Harley-Davidson FLHRS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
3 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
10,052 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 to 2007 model years. Data updated: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 3 complaints (33.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 33.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 1 |
| Power Train | 1 |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | 1 |
| Wheels:Rim | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System: 1; Power Train: 1; Power Train:Manual Transmission: 1; Wheels:Rim: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 2 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (2). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
2006: 1; 2007: 1; 2013: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10171298 · 2006-10-19 (October 19, 2006)
NEW 2007 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE RUNS SO HOT THAT AT NIGHT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD GLOWS CHERRY RED. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. TRANSMISSION CLATTERS AND WHINES. DEALER REFUSES TO ADDRESS EITHER CONCERN. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10171298 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 |
2003: 1; 2007: 0
Year-by-year records
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
3 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2003 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 10171298 · 1,000 miNEW 2007 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE RUNS SO HOT THAT AT NIGHT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD GLOWS CHERRY RED. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. TRANSMISSION CLATTERS AND WHINES. DEALER REFUSES TO ADDRESS EITHER CONCERN. *NM |
| Power Train | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 10515056 · 19,104 miDURING THE THREE PREVIOUS TRIPS TO WORK ON MY BIKE I HAD THE SHIFTER COME LOOSE. APPARENTLY INSIDE THE TRANS ITSELF, BECAUSE ON THIS TRIP MY SHIFTER DROPPED TO THE FLOOR BOARD AND I HAD TO LIFT IT UP WITH MY TOE TO DOWNSHIFT. THEN LEAVING A STOPLIGHT AS I REACHED THIRD GEAR THE BIKE SUDDENLY MADE SEVERAL LOUD BANGS, I SHUT IT OFF ROLLED TO A STOP AS IT STILL BANGED AND POPPED AS IF I THREW A ROD OR HAD ROCKS IN MY TRANNY. WHILE AT A FULL STOP I SWITCHED THE BIKE TO NEUTRAL STARTED IT AND IT RAN FINE SHUT IT OFF AND TRIED TO ROLL THE BIKE IT CLU… |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 10171298 · 1,000 miNEW 2007 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE RUNS SO HOT THAT AT NIGHT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD GLOWS CHERRY RED. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. TRANSMISSION CLATTERS AND WHINES. DEALER REFUSES TO ADDRESS EITHER CONCERN. *NM |
| Wheels:Rim | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 10187041I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2007 HARLEY DAVIDSON FATBOY. FORMERLY HD HAD BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SOLID FRONT AND REAR WHEELS ON THEM. IT SEEMS THAT THEY CATCH A LOT OF WIND WHICH CAN PUSH OR PULL THE BIKE SIDE TO SIDE. IN 2007 THEY PUT HOLES IN THEM TO LET WIND THROUGH, IT DIDN'T WORK. WHEN YOU GET ON THE INTERSTATE, IT'S AN ALL AROUND BATTLE JUST TO STAY ON THE ROAD. WHEN YOU PASS A TRACTOR TRAILER IT'S ALL YOU CAN DO TO HOLD THE BIKE IN THE ROAD. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *JB |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | Too few reports for a range | 1,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10171298 · 1,000 miNEW 2007 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE RUNS SO HOT THAT AT NIGHT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD GLOWS CHERRY RED. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. TRANSMISSION CLATTERS AND WHINES. DEALER REFUSES TO ADDRESS EITHER CONCERN. *NM |
| Power Train | Too few reports for a range | 19,104 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10515056 · 19,104 miDURING THE THREE PREVIOUS TRIPS TO WORK ON MY BIKE I HAD THE SHIFTER COME LOOSE. APPARENTLY INSIDE THE TRANS ITSELF, BECAUSE ON THIS TRIP MY SHIFTER DROPPED TO THE FLOOR BOARD AND I HAD TO LIFT IT UP WITH MY TOE TO DOWNSHIFT. THEN LEAVING A STOPLIGHT AS I REACHED THIRD GEAR THE BIKE SUDDENLY MADE SEVERAL LOUD BANGS, I SHUT IT OFF ROLLED TO A STOP AS IT STILL BANGED AND POPPED AS IF I THREW A ROD OR HAD ROCKS IN MY TRANNY. WHILE AT A FULL STOP I SWITCHED THE BIKE TO NEUTRAL STARTED IT AND IT RAN FINE SHUT IT OFF AND TRIED TO ROLL THE BIKE IT CLU… |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | Too few reports for a range | 1,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10171298 · 1,000 miNEW 2007 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE RUNS SO HOT THAT AT NIGHT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD GLOWS CHERRY RED. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. TRANSMISSION CLATTERS AND WHINES. DEALER REFUSES TO ADDRESS EITHER CONCERN. *NM |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2003: 0 complaints · 2007: 1 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | Power Train | Power Train:Manual Transmission | Wheels:Rim |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | — | 0 | 1ODI 10171298 · 1,000 miNEW 2007 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE RUNS SO HOT THAT AT NIGHT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD GLOWS CHERRY RED. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. TRANSMISSION CLATTERS AND WHINES. DEALER REFUSES TO ADDRESS EITHER CONCERN. *NM | 0 |
| Power Train | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | 1ODI 10171298 · 1,000 miNEW 2007 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE RUNS SO HOT THAT AT NIGHT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD GLOWS CHERRY RED. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. TRANSMISSION CLATTERS AND WHINES. DEALER REFUSES TO ADDRESS EITHER CONCERN. *NM | 0 | — | 0 |
| Wheels:Rim | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.