U.S. public vehicle records

Harley-Davidson ROAD KING problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

33 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

15,279 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1997 to 2004 model years. Data updated: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 14 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 33 complaints (12.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	5	15.2%
Engine operation	3	9.1%
Fuel system concerns	2	6.1%
Transmission and shifting	1	3.0%
Steering behavior	1	3.0%

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.

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Suspension:Rear

Electrical System

Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers

Equipment

Power Train

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	4
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	3
Suspension:Rear	3
Electrical System	2
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers	2
Equipment	2
Power Train	2
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	2

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 4; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 3; Suspension:Rear: 3; Electrical System: 2; Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers: 2; Equipment: 2; Power Train: 2; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 10; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 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 (10). 19 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.

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2012

2014

2001: 4; 2002: 5; 2003: 1; 2004: 9; 2005: 6; 2006: 2; 2007: 1; 2008: 3; 2012: 1; 2014: 1

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 3 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns 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 893277 · 2001-08-02 (August 2, 2001)

BRAKE LIGHTS STICK ON OR FLICKER WHEN GOING DOWN HIGHWAY. ALSO, MASTER CYLINDER WAS WEAK . CONSUMER ORDERED KIT. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND DEALER STATED NOTHING THEY COULD DO.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 893277 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 8003653 · 2002-02-06 (February 6, 2002)

VIBRATION WOULD BE FELT WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, INFORMED CONSUMER THAT REAR BRAKE CALIPERS WERE RUBBING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 8003653 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003646 · 2003-01-13 (January 13, 2003)

WHEN VEHICLE GOES ON ALONG SUSTAINED RUN, 200-300 MILES AND COME OFF FREEWAY IT WILL STALL EVERY TIME COMING TO A STOP. VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY TWO DEALES. FUEL FILTER WAS CHANGED, INJECTION PORTS CLEANED, BUT PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10003646 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10644788 · 2014-10-15 (October 15, 2014)

BIKE CUTS OUT AND DIES WHILE DRIVING CAUSING POTENTIAL SERIOUS INJURY TO RIDER OR EVEN DEATH: THIS HAS BEEN AND IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH HARLEYS FROM 199 TO 2001 CRUISER MODELS AND NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON AS A RECALL ON ALL BIKE WITH THAT SYSTEM. SEE DISCUSSION BELOW: MINE CUT OUT AND I WAS ALMOST THROWN FROM THE BIKE INTO TRAFFIC AS IT SHUT DOWN AND LOCKED UP THE TIRES CLASSIC, THANKS FOR THE VERY THOUGHTFUL ANALYSIS. I STARTED THIS THREAD TO TRY TO OUT IF THERE IS A LARGE POPULATION OF 1999-2001 MM EFI OWNERS THAT A…

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10644788 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10225216 · 2008-04-21 (April 21, 2008)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE SEAL FRACTURED IN THE QUICK DISC, WHICH CONNECTS THE FUEL LINE FROM THE GAS TANK TO THE FUEL INJECTOR MANIFOLD. THE FAILURE CAUSED FUEL TO SPRAY OVER EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THE CONTACT'S PANTS LEG, EXHAUST, AND ENGINE BLOCK. HE TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS NOT YET INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 18,200. UPDATED 05/19/08. *LJ THE TANK TO THE INJECTION MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. UPDATED 05/19/08.

Owner-reported narrative. 18,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10225216 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10134022 · 2005-08-24 (August 24, 2005)

DT: THE CALLER HAD WARRANTY WORK DONE ON GAS TANK LINE AND THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS OF THE SAME DESIGN ONLY SHORTER. THE CALLER SAID THE LINE FROM THE GAS PUMP WAS RUBBING ON TANK AND CAUSING A HOLE IN THE LINE INSIDE THE TANK. DEALER SAID THE REPLACEMENT PART WILL FAIL. THE CALLER DID NOT HAVE A PROBLEM YET WITH REPLACEMENT PART. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 13,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10134022 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10198293 · 2007-08-02 (August 2, 2007)

HARLEY DAVIDSON ROADKING 2004 PURCHASED NEW. GEAR SHIFTER WENT "FLACID" AND I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. THIS HAPPENED ONCE IN 2004; TWICE IN 2005; TWICE IN 2006; AND ONCE LAST WEEK IN 2007. EACH TIME THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS TIGHTENED BY THE AMERICAN HARLEY DEALER HERE IN WESTERN NEW YORK; AND ONE TIME IN 2006 HARLEY REPLACED THE GEAR SHIFTER. ON SUCH A NEW BIKE, IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM CONTINUES TO REOCCUR. I COULD BE THROWN OVER THE HANDLEBARS TO MY DEATH IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURS AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THIS BIKE IS ONL…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10198293 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10086292 · 2004-08-09 (August 9, 2004)

