AI Damage2008 Harley-Davidson Flhtcuse3: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhtcuse3 filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 27% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 27% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 18% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 18% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 9% of all complaints
- 8 Tires 9% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (27% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (27% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 11 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
Brake failure on multiple instances, luckily no serious injury, bike did fall and ankle was sprained. Abs failure light has come on/off now on permanent. Brought it to local dealer on two occasions both times I waited over 1.5 hours beyond appointment time and bike was not touched, had to leave.
2008 harley davidson ultra classic cvo - closed and sealed front axel bearings of motorcycle sized in motion causing $1,600.00 worth of damage to said motorcycle (according to harley davidson folsom). With no warning at only 12,000 miles.
I have a 2008 harley electra glide.rear brakes do not work.pedal is solid.this is a common problem with abs module. I contacted harley they told me it would be 1200 dollars to fix the problem.there is no warning when this will happen. It is very unsafe and posibly deadly!
I have just started dealing with this brake failure and will not allow the motorcycle to be tampered with until an investigation can be done by the appropriate officials yet to be determined.
While riding I lost clutch control, throttle shifted to neutral, pulled over in safe spot and let bike cool (90+ degree day). After cooling I had enough clutch control to get to my destination.
At times, it can pose a safety risk because it causes a backfire that send smoke and flames shooting out of the engine that would hurt anyone standing nearby when trying to start the bike.
On march 2, 2013 while driving my bike, the throttle control disappeared and the bike went into limp mode. The dealership repaired it, then on july 7, 2013 it started acting up and I took it back to the dealership.
While riding at approx 45 mph the engine suddenly shut down without or warning check engine light the bike was towed to harley davidson dealer for repair result fuel filter housing o-ring came out and lost fuel pressure this is the 2nd time.
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 10,520 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhtcuse3?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, service brakes, engine. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (18%), loss of power / limp mode (9%), infotainment or screen glitches (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhtcuse3?
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 Flhtcuse3 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.