AI DamageHarley-Davidson Flhtcui: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Harley-Davidson Flhtcui across 13 model years: 108 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 40% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 6% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 4% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 43 complaints (40% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 15 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 14 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel system: 10 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 7 complaints (6% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 108 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 | 43 | 4 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 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 was riding on city highway. Stopped at a intersection traffic signal when the traffic signal turned green I began to a speed of 30mph in a 40mph zone I notice the motorcycle started to lose speed at this time I pulled into the bicycle lane of the highway to be out of the line of traffic an at that second the front…
While driving various speeds, the motorcycle stalled without warning. As a result of the failure, the contact lost control and flipped the motorcycle. The driver and passenger were injured, which required medical attention. The contact was placed in a medically induced coma due to the crash. A police report was filed.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 harley-davidson electra glide ultra flhtcui equipped with metzeler me 888 marathon ultra tires, size: 130/90/r16. While driving 65 mph, the rear tire seized and the contact lost control of the motorcycle. The contact and passenger were ejected from the motorcycle.
Broken swing arm causing a high speed wobble. Swing arm cracked over top of axle allowing the rear shock absorber to push open the end of the swing arm exposing the rear axel shaft. Only the belt was holding rear wheel on.
On september 23rd 2010 my wife and I were traveling west on interstate 40 in tennessee on a 2001 harley davidson ultra classic.. At mile marker 356 the rear tire suddenly deflated causing the bike to fishtail violently. I was going approximately 70 mph.
Tl contact owns tech international valve stems, model tr413. While driving 70 mph, the rear tire on the vehicle suddenly flattened. The contact noticed that the valve stem cap and core were both missing. The tires have not been diagnosed by the dealer.
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.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- 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.