PASSING A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER A ABOUT 70MPH FRONT END STEERING ON NEW 04 ELECTRAGLIDE CLASSIC BEGAN A WOBBLING OF THE FRONT TIRE. IT WAS EXTREMELY NOTICABLE AND NEARLY CAUSED THE BIKE TO GO INTO THE TRACTOR TRAILER. IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM I REDUCED MY SPEED W/O APPLYING BRAKES TO ABOUT 40MPH AND THE WOBBLING FINALLY STOPPED. *AK *TC

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10086292 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

From yearThrough year

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

1997

1998

1999

2001

2002

2003

2004

1997: 0; 1998: 0; 1999: 0; 2001: 0; 2002: 0; 2003: 0; 2004: 1

First model yearSecond model year

Year-by-year records

Harley-Davidson ROAD KING model-year comparison
Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Change in recalls
1997	1	0	Not available
1998	3	0	0
1999	4	0	0
2001	8	0	Not available
2002	6	0	0
2003	1	0	0
2004	10	1	+1

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

33 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.

42.4%Usable mileage14 / 33 records

93.9%Valid incident date31 / 33 records

100.0%Valid filing date33 / 33 records

93.9%Ordered incident and filing dates31 / 33 records

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.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	1997	1998	1999	2001	2002	2003	2004
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	1100.0% ODI 889414 CONSUMER'S 2000 MOTORCYCLE HAS A TICKING NOISE, AND WON'T START. ON HIGHWAY ENGINE LOCKED UP. AK WHILE ON HIGHWAY ENGINE STARTED MAKING A NOISE , ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE STOPPED AND THE BACK WHEEL SKIDDED, CONSUMER IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CLUTCH WHICH FREED THE BACK WHEEL FROM SKIDDING AND PULLED INTO THE BREAK DOWN LANE, CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER ABOUT DEFECRIVE CAM BEARING, BUT THEY WOULD NOT FIX UNTIL THEY FAILED.JB *JB Look up ODI 889414 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	125.0% ODI 10170716 · 27,000 mi CAM BEARINGS FAILED IN A 1999 ROADKING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 5YR/50,000MILES BUT ONLY IF THE ENGINE FAILED COMPLETELY. I HAVE 27,000 MILES CURRENTLY WITH A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS PROBLEM IS A MILEAGE OCCURRENCE NOT A TIME FACTOR SITUATION. THE MOTOR COMPANY HAS REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT STATING IT WAS PAST THE YEARS OF SERVICE. HOW MANY ENGINES HAVE TO FAIL OR WRECKS HAVE TO OCCUR BEFORE THERE IS A TOTAL RECALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE COMPANY IS TREATING IT SOLELY ON A MONEY FACTOR. *NM Look up ODI 10170716 at NHTSA ↗	225.0% ODI 564146 IGNITION LOCK BROKE, LEFT SADDLEBAG WOULD NOT LOCK DUE TO THE LOCK BEING JAMMED AND THE LID WOULD NOT SEAL, THE RIGHT SADDLEBAG STRIKE PLATE CAME OFF, THE REAR ROCKER COVER WAS PITTED, DEALER REPLACED, WHILE DRIVING THE DIGITAL OIL DIPSTICK BLEW OUT, DEALER REPLACED. *SLC Look up ODI 564146 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	133.3% ODI 893277 BRAKE LIGHTS STICK ON OR FLICKER WHEN GOING DOWN HIGHWAY. ALSO, MASTER CYLINDER WAS WEAK . CONSUMER ORDERED KIT. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND DEALER STATED NOTHING THEY COULD DO.*AK Look up ODI 893277 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	112.5% ODI 10003646 WHEN VEHICLE GOES ON ALONG SUSTAINED RUN, 200-300 MILES AND COME OFF FREEWAY IT WILL STALL EVERY TIME COMING TO A STOP. VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY TWO DEALES. FUEL FILTER WAS CHANGED, INJECTION PORTS CLEANED, BUT PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED. *AK Look up ODI 10003646 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	110.0% ODI 10074196 THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FRONT ROTORS AND PADS . HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB Look up ODI 10074196 at NHTSA ↗
Suspension:Rear	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	133.3% ODI 766833 THE REAR CAM BEARING ON MY 1999 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROADKING HAS FAILED. THE MANUFACTURE IS ENTIRELY AWARE OF THE DESIGN DEFECT. I FAIL TO SEE THE LOGIC ON HOW MY VEHICLE MUST DAMAGE OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS BEFORE HARLEY DAVIDSON BACKS UP THEIR OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED ON 8-1-02 THAT I'M NOW HEARING A NOISE NEAR REAR CAM BEARING AREA. I ASKED TO HAVE MY HARLEY REPAIRED "HARLEY DAVIDSON FAILED TO DO SO". I FEEL H-D SHOULD REPLACE THE CAM BEARING PRIOR TO FAILURE. I TRIED TO CONTACT H-D MOTOR COMPANY AND GOT NOWHERE. I GUESS WHE… Look up ODI 766833 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	112.5% ODI 8003653 VIBRATION WOULD BE FELT WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, INFORMED CONSUMER THAT REAR BRAKE CALIPERS WERE RUBBING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK Look up ODI 8003653 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	110.0% ODI 10091250 · 50 mi I HAVE REPORTED THIS BEFORE BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM YOU... CAN YOU PLEASE HELP? POOR HANDLING MOTORCYCLE, 2004 HARLEY DAVIDSON, FLHTCI - MOTORCYCLE TENDED TO WANT TO "PULL" TO THE LEFT, ESPECIALLY WHEN DECELERATING - SEVERAL VISITS TO THE DEALER FOR "ALIGNMENTS" OF THE ENGINE/FRAME/DRIVETRAIN - PROBLEM MINIMIZED BUT NOT ELIMINATED. - "HIGH SPEED WOBBLES" OCCURRED REGULARLY AND WITHOUT NOTICE WHICH I HANDLED BECUASE I AM AN EXPERIENCED RIDER AND VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SURVIVE. - REMOVAL OF TIRE TO REPAIR PUNCTURE AND CH… Look up ODI 10091250 at NHTSA ↗
