2012 Harley-Davidson Flhx problems

SERVICE BRAKES

My front brake lever froze and can not be pulled in on my 2012 Harley Davidson motorcycle. Dealership is saying brake pistons are froze up and ABS module will need to be replaced. I’ve owned the bike 6 years and have never been told the brake fluid needed to flushed every 2 years. There was a recall on this issue but only for years 2008-2011 and my bike is 2012, but was built on 2011. I never received recall notice.

NHTSA complaint #11489040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

2012 HARLEY STREET GLIDE ABS CONTROL MODULE IS FAILING. CAUSING THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER TO BECOME ROCK HARD AND UNUSABLE. SAME EXACT MODULE THAT WAS RECALLED ON 2008-2010 WAS ALSO USED IN 2011-2013. EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD AS YOU CAN NOT STOP IF SOMEONE PULLS OUT IN FRONT OF YOU.

NHTSA complaint #11390099 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

THE ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKES. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET REVEALED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH HARLEY DAVIDSON ABS BRAKE SYSTEMS. THERE WAS NO INDICATOR LIGHT OR WARNING THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTED JUST SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE. LUCKILY I WAS JUST MOVING THE MOTORCYCLE AROUND THE YARD WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY ROLL TO A STOP. HAD THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR IN TRAFFIC THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. THIS VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 8,000 MILES ON IT AND IS GARAGE KEPT IN A CLIMATE CONTROLLED BUILDING. ANY HELP OR ADVISE WOULD BE APPRECIATED AND I HOPE THIS CAN HELP OR POSSIBLY SAVE THE LIVES OF OTHER RIDERS.

NHTSA complaint #11229574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

THE FRONT BRAKES WERE FINE GOING TO WORK BUT WHEN I LEFT WORK THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER WAS STIFF AS A BOARD AND HAD NO FRONT BRAKES. THE BIKE WAS NOT IN MOTION WHEN I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #11219337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

FRONT BAKE IS HARD TO APPLY UPON START UP. IT HAS ALSO BEEN HARD A FEW TIMES AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN RIDDEN FOR A LITTLE.

NHTSA complaint #11132203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE (FLHX). WHILE PARKING THE MOTORCYCLE, THE BRAKES FAILED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (STEEL CITY HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 1375 WASHINGTON RD, WASHINGTON, PA 15301) FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000. *TT CARFAX NOT ABLE TO DISPLAY VIN RECORD UPDATED 9/26/18

NHTSA complaint #11074540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE FLHX MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, A VIBRATION OCCURRED UNDER THE CHASSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HARLEY-DAVIDSON OF NASSAU COUNTY (LOCATED ON SUNRISE HIGH, BELLMORE, NY 11710) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AFTERMARKET PRODUCTION OF THE CUSTOM RIMS AND ROUTER THAT WERE ATTACHED TO THE WHEEL FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

NHTSA complaint #11012874 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

HAVE A HEEL TO TOE SHIFTER... FRIEND FROM A MAJOR HARLEY DEALER LOOKED OVER THE BIKE AND NOTICED THE SHIFTER ARM HAS SLIPPED AWAY FROM THE TRANSMISSION, SO IT SLIDES UP AND DOWN THE SPLINED SHAFT FROM THE TRANSMISSION MAKING IT LOOSE AND COULD FALL OFF...HAVE SEEN RECALLS FOR THIS BUT NOT FOR MY VIN!?

NHTSA complaint #10979112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

THE RIGHT HAND SADDLE BAG FELL OFF DURING A RIDE. HAVE OWNED THIS STYLE BAG FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS AND KNOW THEY WERE SECURE PRIOR TO THIS RIDE. MATT G. FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR HARLEY DAVIDSON. FORTUNATELY I WAS ONLY TRAVELING AT 40MPH AND NOBODY WAS FOLLOWING ME.

