What Harley-Davidson Flhtk owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See Harley-Davidson Flhtk safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 85 |
| 2019 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 69 |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 86 |
| 2017 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| 2016 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 |
| 2015 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
| 2014 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
| 2013 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 2012 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19 |
| 2011 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 2010 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
The vehicle systems named most often in Harley-Davidson Flhtk complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
The contact owns a 2022 Harley-Davidson FLHTK. The contact stated that while riding approximately 70 MPH, the motorcycle went into LIMP Mode and unexpectedly downshifted. The motorcycle was taken to the same local dealer on various occasions to be diagnosed; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure was associated with an automatic safety feature. The motorcycle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,800.
Rear wheel locked at 40 mph and power cutoff while on a highway on ramp (soft right turn) making the rear wheel slide to the right, causing my passenger and I to fall off the bike hurting our left extremities (legs, arms, wrists, elbows, shoulders) as it slid and ended on its left side on the right shoulder. Harley-Davidson RDRS and Rain Mode were turned on and the road was wet from a previous rain but visible debris on the road.
While going to work on freeway doing 70 bike went into limp mode and I lost all throttle luckily I got out of traffic and was able to limp to dealership where bike has been 3 days now totally UNSAT especially when I researched online and see this is a common problem why hasn't Harley been made to fix this or do more people need to get hurt or die before you all will make Harley fix this problem!
A redesign in the left and right handle controls of the Harley 2014 modelâs, the Press to Talk (PTT) button and Cruise Control buttons were switched from the left hand grip to the right throttle/brake hand grip. The PTT button is used for the Citizens Band (CB) radio. The PTT button had always been located on the left hand grip and the Cruise Control button had always been located on the right throttle/brake hand grip. In order for the operator to use the CB to talk, the PTT button is used. To activate the PTT button, the operatorâs right thumb is used. When performing this action the operator needs to remove the thumb from the right hand grip and press the PTT button, and maintain cont…
And module locked up the rear tire. Break pedal became hard and not operational.
Recently while riding my motorcycle, I experienced a near total loss of clutch control. Fortunately, was able to safely limp it back to the garage. What I found when checking components, my clutch lever lost most of its tension. I thought it might be a stripped plastic tensioner that others have experienced. Instead, it was partially the plastic push button slipped and the metal retaining threads on the clutch cable separated from the upper clutch cable causing an immediate loss in tension to engage the clutch. I did not take a photo, but included a photo of exactly what the failure looks like. Photo from [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.…
The contact owns a 2011 Harley-Davidson FLHTK Electra Glide Ultra. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V076000 (Services Brakes, Hydraulic) was performed; however, while riding and coming to a complete stop, the front brake was engaged but failed to respond. The contact was able to stop the motorcycle by engaging the rear brake. The contact stated that the front brake was inoperable. The dealer was notified of the failure and charged a fee for the repair. The motorcycle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
The ABS module has failed on my HD FLHTK causing the rear brake to stop working with no warning. The dealer has my bike but said the module is out of stock and is back ordered until April of 2024. Doing an internet search reveals this is a known problem, sometimes causing both front and rear brakes to fail without warning. They said the brake fluid should have been replaced every two years to avoid this problem. I did not know this. The risk is obvious. The diagnosis was done by Henderson Harley-Davidson, in Henderson, Nevada. My bike remains there. There was no warning before the failure.
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.9.4): 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). New Software Update. NOTE: The TECHLINK 3 (PART NUMBER: HD-48650-TL3) supports Controller Area Network (CAN) and J-1850 protocol vehicles. ⢠6-pin CAN vehicles are recommended to use Techlink 3 (TL-3) ⢠All 2021 (and later) vehicles must use TL-3 (connects to Red DLC on the vehicle) ⢠4-pin (J-1850) vehicles are recommended to
SERVICE BULLETIN M1733: COSMETIC CYLINDER STAINING (ALL MILWAUKEE-EIGHT MODELS). PURPOSE: Initial release. This bulletin informs dealers that cosmetic staining or etching on the inside of the cylinder bore does not have an impact on engine performance, oil consumption, or overall functionality. This bulletin provides example images of cylinders with cosmetic staining, and images of cases where cylinder replacement would be recommended.
