Harley-Davidson FL: problems, complaints, bulletins

Summary for the Harley-Davidson FL across 7 model years: 11 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.

Model years

Year	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)	YouTube repair videos
9999	2	0	0	0
2001	2	0	0	0
2000	1	0	0	0
1996	3	0	0	0
1995	1	0	0	0
1994	1	0	0	0
1965	1	0	0	0

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 45% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 27% of all complaints
3 Fuel system 27% of all complaints
4 Equipment 18% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Electrical system: 5 complaints (45% of all).
Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (27% of all).
Fuel system: 3 complaints (27% of all).
Equipment: 2 complaints (18% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 11 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

stalls while driving1 · 9%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 9%
won't start1 · 9%
engine failure or replacement1 · 9%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Electrical system	5	0	0
Engine and cooling	3	0	0
Fuel system	3	0	0
Equipment	2	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 harley davidson street glide fl series(na). The contact stated that the vehicle would exhibit an unusual increase in engine rpms sporadically. The failure would occur whether the vehicle was first started, in motion or sitting idle.
Engine and cooling · 9999 · 2010-10-21 · NHTSA complaint #10361529
Consumer received a recall for replacement of amp fuse. No parts were available. Service managers keith or dale.
Electrical system · 2001 · 2004-06-22 · NHTSA complaint #10079678
New motor installed & failed. Also mechanic at mdo cycles , [address], unit d, gaithersburg,[ZIP] ( [phone] ) failed to assemble cycle properly. I have a letter already made up & I`ll try to attach it to this email. Dt
Engine and cooling · 1965 · 2002-12-09 · NHTSA complaint #768621
In heavy rush hour morning traffic,motorcycle stalled out in high speed lane.had to cross 3 lanes of traffic to get to breakdown lane with no power whatsoever to my engine,coasting to a stop.just missed being a fatality from an 18 wheeler.upon inspection key switch on gas tank dashpanel was found to have a burned away…
Electrical system · 2001 · 2001-11-30 · NHTSA complaint #755061
Consumer was traveling about 60mph on the highway and engine just stopped. Engine blew up because there was a defect in the engine.
Engine and cooling · 2000 · 2000-07-13 · NHTSA complaint #865369
No parts available to have ingnition switch recall repaired. Nlm
Electrical system · 9999 · 2000-04-26 · NHTSA complaint #551330

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19973
19981
19991
20002
20011
20021
20041
20101

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other models of this make

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.