Electrical System	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	112.5% ODI 10644788 · 30,000 mi BIKE CUTS OUT AND DIES WHILE DRIVING CAUSING POTENTIAL SERIOUS INJURY TO RIDER OR EVEN DEATH: THIS HAS BEEN AND IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH HARLEYS FROM 199 TO 2001 CRUISER MODELS AND NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON AS A RECALL ON ALL BIKE WITH THAT SYSTEM. SEE DISCUSSION BELOW: MINE CUT OUT AND I WAS ALMOST THROWN FROM THE BIKE INTO TRAFFIC AS IT SHUT DOWN AND LOCKED UP THE TIRES CLASSIC, THANKS FOR THE VERY THOUGHTFUL ANALYSIS. I STARTED THIS THREAD TO TRY TO OUT IF THERE IS A LARGE POPULATION OF 1999-2001 MM EFI OWNERS THAT A… Look up ODI 10644788 at NHTSA ↗	116.7% ODI 10080516 · 17,458 mi MY 2002 ROAD KING FLHRI INTERMITTENTLY LOOSES ALL POWER WHILE IN USE JUST AS DESCRIBED IN 04V-134. THERE IS NO WARNING AND NO APPARENT CAUSE AND THERE MAY BE HUNDREDS OF MILE BETWEEN OCCURRENCES OR MINUTES. I REPORTED THIS DURING MY LAST MAINTENANCE VISIT AND IT HAS OCCURRED TWICE SINCE. THIS MODEL WAS NOT LISTED IN THE RECALL.*AK Look up ODI 10080516 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	133.3% ODI 8002802 WHILE DRIVING MOTORCYCLE KEEPS BLOWING A 15 AMP FUSE, IT CAUSES LOSS OF RUNNING LIGHTS/ TAIL LIGHT/ HEADLIGHTS, AND PASSING LIGHTS. DEALER NOTIFIED AND WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK Look up ODI 8002802 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	116.7% ODI 10129245 DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING. HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE LAST YEAR . HE LOCATED THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY TOLD HIM THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY PARTS AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME, AND DID NOT ANTICIPATE OF GETTING ANY PARTS. IT HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR AND HE HAS NEVER BEEN CONTACTING BY THEM, NOTIFYING HIM OF FIXING THE MOTORCYCLE. AT THE TIME HE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE RECALL NOTICE SAID IT WAS A CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE SERVICE CODE WAS 0113. THERE WAS NOT A CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER ON THE NOTICE THAT HE RECEIVED. LATER… Look up ODI 10129245 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Equipment	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	225.0% ODI 10161862 THE SHIFTER CONTROL ARM AND SHAFT HAS COME OFF MY HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING TWICE WITH ONLY 12,000 MILES. APPARENTLY HARLEY HAS USED A BOLT THAT DOES NOT GO COMPLETELY THRU TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. I HAD TO ASK FOR A LONGER BOLT WHEN I HAD TO PURCHASE THE NEW SHAFT AND SHIFTER ARM. I KNOW ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHILE RIDING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WAS STRANDED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *JB Look up ODI 10161862 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Power Train	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	125.0% ODI 897393 SPEEDOMETER FAILURE CAUSES AUTOMATIC TURN SIGNALS NOT TO DISENGAGE AFTER TURNS HAVE BEEN MADE. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, DEALER OFFERED CONSUMER A GOODWILL REPLACEMENT AT A REDUCED PRICE. AK TT Look up ODI 897393 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	110.0% ODI 10198293 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROADKING 2004 PURCHASED NEW. GEAR SHIFTER WENT "FLACID" AND I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. THIS HAPPENED ONCE IN 2004; TWICE IN 2005; TWICE IN 2006; AND ONCE LAST WEEK IN 2007. EACH TIME THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS TIGHTENED BY THE AMERICAN HARLEY DEALER HERE IN WESTERN NEW YORK; AND ONE TIME IN 2006 HARLEY REPLACED THE GEAR SHIFTER. ON SUCH A NEW BIKE, IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM CONTINUES TO REOCCUR. I COULD BE THROWN OVER THE HANDLEBARS TO MY DEATH IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURS AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THIS BIKE IS ONL… Look up ODI 10198293 at NHTSA ↗
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	112.5% ODI 8018818 WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ON FLAT SURFACE AND WITH NO WARNING OIL IS LEAKING ONTO BRAKES, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO SLIP, AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR CONSUMER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED Look up ODI 8018818 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	110.0% ODI 10087113 · 5,000 mi WHEN BRAKING THERE WOULD BE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE, WHICH COULD CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK Look up ODI 10087113 at NHTSA ↗

