Harley-Davidson FXS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
8 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
1,282 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1979 to 2012 model years. Data updated: . 8 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
Exterior Lighting is the most frequently named component, appearing in 8 of 8 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 3 | 37.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 25.0% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 8 |
| Electrical System | 2 |
| Service Brakes | 1 |
Exterior Lighting: 8; Electrical System: 2; Service Brakes: 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 | 8 |
| 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: 8; 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 (8). 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 |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 3 |
2011: 2; 2012: 3; 2013: 3
Pattern summary
Exterior Lighting leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues 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 10445606 · 2012-01-27 (January 27, 2012)
THE LEFT SIDE 1157-TYPE BRAKE/TAIL/TURN-SIGNAL BULB FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 400 MILES. WITHIN THE NEXT 1000 MILES THE ORIGINAL RIGHT-SIDE BULB FAILED, AND 2 SYLVANIA "LONG LIFE" REPLACEMENT BULBS HAVE ALSO FAILED. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10445606 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10534081 · 2013-08-07 (August 7, 2013)
REAR RIGHT RUNNING LIGHT FAILED, TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE SIGNAL STILL FUNCTION. RUNNING SIGNAL COMES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY IN A RANDOM PATTERN. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY LOOSE CONNECTION, ABRASION, KINK, CRIMP OR OTHER VISUAL DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRE GOING TO THE LIGHT. BIKE HAS REDUCED ROAD AND NIGHT TIME VISIBILITY DUE TO PROBLEM. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 7,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10534081 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10470841 · 2012-08-15 (August 15, 2012)
AFTER ONLY 700 MILES, MY TAIL LIGHTS BURNT OUT AND CONTINUE TO DO SO EVERY 50 MILES OR SO. HARLEY DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED MANY TIMES BY MYSELF AND OTHER RIDERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR WRITE A RECALL FOR THE WIRING HARNESS OR SOCKETS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET REAR ENDED WHILE RIDING AT NIGHT? *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10470841 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 |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
2011: 0; 2012: 0
Year-by-year records
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
8 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 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 5100.0%ODI 10436114 · 250 miTHE LEFT SIDE TAIL/ RUNNING LIGHT ON MY 2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FXS BLACKLINE HAS GONE OUT NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THE BIKE ON 12 SEPT 2011. 1ST TRIP BACK TO DEALER ABOUT PROBLEM, WAS TOLD BAD BATCH OF BULBS...BUT I HAVE TRIED NON-HD BULBS (1157 BULBS AS DIRECT BY DEALERSHIP) AND PROBLEM PERSISTS. NEED SOMETHING DONE SOON. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND IT NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED. *TR | 3100.0%ODI 10434993 · 250 miTHE RUNNING LIGHTS DIE. IN 2000 MILES I HAVE HAD 4 LIGHTS REPLACED. AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT AND WORSE AT NIGHT I CAN SUDDENLY NOT HAVE A RUNNING LIGHT. CARS MAY HIT ME IF THEY DON'T SEE ME. *TR |
| Electrical System | 120.0%ODI 10470841 · 11,000 miAFTER ONLY 700 MILES, MY TAIL LIGHTS BURNT OUT AND CONTINUE TO DO SO EVERY 50 MILES OR SO. HARLEY DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED MANY TIMES BY MYSELF AND OTHER RIDERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR WRITE A RECALL FOR THE WIRING HARNESS OR SOCKETS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET REAR ENDED WHILE RIDING AT NIGHT? *TR | 133.3%ODI 10510899 · 1,214 miWAS DRIVING AND LEFT REAR BRAKE/TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING. *TR |
| Service Brakes | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 10510899 · 1,214 miWAS DRIVING AND LEFT REAR BRAKE/TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING. *TR |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 363–4,044 mi | 1,282 mi | 8 | ODI 10436114 · 250 miTHE LEFT SIDE TAIL/ RUNNING LIGHT ON MY 2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON FXS BLACKLINE HAS GONE OUT NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THE BIKE ON 12 SEPT 2011. 1ST TRIP BACK TO DEALER ABOUT PROBLEM, WAS TOLD BAD BATCH OF BULBS...BUT I HAVE TRIED NON-HD BULBS (1157 BULBS AS DIRECT BY DEALERSHIP) AND PROBLEM PERSISTS. NEED SOMETHING DONE SOON. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND IT NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED. *TR ODI 10445606 · 400 miTHE LEFT SIDE 1157-TYPE BRAKE/TAIL/TURN-SIGNAL BULB FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 400 MILES. WITHIN THE NEXT 1000 MILES THE ORIGINAL RIGHT-SIDE BULB FAILED, AND 2 SYLVANIA "LONG LIFE" REPLACEMENT BULBS HAVE ALSO FAILED. *TR ODI 10451539 · 1,350 miUPON STARTING THE BIKE I NOTICED THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT HAD BURNED OUT. I'VE HEARD FROM ALOT OF PEOPLE THAT THIS IS BECOMING A COMMON OCCURANCE AND FEAR IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR |
| Electrical System | Too few reports for a range | 6,107 mi | 2 (sparse) | ODI 10470841 · 11,000 miAFTER ONLY 700 MILES, MY TAIL LIGHTS BURNT OUT AND CONTINUE TO DO SO EVERY 50 MILES OR SO. HARLEY DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED MANY TIMES BY MYSELF AND OTHER RIDERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR WRITE A RECALL FOR THE WIRING HARNESS OR SOCKETS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET REAR ENDED WHILE RIDING AT NIGHT? *TR ODI 10510899 · 1,214 miWAS DRIVING AND LEFT REAR BRAKE/TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING. *TR |
| Service Brakes | Too few reports for a range | 1,214 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10510899 · 1,214 miWAS DRIVING AND LEFT REAR BRAKE/TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING. *TR |
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.
2011: 5 complaints · 2012: 2 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| 2012 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 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 | Exterior Lighting | Electrical System | Service Brakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | — | 2ODI 10470841 · 11,000 miAFTER ONLY 700 MILES, MY TAIL LIGHTS BURNT OUT AND CONTINUE TO DO SO EVERY 50 MILES OR SO. HARLEY DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED MANY TIMES BY MYSELF AND OTHER RIDERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR WRITE A RECALL FOR THE WIRING HARNESS OR SOCKETS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET REAR ENDED WHILE RIDING AT NIGHT? *TR ODI 10510899 · 1,214 miWAS DRIVING AND LEFT REAR BRAKE/TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING. *TR | 1ODI 10510899 · 1,214 miWAS DRIVING AND LEFT REAR BRAKE/TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING. *TR |
| Electrical System | 2ODI 10470841 · 11,000 miAFTER ONLY 700 MILES, MY TAIL LIGHTS BURNT OUT AND CONTINUE TO DO SO EVERY 50 MILES OR SO. HARLEY DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED MANY TIMES BY MYSELF AND OTHER RIDERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR WRITE A RECALL FOR THE WIRING HARNESS OR SOCKETS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET REAR ENDED WHILE RIDING AT NIGHT? *TR ODI 10510899 · 1,214 miWAS DRIVING AND LEFT REAR BRAKE/TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING. *TR | — | 1ODI 10510899 · 1,214 miWAS DRIVING AND LEFT REAR BRAKE/TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING. *TR |
| Service Brakes | 1ODI 10510899 · 1,214 miWAS DRIVING AND LEFT REAR BRAKE/TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING. *TR | 1ODI 10510899 · 1,214 miWAS DRIVING AND LEFT REAR BRAKE/TURN SIGNAL STOPPED WORKING. *TR | — |
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.