Owners have filed 18 complaints
about the 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltrxs with NHTSA between 2016 and 2023.
The largest single group is the electrical system.
Across this model's run it ranks 1 of 3 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 69
Against the median year of the Harley-Davidson Fltrxs. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 57
11.1% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 100
100% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
How 2016 compares with every other Harley-Davidson Fltrxs
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltrxs
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Electrical System
844.4%
Median failure at 8,118 miles
Acceleration & Cruise Control
316.7%
Median failure at 25 miles
Lights
211.1%
Median failure at 25 miles
Tires
15.6%
Median failure at 2 miles
Fuel & Propulsion
15.6%
Median failure at 9 miles
Brakes
15.6%
Steering
15.6%
Median failure at 1,200 miles
Transmission & Drivetrain
15.6%
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 6,000 mi
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
541.7%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
650.0%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
18.3%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jul 2016peak 3Jun 2023
Complaints that involved harm
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
at 6,000 milesLisle, ILCrash1 injured
POWER TRAIN
COMPLETE FAILURE OF HYDRAULIC CLUTCH. RECALL FOR CLUTCH PROBLEM WAS PERFORMED IN AUGUST OF 2017. ON FEBRUARY 24TH 2018, MOTORCYCLE WAS STARTED IN MY GARAGE AND UPON SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR, THE MOTORCYCLE LUNGES FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE MOTORCYCLE, PERSONNEL BELONGINGS AND BODILY INJURY.
NHTSA complaint #11084898 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Owensboro, KY
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Got caught in bad rain and both speedo and tach filled up with water. Bike completely shut down on highway doing 60mph (70 mph highway) and if I did not pull in on clutch, bike would have went down and I could have possibly lost my life. I believe a less experienced rider would have not been so fortunate. It is clear this is a manufacture defect as the seal on these gauges are minimal or undervalued for the part. I was given no advance warning this was going to fail and I do not try to ride in rain or any type of weather. This bike has been garaged all of its life and only the second time it has seen rain as I have several other Harley's. I believe this should be a warranty issue that Harley would WANT to do, to ensure it's customers ride a safe motorcycle.
NHTSA complaint #11528593 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Owensboro, KY
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Got caught in bad rain and both speedo and tach filled up with water. Bike completely shut down on highway doing 60mph (70 mph highway) and if I did not pull in on clutch, bike would have went down and I could have possibly lost my life. I believe a less experienced rider would have not been so fortunate. It is clear this is a manufacture defect as the seal on these gauges are minimal or undervalued for the part. I was given no advance warning this was going to fail and I do not try to ride in rain or any type of weather. This bike has been garaged all of its life and only the second time it has seen rain as I have several other Harley's. I believe this should be a warranty issue that Harley would WANT to do, to ensure it's customers ride a safe motorcycle.
NHTSA complaint #11528593 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Owensboro, KY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Got caught in bad rain and both speedo and tach filled up with water. Bike completely shut down on highway doing 60mph (70 mph highway) and if I did not pull in on clutch, bike would have went down and I could have possibly lost my life. I believe a less experienced rider would have not been so fortunate. It is clear this is a manufacture defect as the seal on these gauges are minimal or undervalued for the part. I was given no advance warning this was going to fail and I do not try to ride in rain or any type of weather. This bike has been garaged all of its life and only the second time it has seen rain as I have several other Harley's. I believe this should be a warranty issue that Harley would WANT to do, to ensure it's customers ride a safe motorcycle.
NHTSA complaint #11528593 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Maple Lake, MN
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
During a ride my speedometer/tachometer failed due to water intrusion. From what I have seen this is a very common issue. When this happened it caused me to loose my ABS, loss all other gauges. This was a huge saefty concern as I could not monitor anything and could have been potentially dangerous or deadly! This is a huge safety concern that I feel like harley is brushing under the rug! They need to offer some sort of support or repair for this before it claims someones life not mention the passengers life. Very serious issue that they are willing to do nothing about.
NHTSA complaint #11520573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Maple Lake, MN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
During a ride my speedometer/tachometer failed due to water intrusion. From what I have seen this is a very common issue. When this happened it caused me to loose my ABS, loss all other gauges. This was a huge saefty concern as I could not monitor anything and could have been potentially dangerous or deadly! This is a huge safety concern that I feel like harley is brushing under the rug! They need to offer some sort of support or repair for this before it claims someones life not mention the passengers life. Very serious issue that they are willing to do nothing about.
NHTSA complaint #11520573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Maple Lake, MN
SERVICE BRAKES
During a ride my speedometer/tachometer failed due to water intrusion. From what I have seen this is a very common issue. When this happened it caused me to loose my ABS, loss all other gauges. This was a huge saefty concern as I could not monitor anything and could have been potentially dangerous or deadly! This is a huge safety concern that I feel like harley is brushing under the rug! They need to offer some sort of support or repair for this before it claims someones life not mention the passengers life. Very serious issue that they are willing to do nothing about.
