2004 Harley-Davidson Road King 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 2004 Harley-Davidson Road King, 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
- Suspension327.3%
- Brakes218.2%
- Electrical19.1%
- Engine19.1%
- Fuel system19.1%
- Powertrain (other)19.1%
- Tires & wheels19.1%
- Driver assistance19.1%
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
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE REPORTED THIS BEFORE BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM YOU... CAN YOU PLEASE HELP? POOR HANDLING MOTORCYCLE, 2004 HARLEY DAVIDSON, FLHTCI - MOTORCYCLE TENDED TO WANT TO "PULL" TO THE LEFT, ESPECIALLY WHEN DECELERATING - SEVERAL VISITS TO THE DEALER FOR "ALIGNMENTS" OF THE ENGINE/FRAME/DRIVETRAIN - PROBLEM MINIMIZED BUT NOT ELIMINATED. - "HIGH SPEED WOBBLES" OCCURRED REGULARLY AND WITHOUT NOTICE WHICH I HANDLED BECUASE I AM AN EXPERIENCED RIDER AND VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SURVIVE. - REMOVAL OF TIRE TO REPAIR PUNCTURE AND CHECK OF SWINGARM FOUND THE SWINGARM MOVES LEFT TO RIGHT ABOUT 1/4 INCH.*AK
PASSING A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER A ABOUT 70MPH FRONT END STEERING ON NEW 04 ELECTRAGLIDE CLASSIC BEGAN A WOBBLING OF THE FRONT TIRE. IT WAS EXTREMELY NOTICABLE AND NEARLY CAUSED THE BIKE TO GO INTO THE TRACTOR TRAILER. IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM I REDUCED MY SPEED W/O APPLYING BRAKES TO ABOUT 40MPH AND THE WOBBLING FINALLY STOPPED. *AK *TC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN BRAKING THERE WOULD BE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE, WHICH COULD CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FRONT ROTORS AND PADS . HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB
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
HORN GETS WORSE AND BECOMES INAUDIBLE. THE HARLEY MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE ALL HORNS WITH BETTER QUALITY PARTS. MINE HAS BEEN REPLACED AT MY COST. *NM
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
WITHOUT WARNING, THE MOTORCYCLE LOST POWER WHEN RIDING AT ANY SPEED. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *AK *SC *JB
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
DT: THE CALLER HAD WARRANTY WORK DONE ON GAS TANK LINE AND THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS OF THE SAME DESIGN ONLY SHORTER. THE CALLER SAID THE LINE FROM THE GAS PUMP WAS RUBBING ON TANK AND CAUSING A HOLE IN THE LINE INSIDE THE TANK. DEALER SAID THE REPLACEMENT PART WILL FAIL. THE CALLER DID NOT HAVE A PROBLEM YET WITH REPLACEMENT PART. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. *AK
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
HARLEY DAVIDSON ROADKING 2004 PURCHASED NEW. GEAR SHIFTER WENT "FLACID" AND I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. THIS HAPPENED ONCE IN 2004; TWICE IN 2005; TWICE IN 2006; AND ONCE LAST WEEK IN 2007. EACH TIME THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS TIGHTENED BY THE AMERICAN HARLEY DEALER HERE IN WESTERN NEW YORK; AND ONE TIME IN 2006 HARLEY REPLACED THE GEAR SHIFTER. ON SUCH A NEW BIKE, IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM CONTINUES TO REOCCUR. I COULD BE THROWN OVER THE HANDLEBARS TO MY DEATH IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURS AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THIS BIKE IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD, AND I'M WONDERING IF THIS IS ANOTHER "CHINA" PRODUCT THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED DUE TO CHEAP STEEL!!! AMERICAN HARLEY CHARGED FOR LABOR THE TIME THAT THEY REPLACED THE GEAR SHIFTER, BUT THEY DID REIMBURSE ME FOR THE PART. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
PASSING A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER A ABOUT 70MPH FRONT END STEERING ON NEW 04 ELECTRAGLIDE CLASSIC BEGAN A WOBBLING OF THE FRONT TIRE. IT WAS EXTREMELY NOTICABLE AND NEARLY CAUSED THE BIKE TO GO INTO THE TRACTOR TRAILER. IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM I REDUCED MY SPEED W/O APPLYING BRAKES TO ABOUT 40MPH AND THE WOBBLING FINALLY STOPPED. *AK *TC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT: CONSUMER STATES: MOTOR CUTS OUT UPON ACCELERATION FROM STOP OR IF STARTING THE MOTORCYCLE AND MAKING A TURN. ALSO, IT CUTS OUT. IT MAKES A NOISE PRESSURE RELEASE OF THE AIR. *AK
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 .