AI DamageHarley-Davidson Flhtci: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Harley-Davidson Flhtci across 9 model years: 30 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 33% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 13% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 3% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 3% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 3% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 3% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 10 complaints (33% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (17% of all).
- Suspension: 4 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (7% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (3% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 30 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
When riding my motorcycle the front wheel started to wobble causing me to have a wreck. This was the second time that this happened. The first time I was going straight and could use the brakes to stop. The second time I was in a left turn and wrecked. I've lost my right leg.
While traveling at 65 mph and changing lanes, consumer noticed rear end was shaking from side to side. Consumer lost control of motorcycle and crashed. The consumer said that the shaking built up to the point were the rear wheel was leaving the road lunging from side to side. There was one injury in the accident.
Miles both fuel lines at bottom of fuel tank started squirting fuel all over hot engine while riding and caught fire ! ! Replaceable o rings did not solve problem internal leak in both fittings 0
Front engine mount failure which causes excessive engine vibration and unstable handling issues, and failure of the rear exhaust pipe causing unacceptable sounds levels.
My 2001 harley-davidson had a frame failure on the swing arm (rear fork) where the axle bolt goes through the swing arm. After doing some research I found this to be a very common problem on the touring models 1997-2001. Harley-davidson did a recall in 2000 for the swing arm, they never changed the design until 2002.
The rear swing arm has failed above the wheel axle. Trying to order a new one from harley and they do not have a replacement one. I was told it's obsolete. I looked this up on google and found others with the same problem. My bike shop wants to get a used one and reinforce it by welding a plate above the axle shaft.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
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.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
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.