NHTSA complaint #11520573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 2 milesSewickley, PA
TIRES
PURCHASED A MICHELIN COMMANDER 3 FRONT TIRES FOR MY 2016 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL. RIDING HOME AFTER THE INSTALLATION THERE WAS A BUZZ/VIBRATION IN THE HANDLEBARS FROM 30 MPH TO 40. I CALLED MICHELIN AND THEY SAID TO HAVE THE BALANCE CHECKED AND THE WHEEL BEARINGS CHECKED. BOTH WERE FINE. I PUT 100 MILES ON THE TIRE AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. I CALLED MICHELIN BACK AND AGREED TO REPLACE THE TIRE. TIRE WAS ON BACKORDER FOR APPROX 30 DAYS. ONCE IT ARRIVED IT WAS INSTALLED. SAME PROBLEMS AND THE SAME POINTS BEFORE. I CALLED MICHELIN AGAIN AND ALL THEY COULD SAY IS THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE IT AGAIN AND LET THEIR REP KNOW OF THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #11355321 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 9,000 milesKearney, MO
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING HOME STOP FOR GAS. STARTED MOTORCYCLE BACK UP SPEEDOMETER, RPM GAUGE, VOLTAGE REGULATOR GAUGE AND GAS GAUGE AND NEUTRAL LIGHT INDICATOR ALL WENT OFF. BLINKER INDICATORS WE'RE NOT WORKING AS OF THE CRUISE CONTROL ALSO. WAS READ IN A FORUM THAT THIS IS A REGULAR PROBLEM WITH THIS CERTAIN BIKE AND I SHOULD COME HERE TO MAKE A COMPLAINT TO GET A RECALL ON THIS BIKE. HAD TO RIDE BIKE TWO AND A HALF HOURS WITH NO INSTRUMENT PANEL ,NO MPH GAUGE, RPM AMOUNT OF GAS IN MOTORCYCLE OR IF MY BLINKERS WORKING PROPERLY.
NHTSA complaint #11338673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 8,237 milesLincoln, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MY SPEEDOMETER GAUGE (ALL GAUGES) HAS GOTTEN WET FROM RAIN AND ALL OF MY INSTRUMENTATION HAS QUIT WORKING. I HAVE NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO SPEEDOMETER, FUEL, BATTERY, NOTHING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SPEED I AM TRAVELLING AT OR IF THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE PROBLEM WITH MY MOTORCYCLE'S ABS, ENGINE, ETC.
NHTSA complaint #11207079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 25 milesHesperia, MI
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I WAS RIDING HOME FROM WORK AND GOT STUCK IN A RAIN STORM AND MY TACH SPEEDO AND FUEL AND AMP GAUGES ALL QUIT WORKING I HAVE CHECKED FUSES AND ARE ALL GOOD I TALKED TO THE HARLEY DEALER AND THEY SAD IT NEEDS A NEW SPEEDO AND TACHOMETER CLUSTER THEY SAY WHEN IT GETS WET IT WILL SHORT OUT. SO I FEEL THAT IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND THERE SHOULD B A RECALL ON THEM. MY BIKE ONLY HAS LITTLE OVER 4000 MILES ON IT AND THEY WON'T COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY I FEEL IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT ANY OF THE GAUGES WORKING AND I HAVE READ THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE AND FEEL IT SHOULD B A RECALL TO HAVE HARLEY MAKE IT RIGHT AND PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO POTENTIAL OTHER PEOPLE AND CAUSING A ACCIDENT OR EVEN DEATH IN WORST CASE PLEASE HELP US MAKE THEM DO THE RIGHT THING HERE AND FIX THIS PROBLEM
NHTSA complaint #11195421 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 25 milesHesperia, MI
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I WAS RIDING HOME FROM WORK AND GOT STUCK IN A RAIN STORM AND MY TACH SPEEDO AND FUEL AND AMP GAUGES ALL QUIT WORKING I HAVE CHECKED FUSES AND ARE ALL GOOD I TALKED TO THE HARLEY DEALER AND THEY SAD IT NEEDS A NEW SPEEDO AND TACHOMETER CLUSTER THEY SAY WHEN IT GETS WET IT WILL SHORT OUT. SO I FEEL THAT IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND THERE SHOULD B A RECALL ON THEM. MY BIKE ONLY HAS LITTLE OVER 4000 MILES ON IT AND THEY WON'T COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY I FEEL IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT ANY OF THE GAUGES WORKING AND I HAVE READ THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE AND FEEL IT SHOULD B A RECALL TO HAVE HARLEY MAKE IT RIGHT AND PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO POTENTIAL OTHER PEOPLE AND CAUSING A ACCIDENT OR EVEN DEATH IN WORST CASE PLEASE HELP US MAKE THEM DO THE RIGHT THING HERE AND FIX THIS PROBLEM
NHTSA complaint #11195421 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 25 milesHesperia, MI
