AI Damage2013 Harley-Davidson Fltru: common problems
Owners of the 2013 Harley-Davidson Fltru filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 10
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 50% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 20% of all complaints
- 3 Wheels 20% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 10% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (50% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 2 complaints (20% of all).
- Wheels: 2 complaints (20% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 10 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 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 harley-davidson fltru. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on a slightly incline hill, the contact went to depress the front hand brakes however it failed to operate without warning.
I had just left my house and after a few minutes of riding, I came up to a stop, when I attempted to squeeze the front brake lever, it was frozen and would not budge. Luckily, I was not going fast and or needed an "emergency stop," I was able to stop with downshifting and rear brake.
The front brakes did not work. This happened when it was operating or stationary. A loss of the braking system is serious and needs to be investigated. Vehicle was serviced (12/5/18) at the space coast harley dealership, 1440 sportsman lane , palm bay [ZIP]. The braking abs hcu failed and was replaced.
When I first got the bike I trailered it home and by the time I got home the rear tire was flat, so I told it to bakersfield harley davidson where they told me it just needed to be aired up..that was the first incident.
While riding the rear wheel suffered a failure of the inner seal that seals the spokes and caused a complete flat entering into a corner causing me to lose control/sliding into. A. Parking lot. Instictivly I put my leg down to try to catch myself. Called for a tow truck to come pick it up and deliver to dealer.
First time I noticed the "harley wobble" I was on the highway doing the speed limit. I took my hands off the handlebars to fix my gloves -- the handle bars started wobbling side to side wow !!!
Sitting at a traffic light, the engine overheated and as soon as the throttle was applied, the motorcycle stalled out. Using an infrared thermometer, cylinder temperatures measured 280 degrees in the front cylinder and 380 degrees in the rear cylinder.
During riding the motorcycle at speed ranging from 40-75 mph, any deceleration of the throttle causes wobble in the front end steering. This motorcycle is 61 days registered and has 4,700 miles driven.
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 10,921 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Fltru has 7 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 10, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Harley-Davidson Fltru?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, steering, wheels. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (10%), overheating, coolant loss (10%), smoke, burning smell, fire (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Harley-Davidson Fltru?
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 2013 Harley-Davidson Fltru 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 2013 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.