Harley-Davidson FLS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
4 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
15,161 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2013 to 2017 model years. Data updated: . 4 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
Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 4 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 2 | 50.0% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 2 |
| Tires | 1 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 |
Service Brakes: 2; Tires: 1; Unknown Or Other: 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 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 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: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 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). 0 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 |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
2016: 1; 2018: 1; 2019: 2
Pattern summary
Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 2 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 11123946 · 2018-09-01 (September 1, 2018)
THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM LOCKED UP AND THE WHOLE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED. ONE YEAR LATER 2017 I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM STURGIS AND I WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM AND CLUTCH. BROUGHT IT TO A DEALERSHIP IN DENVER, CO. WHEN THEY TOOK IT FOR A TEST RIDE, IT WAS BROUGHT BACK IN THE BED OF A TRUCK WITH THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM LOCKED UP AGAIN!
Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11123946 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11186812 · 2019-03-14 (March 14, 2019)
ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY REAR BRAKE HAS LOCKED UP WHILE I WAS RIDING. IT CAUSED THE BIKE TO BOG DOWN AND STOP. THE BIKE WAS THEN UNABLE TO MOVE. THE ROTOR WARPED FROM THE EXTREME HEAT AND THE BRAND NEW BRAKE PADS WERE NON EXISTENT. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE BIKE OUT OF TRAFFIC BUT IT TOOK A LOT OF WORK TO DO IT. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. THE SECOND TIME HAPPENED TO A HARLEY DAVIDSON TECH THAT WAS TEST RIDING MY BIKE FOR A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT REASON. THEY HAD TO BRING MY BIKE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH A TOW TRUCK…
Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11186812 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 |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
2013: 0; 2017: 0
Year-by-year records
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
4 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 | 2013 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 266.7%ODI 11123946 · 50,000 miTHE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM LOCKED UP AND THE WHOLE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED. ONE YEAR LATER 2017 I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM STURGIS AND I WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM AND CLUTCH. BROUGHT IT TO A DEALERSHIP IN DENVER, CO. WHEN THEY TOOK IT FOR A TEST RIDE, IT WAS BROUGHT BACK IN THE BED OF A TRUCK WITH THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM LOCKED UP AGAIN! | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Tires | 133.3%ODI 10836571 · 322 miTHIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN 2 MONTHS. ROUTINE DRIVING THE FIRST TIME. TIRE PUNCTURED BY SMALL SCREW, THIS TIME BY A COPPER SHIPPING STAPLE, JUST PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. NO TIRE AND WHEEL COVERAGE, THAT'S ANOTHER $165 PER MONTH FOR 2 YEARS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THE TUBE GOT PUNCTURED SERVICE DEPT SAYS THE 112 DOLLAR REPAIR IS NOT ENOUGH, THE TIRE IN QUESTION HAS 300 MILES ON IT. TIRE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THE TIRE GOT PUNCTURED. YOU COULDN'T EVEN PUSH A PAPER CLIP THROUGH THE HOLE. TIRE COST $400 - 112 FOR THE TUBE KIT INSTALLED.… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Unknown Or Other | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 11176659 · 200 miMOTORCYCLE RUNS DANGEROUS HOT. I HAVE BURNED MY THIGH ON HEADER EXHAUST. I HAVE CHANGED TO A SYNTHETIC OIL. I HAVE INSTALLED HEAT SHIELDS. MOTORCYCLE IS STILL HOT ESPECIALLY IF AT A STOP. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | Too few reports for a range | 40,000 mi | 2 (sparse) | ODI 11123946 · 50,000 miTHE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM LOCKED UP AND THE WHOLE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED. ONE YEAR LATER 2017 I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM STURGIS AND I WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM AND CLUTCH. BROUGHT IT TO A DEALERSHIP IN DENVER, CO. WHEN THEY TOOK IT FOR A TEST RIDE, IT WAS BROUGHT BACK IN THE BED OF A TRUCK WITH THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM LOCKED UP AGAIN! ODI 11186812 · 30,000 miON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY REAR BRAKE HAS LOCKED UP WHILE I WAS RIDING. IT CAUSED THE BIKE TO BOG DOWN AND STOP. THE BIKE WAS THEN UNABLE TO MOVE. THE ROTOR WARPED FROM THE EXTREME HEAT AND THE BRAND NEW BRAKE PADS WERE NON EXISTENT. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE BIKE OUT OF TRAFFIC BUT IT TOOK A LOT OF WORK TO DO IT. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. THE SECOND TIME HAPPENED TO A HARLEY DAVIDSON TECH THAT WAS TEST RIDING MY BIKE FOR A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT REASON. THEY HAD TO BRING MY BIKE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH A TOW TRUCK… |
| Tires | Too few reports for a range | 322 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10836571 · 322 miTHIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN 2 MONTHS. ROUTINE DRIVING THE FIRST TIME. TIRE PUNCTURED BY SMALL SCREW, THIS TIME BY A COPPER SHIPPING STAPLE, JUST PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. NO TIRE AND WHEEL COVERAGE, THAT'S ANOTHER $165 PER MONTH FOR 2 YEARS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THE TUBE GOT PUNCTURED SERVICE DEPT SAYS THE 112 DOLLAR REPAIR IS NOT ENOUGH, THE TIRE IN QUESTION HAS 300 MILES ON IT. TIRE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THE TIRE GOT PUNCTURED. YOU COULDN'T EVEN PUSH A PAPER CLIP THROUGH THE HOLE. TIRE COST $400 - 112 FOR THE TUBE KIT INSTALLED.… |
| Unknown Or Other | Too few reports for a range | 200 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 11176659 · 200 miMOTORCYCLE RUNS DANGEROUS HOT. I HAVE BURNED MY THIGH ON HEADER EXHAUST. I HAVE CHANGED TO A SYNTHETIC OIL. I HAVE INSTALLED HEAT SHIELDS. MOTORCYCLE IS STILL HOT ESPECIALLY IF AT A STOP. |
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.
2013: 1 complaints · 2017: 1 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
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 | Service Brakes | Tires | Unknown Or Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | — | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 0 | — | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 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.