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I WAS RIDING HOME FROM WORK AND GOT STUCK IN A RAIN STORM AND MY TACH SPEEDO AND FUEL AND AMP GAUGES ALL QUIT WORKING I HAVE CHECKED FUSES AND ARE ALL GOOD I TALKED TO THE HARLEY DEALER AND THEY SAD IT NEEDS A NEW SPEEDO AND TACHOMETER CLUSTER THEY SAY WHEN IT GETS WET IT WILL SHORT OUT. SO I FEEL THAT IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND THERE SHOULD B A RECALL ON THEM. MY BIKE ONLY HAS LITTLE OVER 4000 MILES ON IT AND THEY WON'T COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY I FEEL IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT ANY OF THE GAUGES WORKING AND I HAVE READ THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE AND FEEL IT SHOULD B A RECALL TO HAVE HARLEY MAKE IT RIGHT AND PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO POTENTIAL OTHER PEOPLE AND CAUSING A ACCIDENT OR EVEN DEATH IN WORST CASE PLEASE HELP US MAKE THEM DO THE RIGHT THING HERE AND FIX THIS PROBLEM
NHTSA complaint #11195421 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 8,000 milesCharlton, MA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
AFTER MOTORCYCLE GETTING WET RIDING IN THE RAIN I LOST ALL POWER TO MY SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER DO TO MOISTURE GETTING INSIDE
NHTSA complaint #11129757 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 10,000 milesHenefer, UT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
GAUGE CLUSTER QUIT WORKING!! WAS GETTING READY TO TAKE A COUPLE DAY RIDE AND THE SPEED, TACH, FUEL, AND BATTERY GAUGE ALL QUIT WORKING!!! NO WAY TO TELL HOW MUCH FUEL OR HOW FAST I WAS GOING. I WAS JUST PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED.
NHTSA complaint #11104319 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 6,000 milesLisle, ILCrash1 injured
POWER TRAIN
COMPLETE FAILURE OF HYDRAULIC CLUTCH. RECALL FOR CLUTCH PROBLEM WAS PERFORMED IN AUGUST OF 2017. ON FEBRUARY 24TH 2018, MOTORCYCLE WAS STARTED IN MY GARAGE AND UPON SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR, THE MOTORCYCLE LUNGES FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE MOTORCYCLE, PERSONNEL BELONGINGS AND BODILY INJURY.
NHTSA complaint #11084898 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 1,200 milesBrooklyn, NY
STEERING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 ROAD GLIDE SPECIAL (NA). WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HARLEY-DAVIDSON OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200.
NHTSA complaint #10993917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 9 milesMarshfield, MA
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
THE GAS CAP IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE AND PUT BACK ON. THIS LEAVES OWNERS/OPERATORS WITH THE DECISION TO LEAVE IT OFF OR VERY LOOSE IF POSSIBLE. OR, IN SOME CASES STUFF SOMETHING ELSE IN THE FILLER INSTEAD OF THE FACTORY STOCK GAS CAP IN ORDER TO EASILY REFUEL. IT SEEMS LIKE A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS WELL AS VERY INCONVENIENT. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY ONE MONTH OLD. PURCHASED 8/24/2016
NHTSA complaint #10909508 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 6,400 milesQuincy, WA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I RODE HOME FOR 3 HOURS IN A DRIVING RAIN STORM AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I LOST ALL GAUGES AND INDICATION AS WELL AS THE CRUISE CONTROL. THIS INCLUDES SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS, FUEL GAUGE, VOLTMETER & ODOMETER. ALL FUSES CHECKED OUT FINE. I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON TWO FORUMS I BELONG TO. I FOUND THREE MORE PEOPLE ON THE ROADGLIDE.ORG FORUM AND ONE SO FAR ON THE HDFORUMS.COM THAT REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE WHEN EITHER RIDING IN THE RAIN OR WASHING THE MOTORCYCLE. ALL OF THEM WERE REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE SPEEDOMETER/TACHOMETER CLUSTER. I CURRENTLY HAVE MY MOTORCYCLE IN THE SHOP FOR A NEW SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER AS WELL. I CALLED HARLEY DAVIDSON CUSTOMER SERVICE TO COMPLAIN AND TO ASK IF THEY WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF A POORLY SEALED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THEY WERE NO HELP. MY CONCERN IS THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO LOSE MY SPEEDOMETER AND ALL OTHER GAUGES AND INDICATION WHEN RIDING IN A STORM. DANGEROUS TO NOT KNOW YOUR SPEED ON WET ROADS. I CAN INCLUDE MY WARRANTY REPAIR ORDER WHEN I GET THE BIKE BACK IF YOU WANT IT.
NHTSA complaint #10888014 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.