2018 Harley-Davidson FLTRX: complaints, problems and recalls

WHILE RIDING ON MY 2012 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE MOTORCYCLE IT SUDDENLY DIED. IT DIED BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS NOT BEING CHARGED; THEREFORE MY ELECTRONICS WOULD NOT WORK, INCLUDING THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE VOLTAGE REGULATOR THAT IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO HARLEY. THIS DEFECTIVE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IS PART OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON?S PRODUCT PROGRAM (PRODUCT NOTICE: 0912) AND NOT PART OF A SAFETY RECALL. I DON?T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS ISN?T A SAFETY ISSUE CONSIDERING THE MOTORCYCLE DIES WHILE YOU ARE RIDING ON IT.

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WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, MY CHECK ENGINE AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. I NOTICED MY VOLTAGE METER AT 11 VOLTS. I HAD THE BIKE TOWED TO THE HARLEY DEALER AND THEY REPLACED MY VOLTAGE REGULATOR. THIS WAS A BIG RECALL IN 2012 AND MANY OWNERS OF 2013 ARE REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE. I'M AFRAID ONCE MY WARRANTY RUNS OUT, ILL BE LIABLE FOR REPLACING IT AGAIN. *TR

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I contacted my local dealer Hot Rod Harley Davidson in Muskegon Michigan regarding this recall and and they refuse to fix this open recall, they won’t even reply to multiple service requests

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The contact owns a 2025 Harley-Davidson FLTRX. The contact stated while riding 70 MPH, the motorcycle lost motive power. The check engine warning light and a yellow triangle warning light was illuminated. The motorcycle was ridden to a nearby lot. The contact inspected the motorcycle and checked the fluids. The contact was able to restart the motorcycle and continued riding; however, the failure recurred. The motorcycle was driven to the intended destination. The contact stated that the failure recurred while riding to the dealer the following …

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I WAS TRAVELING DOWN HIGHWAY 101 SOUTH BETWEEN METCALF & BAILEY HERE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA YESTERDAY AFTERNOON (5/30) ON MY HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE 2015 THAT HAS LESS THAN 300 MILES. I WAS IN THE 2ND LANE TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH AND MY BIKE STARTED TO RIDE VERY ROUGH, I WAS LOSING SPEED VERY FAST. I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE 3RD LANE BEFORE THE BIKE COMPLETELY SHUTTING DOWN I DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT TO THE SLOW LANE. THANK GOD ALL THE CARS BEHIND ME WERE PAYING ATTENTION & THERE WERE NO BIG RIGS BECAUSE THE BIKE CAME TO A STOP WITHIN SECONDS AND …

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WHILE TRAVELING AT AN ESTIMATED THIRTY MILES PER HOUR, THE FRONT (ANTI-LOCK) BRAKING SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND LOCKED, CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE'S FRONT WHEEL TO SKID AND CAUSE A LOW SIDE FALL. *TR

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I was riding with my wife on both occasions. The first was March 7, 2020 where the clutch lever started leaking fluid. This was repaired at the dealer. (They couldn’t tell me why it failed on a brand new motorcycle) Fast forward to July 11, 2021 the front brakes have play in them causing the motorcycle to crash and cause major damage to the entire motorcycle when going into a turn. This motorcycle as described by the dealership has a factory installed RDRS system which is supposed to take control over the motorcycle when slippage in the tire ha…

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This bike was bought as new and has been a problem since it was new. This bike comes with a Hill Hold Assist, Meaning when on a hill the operator engages the hill hold feature by depressing the front or rear brake further after a stop while the clutch lever is depressed to disengage. The rear caliper locks the brake pads locking the rear rotor from moving. To disengage, the operator applies the throttle and releases the clutch. There are times when the brakes do not disengage, which can cause the bike to become unbalanced and an operator to dr…

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WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, MY CHECK ENGINE AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. I NOTICED MY VOLTAGE METER AT 11 VOLTS. I HAD THE BIKE TOWED TO THE HARLEY DEALER AND THEY REPLACED MY VOLTAGE REGULATOR. THIS WAS A BIG RECALL IN 2012 AND MANY OWNERS OF 2013 ARE REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE. I'M AFRAID ONCE MY WARRANTY RUNS OUT, ILL BE LIABLE FOR REPLACING IT AGAIN. *TR

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MY BIKE LEAKS HOT OIL OUT OF THE AIR CLEANER. THE HOT OIL HAS BURNED MY LEG AND OIL HAS GOTTEN ONTO THE RIGHT SADDLE BAG AND ONTO THE REAR TIRE CAUSING A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THE DEALERSHIP FIRST SAID THERE WAS TOO MUCH OIL IN THE BIKE AFTER THE SAME DEALER CHANGED THE OIL. THE NEXT TIME I TOOK IT IN, THE SAID IT WAS A PINCHED BREATHER HOSE IN THE AIR INTAKE. THE 3RD TIME THE REPLACED THE BREATHER HOSE IN THE AIR INTAKE. THE 4TH TIME THEY SAID I WAS NOT RIDING HARD ENOUGH AND THE OIL THAT SHOULD BE SUCKING BACK INTO THE BREATHER WAS NOT DOI…