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 failure mileage distribution
Component	Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)	Median	Usable records	Examples
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	Too few reports for a range	27,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10170716 · 27,000 mi CAM BEARINGS FAILED IN A 1999 ROADKING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 5YR/50,000MILES BUT ONLY IF THE ENGINE FAILED COMPLETELY. I HAVE 27,000 MILES CURRENTLY WITH A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS PROBLEM IS A MILEAGE OCCURRENCE NOT A TIME FACTOR SITUATION. THE MOTOR COMPANY HAS REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT STATING IT WAS PAST THE YEARS OF SERVICE. HOW MANY ENGINES HAVE TO FAIL OR WRECKS HAVE TO OCCUR BEFORE THERE IS A TOTAL RECALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE COMPANY IS TREATING IT SOLELY ON A MONEY FACTOR. *NM Look up ODI 10170716 at NHTSA ↗
Suspension:Rear	Too few reports for a range	50 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10091250 · 50 mi I HAVE REPORTED THIS BEFORE BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM YOU... CAN YOU PLEASE HELP? POOR HANDLING MOTORCYCLE, 2004 HARLEY DAVIDSON, FLHTCI - MOTORCYCLE TENDED TO WANT TO "PULL" TO THE LEFT, ESPECIALLY WHEN DECELERATING - SEVERAL VISITS TO THE DEALER FOR "ALIGNMENTS" OF THE ENGINE/FRAME/DRIVETRAIN - PROBLEM MINIMIZED BUT NOT ELIMINATED. - "HIGH SPEED WOBBLES" OCCURRED REGULARLY AND WITHOUT NOTICE WHICH I HANDLED BECUASE I AM AN EXPERIENCED RIDER AND VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SURVIVE. - REMOVAL OF TIRE TO REPAIR PUNCTURE AND CH… Look up ODI 10091250 at NHTSA ↗
Electrical System	Too few reports for a range	23,729 mi	2 (sparse)	ODI 10644788 · 30,000 mi BIKE CUTS OUT AND DIES WHILE DRIVING CAUSING POTENTIAL SERIOUS INJURY TO RIDER OR EVEN DEATH: THIS HAS BEEN AND IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH HARLEYS FROM 199 TO 2001 CRUISER MODELS AND NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED BY HARLEY DAVIDSON AS A RECALL ON ALL BIKE WITH THAT SYSTEM. SEE DISCUSSION BELOW: MINE CUT OUT AND I WAS ALMOST THROWN FROM THE BIKE INTO TRAFFIC AS IT SHUT DOWN AND LOCKED UP THE TIRES CLASSIC, THANKS FOR THE VERY THOUGHTFUL ANALYSIS. I STARTED THIS THREAD TO TRY TO OUT IF THERE IS A LARGE POPULATION OF 1999-2001 MM EFI OWNERS THAT A… Look up ODI 10644788 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 10080516 · 17,458 mi MY 2002 ROAD KING FLHRI INTERMITTENTLY LOOSES ALL POWER WHILE IN USE JUST AS DESCRIBED IN 04V-134. THERE IS NO WARNING AND NO APPARENT CAUSE AND THERE MAY BE HUNDREDS OF MILE BETWEEN OCCURRENCES OR MINUTES. I REPORTED THIS DURING MY LAST MAINTENANCE VISIT AND IT HAS OCCURRED TWICE SINCE. THIS MODEL WAS NOT LISTED IN THE RECALL.*AK Look up ODI 10080516 at NHTSA ↗
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	Too few reports for a range	5,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10087113 · 5,000 mi WHEN BRAKING THERE WOULD BE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE, WHICH COULD CAUSE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK Look up ODI 10087113 at NHTSA ↗

