AI Damage2004 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 75% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 25% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (75% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 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 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…
On my 2004 ultra classic harley,which I owned since it was new. The front master cylinder lever slow went down over the years until the lever is down to the handle grip. I've bled the front brake and nothing, check the pads little less then half ! So I'm think the master cylinder is a defect.
Wobble at rear wheel of motorcycle... Occurs when in a long, sweeping curve (either direction) at highway speeds.
Failure of the front brake system. Over time pistons in caliper stick or freeze up. This causes the front brake lever to come all the back to the throttle grip. In some cases reducing braking efficiency by 50%.
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 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Flhtcui has 8 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, suspension. Total complaints: 4.
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.