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.8.3): 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 Version 26.8.3, Release Date: Week of July 24, 2026. NOTE: Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions. New
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.7.3): 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 26.7.3. Release Date:⢠Week of June 11, 2026. NOTE Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions.
SERVICE BULLETIN M1727: BIG TWIN INNER PRIMARY SEAL CHANGES. PURPOSE: Initial release. This bulletin informs dealers of changes to the Inner Primary Seal (Part No. 12052). The seal part number was changed from (Part No. 12052A, black in color) to (Part No. 12052B, brown in color). A new Inner Primary Seal (Part No. 12052C) has been released and the color has been changed back to black.
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.6.2): 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). Version 26.6.2. Release Date: Week of April 22, 2026. NOTE: Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions. New Feature
SERVICE BULLETIN M1722 (REV A): EXHAUST SMOKE, OIL CARRY-OVER OR MILKY OIL (M8 MODELS WITH TRANSMISSION-MOUNTED BREATHER). PURPOSE: Revision A. Purpose for Service Bulletin. This bulletin informs dealers about: ⢠The cause and effects of moisture in engine oil. ⢠Service Manual troubleshooting updates for Milwaukee-Eight engines with the transmission-mounted breather, that have symptoms of moisture in oil and the best practices to avoid creating such instances. ⢠New Job Time Code (JTC 3017 Diagnose Oil Carryover/Moisture) for service manual troubleshooting.
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.5.2): 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). Version 26.5.2 Release Date: Week of March 30, 2026. NOTE Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). After (26.4.3) is manually installed, automatic updates will bring DT II to the latest software version. Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions. New Features.
SERVICE BULLETIN M1679: AFTERMARKET EXHAUST HEADER DEBRIS. PURPOSE: Initial release. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has identified instances of premature engine failure due to abrasive particle wear, specifically from debris inside new aftermarket exhaust headers. Recent evaluations have identified that certain newly manufactured exhaust headers may contain residual hard particles that, if not removed prior to installation, can migrate through the engine system and cause accelerated component wear or severe mechanical damage.
SERVICE BULLETIN M1713 (REV C): DTII UPDATE PROCEDURE FOR SOFTWARE VERSION (26.4.3). PURPOSE: Revision C. This bulletin informs dealers that an issue was discovered in the Digital Technician II (DT II) software version (26.0.2), released on November 18, 2025. The issue prevents automatic software updates to be installed on your DT II computer. A manual installation of the latest DT II software version (26.4.3) will need to be performed if current DT II software version is (26.0.2), to allow future automatic updates. If a manual update to (26.1.5) or (26.3.2) has previously been completed, DT I
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.4.3): 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 26.4.3 Release Date: Week of February 25, 2026. NOTE: Software version (26.4.3) will need to be manually installed only if current software version of DT II is (26.0.2). Refer to bulletin M1713 for instructions. New Features: Support for 2026 LiveWire Vehicles, LiveWire S2 Vehicle Status: Display notification when vehicle
SERVICE BULLETIN PAB1177: HARLEY-DAVIDSON AUDIO POWERED BY ROCKFORD FOSGATE P&A WIRING SCHEMATICS. PURPOSE: Initial Release. This bulletin informs dealers and technicians that there are Parts and Accessories (P&A) Wiring Schematics for Harley-Davidson Audio Powered by Rockford Fosgate components. Schematics are available for both Non Center-Cooled and Center-Cooled models.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens these when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Many end in a recall.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation in July 2016 based on forty-three (43) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ).During the course of this investigation ODI received a total of 145 VOQs related to the alleged defect on the subject motorcycles. Owners allege they experience a sudden and complete loss of brakes on one or both wheels. To better understand the cause of the braking issue on the subject motorcycles, ODI requested NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRT
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2010–2024, owners most often name: service brakes, power train, engine. 161 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.