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

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

Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)	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.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

2003: 1 complaints · 2004: 9 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
2003	1	1	1
2004	7	9	9

Date coverage across each selected cohort

Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year	Incident dates used	Filing date fallbacks	Excluded dates
2003	1	0	0
2004	9	1	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 co-occurrence matrix
Component	Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	Suspension:Rear	Electrical System	Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers	Equipment	Power Train	Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	—	0	0	0	0	1 ODI 564146 IGNITION LOCK BROKE, LEFT SADDLEBAG WOULD NOT LOCK DUE TO THE LOCK BEING JAMMED AND THE LID WOULD NOT SEAL, THE RIGHT SADDLEBAG STRIKE PLATE CAME OFF, THE REAR ROCKER COVER WAS PITTED, DEALER REPLACED, WHILE DRIVING THE DIGITAL OIL DIPSTICK BLEW OUT, DEALER REPLACED. *SLC Look up ODI 564146 at NHTSA ↗	0	1 ODI 8018818 WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ON FLAT SURFACE AND WITH NO WARNING OIL IS LEAKING ONTO BRAKES, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO SLIP, AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR CONSUMER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED Look up ODI 8018818 at NHTSA ↗
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	0	—	0	0	0	0	0	0
Suspension:Rear	0	0	—	0	0	0	0	0
Electrical System	0	0	0	—	0	0	0	0
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers	0	0	0	0	—	0	0	0
Equipment	1 ODI 564146 IGNITION LOCK BROKE, LEFT SADDLEBAG WOULD NOT LOCK DUE TO THE LOCK BEING JAMMED AND THE LID WOULD NOT SEAL, THE RIGHT SADDLEBAG STRIKE PLATE CAME OFF, THE REAR ROCKER COVER WAS PITTED, DEALER REPLACED, WHILE DRIVING THE DIGITAL OIL DIPSTICK BLEW OUT, DEALER REPLACED. *SLC Look up ODI 564146 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	0	—	0	0
Power Train	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	0
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	1 ODI 8018818 WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ON FLAT SURFACE AND WITH NO WARNING OIL IS LEAKING ONTO BRAKES, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO SLIP, AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR CONSUMER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED Look up ODI 8018818 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	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.

Search patterns

2 patterns with matching reports.

Stalling or loss of power

4 mentions · 12.1% of complaints

Median mileage: 26,244 mi (2 usable records).

ODI 10003646

Look up ODI 10003646 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 10644788 · 30,000 mi

Look up ODI 10644788 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 10137781 · 22,488 mi

ROAD KING BROKE DOWN AFTER ALL 5 BOLTS CONNECTING THE SPROCKET TO THE REAR HUB FAILED.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE MALFUNCTION RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WHICH NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION. *JB

Look up ODI 10137781 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b

Battery drain and no-start mentions

1 mentions · 3.0% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 889414

CONSUMER'S 2000 MOTORCYCLE HAS A TICKING NOISE, AND WON'T START. ON HIGHWAY ENGINE LOCKED UP. *AK WHILE ON HIGHWAY ENGINE STARTED MAKING A NOISE , ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE STOPPED AND THE BACK WHEEL SKIDDED, CONSUMER IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CLUTCH WHICH FREED THE BACK WHEEL FROM SKIDDING AND PULLED INTO THE BREAK DOWN LANE, CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER ABOUT DEFECRIVE CAM BEARING, BUT THEY WOULD NOT FIX UNTIL THEY FAILED.*JB *JB

Look up ODI 889414 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule