AI Damage2014 Harley-Davidson Flhxs: common problems
Owners of the 2014 Harley-Davidson Flhxs filed 17 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 17
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 24% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 12% of all complaints
- 3 Equipment 12% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 12% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 12% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (24% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 2 complaints (12% of all).
- Equipment: 2 complaints (12% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 2 complaints (12% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (12% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 17 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 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 just got on to my bike and comming up to a curve at the end of my street I grabbed my front brake and had no brake response at all. It resulted in me crashing into a fence at low speed. Harley has recalled the abs on older model bikes but mine has the same module as those bikes recalled.
Was riding and when I was coming to a stop the front brakes completely locked up. The motorcycle was completly immovable
I filled the gas tank and returned home. After about an hour, the wife noticed a strong odor of fuel coming from the garage. I went outside and noticed a significant amount of gasoline was on the floor. I started investigating as to why this occurred.
I ride 2014 harley davidson motorcycle. Coming home from weekend ride. I stopped to put on warmer clothes, when I got off freeway, went to down shift and my shifter shaft and shifter arm were stripped off. I hadn"t touched my shifter for 200 miles. I was left stranded and had to call for a tow.
The spark plug wire in wearing by rubbing against something. I've seen this on every 2014 harley davidson touring bike I've seen including mine. It hasn't worn through yet but it will sooner or later and when it does it will arch to the gas tank. I didn't hear about the problem until my bike was out of warranty.
During a ride on january 9, 2016, I experienced a failure of the shifting mechanism on my 2014 harley street glide. The shifter would move freely and would not engage the transmission. I was unable to downshift or upshift and was stuck in second gear.
2014 harley davidson flhxs front spark wire rubbing on gas tank and wearing off the insulation of the wire. Probable cause of erratic behavior and stalling while driving.
Consumer writes in regards to factory installation of boom box 6.5 infotainment/ the "repeat" function of the navigation system problems. The consumer stated he downloaded the most recent software version of the infotainment system.
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 8,820 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Flhxs has 5 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 17, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2014 Harley-Davidson Flhxs?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine, equipment. Total complaints: 17. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (6%), infotainment or screen glitches (6%), stalls while driving (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2014 Harley-Davidson Flhxs?
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 2014 Harley-Davidson Flhxs 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 2014 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.