AI Damage2008 Harley-Davidson Flhtc: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhtc filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 15
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 33% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 13% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 7% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (33% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (20% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (20% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 15 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 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.
I noticed a strange rattle in my primary case area. I got home and parked it until I could open it up to see what the issue is. A few weeks later I finally was able to open up the primary case. What I found was 2 large pieces of metal loose in the primary case.
I was under the impression that if the system failed it would just revert back to brakes with out abs.am I wrong about the way they should work informed by service writer that they could lock up or have no brakes at all .
I recently was riding when the front brake handle on the bike started to vibrate. I was close to home so I went there. Since it was time to do some maintenance on the bike I ordered parts and over the next couple of months changed fluids and did other items including replacing the front right handgrip.
Compensator in primary went out with only 25,000 miles. Upon research, it is found that this is a known problem to harley, yet they haven't said anything. This is a major cost to the consumer and most importantly dangerous!!!
Front brakes failed completely. Brake lever became rock hard & would not activate the front brakes at all. This occurred when attempting to use vehicle after it had benefitting a few days. Very shocked when I went to use the front brakes & they would not work, almost causing an accident.
Met friends at quaker steak for a ride,started bike,ran for 10 seconds then died,fuel filter housing cracked,was told there was a recall on this but dealer stated was not part of the recall,to me it should be,had to be towed and then 52.00 in parts with me fixig myself
Throttle gave out for no apparent reason. Had no response from the throttle. Stopped and removed hand grip and moved the electronic part and replaced hand grip. Throttle was the ok, this has happened on 2 more occasions on august 31st and september 1st, I did the same to fix the problem.
As a result, the vehicle stalled without warning. The recall failure was experienced in less than one year after the service. The vehicle was repaired but the failure consistently recurred. The failure mileage was 6,000 and the current mileage was 36,000. Updated 07/30/13
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,286 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Flhtc has 5 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 15, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhtc?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (20%), loss of power / limp mode (13%), knocking, grinding or other noise (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhtc?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhtc from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2008 models
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.