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Vehicle Information: 2018 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special Safety Complaint: I am filing this complaint because the excessive engine heat from my 2018 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special has caused repeated burns to my right inner thigh while riding. This is not simply an issue of rider discomfort, it is a safety concern that has resulted in physical injury. During normal riding, particularly in stop-and-go traffic, at traffic lights, or in warm weather, the engine produces an excessive amount of heat that is directed toward my right inner t…

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Vehicle goes into limp mode unexpectedly and with no warning. Lose all throttle control forcing me to pull off out of traffic and trying to do so safely.

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The contact owns a 2025 Harley-Davidson FLTRX. The contact stated while riding 70 MPH, the motorcycle lost motive power. The check engine warning light and a yellow triangle warning light was illuminated. The motorcycle was ridden to a nearby lot. The contact inspected the motorcycle and checked the fluids. The contact was able to restart the motorcycle and continued riding; however, the failure recurred. The motorcycle was driven to the intended destination. The contact stated that the failure recurred while riding to the dealer the following …

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Incident Description: On [XXX], I took delivery of a brand-new 2026 Harley-Davidson road glide from a certified franchise dealership. Within 15 to 20 minutes of departing the dealership, under normal riding conditions on a well-maintained roadway, the motorcycle suffered a sudden, catastrophic mechanical failure. I observed a large cloud of white smoke trailing heavily from the motorcycle. I immediately pulled over to the shoulder and shut the engine down. Upon inspection, the entire right side of the motorcycle was saturated in motor oil. The …

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THE COMPENSATING SPROCKET, IN THE PRIMARY DRIVE, MAKES A CONTACT TICKETY TICKETY OR A LOUDER CLACKING NOISE DEPENDING ON THE SPEED AND GEAR SELECTION. THE TRANSMISSION MAKES A HOWLING NOISE IN ALL GEARS EXCEPT 6TH. BETWEEN THE TICKETY TICKETY, CLACKING AND HOWLING IT'S A DISTRACTION DIVERTING YOUR ATTENTION FROM TO THE SURROUNDINGS, AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. THE DEALERS(HARLEY DAVIDSON) SAY THE NOISE IS A DESIGN CONDITION AND THERE IS NO REPAIR THAT CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. " YOU'LL HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT."

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TRANSMISSION WHEN SHIFTING SOUNDS LIKE ITS COMING APART-AND HARD TO GET IN GEARS- AND JERKY-NOT SMOOTH---VERY LOUD KLUNKS AND KLANGS THRU ALL GEARS. HIT A BUMP/POTHOLE SOUNDS LIKE ITS FALLING OFF BIKE-CITY TRAFFIC ON AND OFF THROTTLE KLUNKS AND KLANGS--IS SO LOUD OTHERS RIDING NEXT TO ME HAVE SAID THEY CAN HEAR IT . I HAVE BEEN TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS--THEY TELL ME ITS NORMAL--NOT !!!--SO LOUD ITS EMBARRASSING-SO JERKY WIFE WILL NOT RIDE WITH ME- I AM AFRAID ITS GOING TO LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING OR COME APART INTERNALLY AND PUT ME DOWN. I HA…

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TRANSMISSION IS MIGRATING FLUID OVER TO THE PRIMARY.HAD TO ADD TRANS FLUID SINCE NEW.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE (FLTRX). THE CONTACT STATED THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID MIGRATED TO THE PRIMARY SIDE OF THE MOTORCYCLE. AS A RESULT, THE PRIMARY SIDE OVERFILLED; HOWEVER, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHOW AS BEING LOW. THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A NEW ENGINE FROM THE MANUFACTURER THAT CAME OUT IN 2017. THE DEALER (TOBACCO ROAD HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 1126 S SAUNDERS ST, RALEIGH, NC 27603, [phone removed]) STATED THAT THEY WANTED TO DRAIN THE FLUIDS AND TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR 1,000 MILES TO CHECK THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HA…

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The motorcycle powertrain loses power while traveling at speed without warning. The engine lights come on when the power leaves the powertrain, and I have to coast to a safe location. Recently, it happened while on a road trip to Tennessee on the interstate and I had to maneuver through traffic, coasting to get to the shoulder of the road and nearly had an accident due to loss of power. The Bumpus HD dealership technician in Tennessee rode the bike and it lost power while he was riding but he could not determine the cause of the loss of powe…

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While riding home the bike stumbled and shut off had to restart. It did cause a code to happen but nothing evident or no event code showed up. My bike is new has 1098 miles on it. This was unexpected and dangerous. Thank god I was going slow. Many other bikes have had the same issue from Harley.

