AI Damage2001 Harley-Davidson Road King: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Harley-Davidson Road King filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and equipment. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 25% of all complaints
- 2 Equipment 25% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 5 Electronic stability control 13% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 13% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 13% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 13% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Equipment: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 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 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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
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.
The shifter control arm and shaft has come off my harley davidson road king twice with only 12,000 miles. Apparently harley has used a bolt that does not go completely thru to hold it in place. I had to ask for a longer bolt when I had to purchase the new shaft and shifter arm.
Wobbel, unsteady, wondering, fron end, bike is unstable at highway speeds.
When vehicle goes on along sustained run, 200-300 miles and come off freeway it will stall every time coming to a stop. Vehicle was checked by two deales. Fuel filter was changed, injection ports cleaned, but problem has continued.
While driving at any speed on flat surface and with no warning oil is leaking onto brakes, causing the brakes to slip, and it will be hard for consumer to stop the vehicle. Dealer notified
The top bolt from the primary chain tension adjuster fell out, lodging between the double sprocket of the clutch assembly, the lower bolt was bent, the inner primary case was lightly damaged, the chain was damaged beyond safe use, and the tensioner mount was bent, there was a loud knocking due to the chain running…
Vibration would be felt when brakes were applied, dealer has been contacted, informed consumer that rear brake calipers were rubbing. Please provide further details.
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 11,896 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Road King has 5 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 8, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Harley-Davidson Road King?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, equipment, service brakes. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (38%), knocking, grinding or other noise (13%), vibration (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Harley-Davidson Road King?
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 2001 Harley-Davidson Road King 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 2001 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.