NHTSA complaint #10823438 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

MOTORCYCLE SURGES UNEXPECTEDLY AND THEN ALSO LOSES THROTTLE CONTROL. THE FIRST INCIDENT I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT INTO TRAFFIC AND AS SOON AS I GOT INTO THE TRAFFIC LANE MOTORCYCLE LOST ALL THROTTLE RESPONSE BUT MOTOR WAS STILL RUNNING. TRAFFIC WAS A 4 LANE STREET WITH SPEED POSTED AT 35 MPH. THERE WAS NO SHOULDER AND ONLY A CURB. I HAD NOWHERE TO PULL OVER. I ALMOST GOT HIT BY SEVERAL PASSING VEHICLES. I HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AT THE TIME I LOST THROTTLE RESPONSE. I SHUT OFF IGNITION AND CYCLED POWER A FEW TIMES AND THE LIGHT WENT OFF AND I HAD THROTTLE RESPONSE AGAIN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON SEVERAL TIMES AND WENT INTO WHAT HARLEY DAVIDSON REPAIR CALLS LIMP MODE. I HAVE HAD THE BIKE IN SERVICE SHOP SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO PREVAIL ON FIXING PROBLEM. THE OTHER ITEM THE MOTORCYCLE IS DOING IS, THE BIKE THROTTLE SURGES UNEXPECTEDLY. I WAS PULLING UP TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT, JUST AS I WAS GOING TO STOP THE THROTTLE REVVED UP CAUSING ME TO GO INTO THE INTERSECTION ALMOST GETTING HIT AND LOSING CONTROL OF THE BIKE. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEMS IS RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER SYSTEM OF THE BIKE. THE REPAIR SHOP SAYS ?IT?S A LOOSE WIRE OR CONNECTION? BUT THEY HAVE SPENT SEVERAL HOURS OVER SEVERAL MONTHS TRYING TO FIND IT. BOTH THE UNEXPECTEDLY SURGES AND LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL HAVE HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAVE ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE BIKE SEVERAL TIME BECAUSE OF IT.

NHTSA complaint #10761697 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEED LIMIT I ATTEMPTED TO EXIT HIGHWAY 101 SOUTHBOUND IN NOVATO CALIFORNIA. UPON BRAKING AND DOWNSHIFTING I REALIZED THE ENTIRE FOOT SHIFTER WAS MISSING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN SIXTH FEAR AND I HAD TO INITIATE EMERGENCY BRAKING TO AVOID LOSING CONTROL OF THE BIKE ON THE EXIT RAMP. THE BIKE WAS THEN STUCK IN SIXTH GEAR AND COULD NOT BE DRIVEN FURTHER. UPON OBTAINING REPLACEMENT PARTS AND INSTALLING THE SAME THE LOCAL DEALER HAD ADVISED ME THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SOME OF THE NEWER HARLEY MODELS AND THAT HAVE HEARD MANY HARROWING STORIES FROM RIDERS LIKE MYSELF THAT HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN A NEAR MISHAP DUE TO THIS DEFECT, ATTEMPTING TO STOP AND SLOW A 800 POUND BIKE WITH A 210 POUND RIDER AND A 150 PASSENGER AS WELL AS LUGGAGE IS NOT AN EASY TASK WHEN THERE IS NO SHIFTER TO DOWN GEAR AND SLOW THE VEHICLE. DEALER REPORTS HARLEY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM ATTRIBUTED TO FAULTY PARTS AND AFFIXMENT BUT TO DATE HAS DONE NOTHING . MY PART REPLACEMENT WAS COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PLAN. THIS SITUATION IS A DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY WAITING TO OCCUR IN MY OPINION....UPDATED 10/01/15

NHTSA complaint #10735887 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

TIRES

FRONT TIRE ON MY 2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE HAS CRACKED SIDEWALLS.TIRE IS THE ORIGINAL TIRE WITH 1500 MILES WEAR .REAR TIRE DOES NOT HAVE THIS CRACKING.HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER ([XXX])STATES ITS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE THAT CAUSED TIRE DAMAGE. BIKE IS KEPT IN A HEATED GARAGE,ON WOODEN BOARDS AND IS NEVER RIDDEN IN OR SEEN RAIN.SEARCH OF ONLINE FORUMS SHOWS THAT THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE,ALTHOUGH I CAN NOT VOUCH FOR THE WAY THEIR BIKES ARE KEPT AND MAINTAINED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA complaint #10597700 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

TIRES

2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX-11200 MILES. SIDEWALL CRACK ON THE FRONT TIRE. ITS THE HARLEY DAVIDSON DUNLOP TIRE D408F. TIRE SIZE IS A 130/70B18 63H. I HAVE HAD TO PUT 4 FRONT TIRES ON IT SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED THE BIKE NEW LAST YEAR. MY LAST TWO FRONT TIRES ONLY LASTED 1000 MILES AND STARTED CRACKING. NOTIFIED HARLEY DAVIDSON. DEALERSHIP REPLACED EVERY TIRE FOR FREE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRES.

NHTSA complaint #10474276 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BATTERY AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND VOLTMETER DROPPING.

NHTSA complaint #10459826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.