RoadVitals

2011 Harley-Davidson Fxs

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.
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Latest Aug 7, 2013
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.
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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.
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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.
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Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2011 Harley-Davidson Fxs, most frequently naming the exterior lighting and electrical categories. 16 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

  • Exterior lighting583.3%
  • Electrical116.7%

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

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

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

Exterior lighting
Filed Aug 7, 2013

REAR RIGHT RUNNING LIGHT FAILED, TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE SIGNAL STILL FUNCTION. RUNNING SIGNAL COMES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY IN A RANDOM PATTERN. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY LOOSE CONNECTION, ABRASION, KINK, CRIMP OR OTHER VISUAL DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRE GOING TO THE LIGHT. BIKE HAS REDUCED ROAD AND NIGHT TIME VISIBILITY DUE TO PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10534081
Incident
Aug 3, 2013
Mileage
7,100 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Aug 15, 2012

AFTER ONLY 700 MILES, MY TAIL LIGHTS BURNT OUT AND CONTINUE TO DO SO EVERY 50 MILES OR SO. HARLEY DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED MANY TIMES BY MYSELF AND OTHER RIDERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR WRITE A RECALL FOR THE WIRING HARNESS OR SOCKETS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET REAR ENDED WHILE RIDING AT NIGHT? *TR

NHTSA ID
10470841
Incident
Aug 13, 2012
Mileage
11,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 13, 2012

UPON STARTING THE BIKE I NOTICED THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT HAD BURNED OUT. I'VE HEARD FROM ALOT OF PEOPLE THAT THIS IS BECOMING A COMMON OCCURANCE AND FEAR IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10451539
Incident
Mar 13, 2012
Mileage
1,350 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jan 27, 2012

THE LEFT SIDE 1157-TYPE BRAKE/TAIL/TURN-SIGNAL BULB FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 400 MILES. WITHIN THE NEXT 1000 MILES THE ORIGINAL RIGHT-SIDE BULB FAILED, AND 2 SYLVANIA "LONG LIFE" REPLACEMENT BULBS HAVE ALSO FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10445606
Incident
Aug 5, 2011
Mileage
400 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 16, 2011

THE LEFT SIDE TAIL/ RUNNING LIGHT ON MY 2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FXS BLACKLINE HAS GONE OUT NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THE BIKE ON 12 SEPT 2011. 1ST TRIP BACK TO DEALER ABOUT PROBLEM, WAS TOLD BAD BATCH OF BULBS...BUT I HAVE TRIED NON-HD BULBS (1157 BULBS AS DIRECT BY DEALERSHIP) AND PROBLEM PERSISTS. NEED SOMETHING DONE SOON. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND IT NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10436114
Incident
Sep 23, 2011
Mileage
250 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.0.2): 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). New Software Update Version 26.0.2. Release Date: Week of November 18, 2025. New Features, Changes. 2026 Vehicles, 2025 Softail and LiveWire S2DM/MH/AP EV3. NOTE: Digital Technician II (DT II) supports additional Harley-Davidson motorcycle models and model years outside of those listed.

M1391A

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SERVICE BULLETIN M1391A (REVU): MIDTRONICS GRX-3110 AND DCA-8000 SOFTWARE. PURPORSE: Revision U. The purpose of this bulletin is to inform the dealer network that a software update to the GRX-3110 and DCA-8000 is now available. DYNAMIC DIAGNOSTIC CHARGER SYSTEM (PART NUMBER: DCA-8000). [Rev U] Added: Description of improvements made to the testing algorithm for GRX software Version P and DCA-8000 software Version E.

PAB1171

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1171 (REV B): SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR SCREAMIN EAGLE PRO STREET TUNER. PURPOSE: Revision B. Updated: Summary. The App has returned to the Apple App Store. This bulletin informs dealers that a recent software update to the Screamin' Eagle Pro Street Tuner application will require the use of a Personal Computer (PC) to complete a Bluetooth Communication Interface (BCI) firmware update.

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 25.8.9): 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). New Software Update Version 25.8.9 Release Date: Week of September 2, 2025. Changes: LiveWire 2024 S2MH: Removal of incorrect Electro Hydraulic Control Unit (EHCU) reflash support; EHCU Module (Part No. 41100123): Addressed issue where module became unrecoverable after failed reflash attempted. NOTE: Digital Technician II (DT II) supports additional Harley-Davidson motorcycle models and model years outside of those listed.

M1391A

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SERVICE BULLETIN M1391A (REV T): MIDTRONICS GRX-3110 AND DCA-8000 SOFTWARE. PURPORSE: Revision T. The purpose of this bulletin is to inform the dealer network that a software update to the GRX-3110 and DCA-8000 is now available. DYNAMIC DIAGNOSTIC CHARGER SYSTEM (PART NUMBER: DCA-8000). [Rev T] Updated: New Software Update, Previous Software Updates and DCA-8000. Added: 192-210335P. Software update 192-210335P for GRX-3110 and DCA-800 to add new battery part numbers.

M1490

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 25.8.7): 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). New Software Update Version 25.6.4, Release Date: Week of August 19, 2025. Includes New Features and Changes for the Models & Model Years listed. NOTE: Digital Technician II (DT II) supports additional Harley-Davidson motorcycle models and model years outside of those listed.

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 Fxs by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2012300
2011Viewing500
1979010

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.