AI Damage2001 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui reliability: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 25% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 13% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 13% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 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 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 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.
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.
Rear wheel drive belt broke and locked up rear wheel--motorcycle slid sideways in a steep turn and hit the guard rail. Motorcyle then bounced back into the road and wrecked and injured motorcycle and rider following. Over $150,000 in personal injury expense.
Rear brake failure due to poor design of master cylinder mounted too close to exhaust along with dot 5 brake fluid which generates air in system at altitudes.
At approximately 27,000 miles the main drive belt broke. Fortunately it broke as I attempted to leave the parking garage, but had I been in traffic it could have been catastrophic. The dealership looked at the belt and said there was no obvious cause for the breakage.
2001 flhtcui harley davidson:vehicle will completely shut down at any time.had this problem since new and after two years and too many trips to the dealer to fix this problem I'm frustrated.this is a serious safety probelm.u
Motorcycle stalled intermittently while driving at various speeds. Condition forced driver to pull the motorcycle off the road. Was unable to restart motorcycle until 30-60 -seconds later. Dealer inspected motorcycle on several occasions and was unable to duplicate the problem.
Main circuit breaker on motorcycle cuts out at highway speed, leaving bike with no power. Had to drift to side of road. Waited a few minutes and it reset itself. Bike functioned normally after that. This is the third time this happened.
Motorcycle was affected by a recall, consumer is requestong a copy of recall notice to correct electrical wiring for light on fender tip, dealership was charging consumer for partial labor, $32.00 because they had to remove a chrome brake rotor cover, an after-market product, to service recalled component.
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 11,899 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Flhtcui has 8 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 8, about average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (13%), stalls while driving (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui?
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 2001 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui 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 2001 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 2026-11-06.