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I am looking for help in reporting an issue. I have been told by my dealership they understand it is a problem; however, there is nothing they can do about it even though it is a safety issue. My motorcycle has been prematurely canceling the turn signals, prior to a partial/full turn since the date of purchase [XXX]. Nearly every time the left/right turn signals were activated, in a straight away and at a relative constant speed, they would turn off after 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 12, 14, 15 or 18 blinks. There is no pattern to the number of t…

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I WAS TRAVELING DOWN HIGHWAY 101 SOUTH BETWEEN METCALF & BAILEY HERE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA YESTERDAY AFTERNOON (5/30) ON MY HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE 2015 THAT HAS LESS THAN 300 MILES. I WAS IN THE 2ND LANE TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH AND MY BIKE STARTED TO RIDE VERY ROUGH, I WAS LOSING SPEED VERY FAST. I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE 3RD LANE BEFORE THE BIKE COMPLETELY SHUTTING DOWN I DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT TO THE SLOW LANE. THANK GOD ALL THE CARS BEHIND ME WERE PAYING ATTENTION & THERE WERE NO BIG RIGS BECAUSE THE BIKE CAME TO A STOP WITHIN SECONDS AND …

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FRIEND OF MINE SENT THIS TO ME: I MYSELF RIDE A HD 2013 ROADGLIDE CLASSIC: CURRENTLY THIS IS JUST INFO WE KNOW ABOUT AND MAY BE SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO: I WAS TALKING WITH A GUY LAST NIGHT WITH A 13 ULTRA CLASSIC AND HE WAS TELLING ME ON HIS WAY TO DC (RIDE TO THE WALL) HIS BIKE STARTED LURCHING, DROPPED TO 1500 RPM AND HE BARELY MADE IT OF THE INTERSTATE. THE HARLEY DEALER IN VIRGINIA FOUND THE ISSUE AND PULLED THE SAME PART OFF A 14 AFTER HD GAVE BOTH OF THEM THE RUN AROUND. ON THE WAY HOME, IT DID IT TO HIM AGAIN O…

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The 2025 Road Glide throttle is malfunctioning. The bike is 5 days old. The throttle is hyper-sensitive. It also is inconsistent in power even when the throttle is held steady it will surge. The bike will tend to pop forward - lurch ahead at slow speeds, especially when coming to a stop. At times the bike will also not reach idle, it races to 2100 RPM and stays at that level at a complete stop. The bike throttle is not in the drivers control and feels very unsafe.

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I WAS CHECKING TIRE PRESSURE ON MY MOTORCYCLE TIRES WHEN I NOTICED WHAT LOOKED LIKE DRY ROT. I THEN STARTED CHECKING ON VARIOUS FORUMS FOR HARLEY RIDERS AND NOTICED THAT OTHERS WERE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER AND THEY CHANGED TIRES WITHOUT QUESTION. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM ON FACTORY INSTALLED DUNLOP TIRES ON 2010 TO 2012 HARLEY TOURING MODELS. *TR *JS

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Incident Description: On [XXX], I took delivery of a brand-new 2026 Harley-Davidson road glide from a certified franchise dealership. Within 15 to 20 minutes of departing the dealership, under normal riding conditions on a well-maintained roadway, the motorcycle suffered a sudden, catastrophic mechanical failure. I observed a large cloud of white smoke trailing heavily from the motorcycle. I immediately pulled over to the shoulder and shut the engine down. Upon inspection, the entire right side of the motorcycle was saturated in motor oil. The …

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ON 21 JUNE 2012, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A NEIGHBORHOOD ROAD WHEN I STRUCK A POTHOLE IN THE ROADWAY. WHEN I STRUCK THE POTHOLE, THE LEFT BRAKELIGHT/TURN SIGNAL LENS COVER FELL OUT OF IT'S SOCKET AND ONTO THE ROADWAY. ON 20 AUGUST 2012, I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. THIS TIME THE RIGHT BRAKELIGHT/TURN SIGNAL LENS COVER FELL OUT OF IT'S SOCKET. I DID NOT HIT A POTHOLE OR EXPERIENCE ANY OTHER TYPE OF ROUGH DRIVING WHEN THIS OCCURRED. *TR

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WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, MY CHECK ENGINE AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. I NOTICED MY VOLTAGE METER AT 11 VOLTS. I HAD THE BIKE TOWED TO THE HARLEY DEALER AND THEY REPLACED MY VOLTAGE REGULATOR. THIS WAS A BIG RECALL IN 2012 AND MANY OWNERS OF 2013 ARE REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE. I'M AFRAID ONCE MY WARRANTY RUNS OUT, ILL BE LIABLE FOR REPLACING IT AGAIN. *TR

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I recently purchased, 9/12/2025, a 2025 Harley FLTRX. The turn signals operate erratically. When approaching a turn I energize the appropriate turn signal and it may or may not stay on for more than 3-4 seconds before reaching the turn. I am trying to concentrate on the traffic and not looking to see if my turn signal is still energized. I recently had a near miss with another vehicle due to this issue. I spoke to the dealership and Harley Davidson Motor Company and they are not aware of any turn signal issues. I have been monitoring this issue…

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