AI DamageHarley-Davidson Road King: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Harley-Davidson Road King across 7 model years: 33 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 18% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 15% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 6% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 6% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 6 complaints (18% of all).
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (15% of all).
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (15% of all).
- Suspension: 5 complaints (15% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 33 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 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.
Mine stalled in crowded fast traffic and almost caused me to have a bad accident. Harley are you listening-this is a serious safety issue. If this was happening with a big 3 automobile there would be a dot recall. Last edited by ezrider; 06-08-2008 at 03:37 pm. Ezrider is offline repl
I have a 2002 harley davidson road king. When I ordered the bike I had them install a passenger back rest. The bike is 10 years old 48974 miles. My passenger and I were riding down the street and the back rest support snapped and broke on one side. The break is just above a weld.
Name: gerard bu [phone] hd [ref] I have a hd road king 1999. It was a know defect on the cam bearings of this year and there was even a recall but I never received notification by mail or anything. After 6k miles the cam broke which could lead to extensive damage and expenses.
Tl contact owns a 2000 (na) harley davidson road king classic. While backing the vehicle out of the garage, the contact noticed a crack that was approximately 8 inches long in the rim of the rear tire. The contact did not notice any difference in driving the vehicle prior to noticing the failure.
Tl contact owns a 2002 harley davidson road king. While driving 35 mph, the seal fractured in the quick disc, which connects the fuel line from the gas tank to the fuel injector manifold. The failure caused fuel to spray over everything, including the contact's pants leg, exhaust, and engine block.
Harley davidson roadking 2004 purchased new. Gear shifter went "flacid" and I was unable to shift into any gear. This happened once in 2004; twice in 2005; twice in 2006; and once last week in 2007.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other models of this make
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.