BOTH FUEL LEAK AND FUEL TANK PRESSURE RELIEF. THE FUEL LEAK ISSUE WAS FIRST NOTICED ON 07/09/2018; HOWEVER IT WAS NOT RECOGNIZED TO BE A CONSTANT ISSUE AS THE FUEL TANK WAS NORMALLY KEPT BETWEEN FULL AND 5/8 DUE TO COMMUTE PATTERN. ON 04/07/2019 IT WAS NOTICED AGAIN AND VIDEO OF THE FUEL EXPELLING WAS CAPTURED AND SENT TO DEALER ALONG WITH OBSERVATION OF 1/2 TANK OR BELOW REQUIREMENT FOR THE FUEL LEAK TO OCCUR. THE FUEL TANK OVERPRESSURE ISSUE WAS REALIZED AFTER 05/03/2019 AND VERIFIED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE.
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 .