Harley-Davidson FLSTC problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
67 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
6,850 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1989 to 2016 model years. Data snapshot: . 48 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Wheels is the most frequently named component, appearing in 16 of 67 complaints (23.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 15 | 22.4% |
| Fuel system concerns | 3 | 4.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 3.0% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 1.5% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 1.5% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Wheels | 16 |
| Service Brakes | 8 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 6 |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 |
| Suspension | 5 |
| Electrical System | 4 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 4 |
| Steering | 4 |
Wheels: 16; Service Brakes: 8; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 6; Exterior Lighting: 5; Suspension: 5; Electrical System: 4; Engine And Engine Cooling: 4; Steering: 4
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 38 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 9 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 38; 25,000 to 49,999: 9; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (38). 19 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 2 |
| 2001 | 5 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 10 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 12 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
2000: 2; 2001: 5; 2002: 2; 2003: 1; 2004: 2; 2006: 2; 2007: 3; 2008: 3; 2009: 1; 2010: 2; 2011: 4; 2012: 10; 2013: 4; 2014: 12; 2015: 5; 2016: 2; 2017: 2; 2018: 3; 2019: 2
Pattern summary
Wheels leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 15 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 3 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10364274 · 2010-11-06 (November 6, 2010)
IN LINE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED. FAST LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID AND ABILITY TO STOP. WHEN IT WAS TAKEN TO THE SHOP, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A WIDE SPREAD FAILURE. IN SEVERAL INSTANCES THIS COULD RESULT IN A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10364274 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10787200 · 2015-10-30 (October 30, 2015)
I HAVE NOTICED THAT BRAKE FLUID WEEPS OUT OF THE MASTER CYLINDER DUE TO A FAULTY RUBBER CAP GASKET... WHEN I CONTACTED THE LOCAL HARLEY DEALER IN METAIRIE LOUISIANA, I WAS IN FORMED THAT HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME... THEY HAVE KNOWN SO LONG THAT THEY HAVE FORMULATED DIFFERENT GASKET MATERIALS 3 (THREE) TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED MY MOTORCYCLE IN 2007.. THEY ALSO HAVE REPLACED BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR MASTER CYLINDERS DURING THE MOTORCYCLES 1000 MILE CHECKUP.... HOWEVER THE FLUID CONTINUES TO LEAK OUT... IT IS TO …
Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10787200 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10359116 · 2010-10-04 (October 4, 2010)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLSTC HERITAGE SOFTTAIL MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE DISCOVERED A LARGE PUDDLE OF GASOLINE FUEL UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE FUEL CAP WAS REMOVED FROM THE FUEL TANK AND THE FUEL PRESSURE WAS RELEASED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE GASOLINE IN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY LEAKED OUT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 99V200000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: STORAGE: TANK ASSEMBLY). THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED FOR REPAIRS WITH THE …
Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10359116 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10103076 · 2004-12-16 (December 16, 2004)
I HAVE AN HARLEY DAVIDSON FLSTCI 2002. I HAD A NEED TO OPEN THE FUEL TANK UP FOR MAINTENANCE. WHEN I OPENED IT I FOUND THAT THE LINER INSIDE THE FUEL TANK HAD COME LOOSE OVER 80% OF THE TANK. THIS WAS STARTING TO BREAK APART INTO SMALL PIECES AND HAD STARTED PLUGGING THE FUEL FILTER. THIS HAS A REAL POTENTIAL TO CAUSE ENGINE FUEL STARVATION ESPECIALLY AT HIWAY SPEEDS AND CAN CONTRIBUTE TO A SERIOUS REAR END COLLISION. THROUGH THE INTERNET HARLEY GROUPS I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE MOTORCYCLES.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10103076 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10205239 · 2007-10-09 (October 9, 2007)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLSTC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE WHEN HE SHIFTED INTO FIFTH GEAR. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS A COMMON COMPLAINT FOR THAT YEAR AND THEY HAD NO PLANS TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE MOTORCYCLE STILL MAKES THE LOUD NOISE IN FIFTH GEAR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 4,926 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS ONE.
Owner-reported narrative. 1 miles reported. Look up ODI 10205239 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10468143 · 2012-07-29 (July 29, 2012)
REAR BEARINGS BLEW OUT AT 25,300 MILES. HARLEY DAVIDSON REPLACED THE BEARINGS. 350 MILES LATER, SAME REAR BEARING BLEW OUT AGAIN EXCEPT NOW THERE IS DAMAGE TO FLY WHEEL, TIRE SHROUD AND TIRE DUE TO TIRE SHIFTING TO LEFT SIDE OF MOTORCYCLE. POSSIBLE FENDER DAMAGE. *JS
Owner-reported narrative. 25,630 miles reported. Look up ODI 10468143 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10485160 · 2012-11-19 (November 19, 2012)
DURING INCREASING AND DECREASING SPEED FUEL WOULD RUN DOWN THE TANK ONTO THE HOT ENGINE. IT DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE THE CORRECT POWER AT TIMES. THE AREA AROUND THE FUEL TANK CAP AND FILLER NECK BECAME INCREASING YELLOW WITH ONE AREA MARKING THE TANK WITH A YELLOW TRIANGLE LIKE GAS FUMES PUSHING OUT UNDER PRESSURE. 6/22/12, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER (RED ROCK) AND THEY DID NOTHING AND LET ME LEAVE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AND GOT WORSE DAMAGING THE PAINT AND THE BIKE STARTED TO STALL WHILE I WAS GETTING ON THE FREEWAY AND AT SIGNALS WHICH WAS V…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,838 miles reported. Look up ODI 10485160 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10470098 · 2012-08-10 (August 10, 2012)
WHILE RIDING ON THE HIGHWAY THE FRONT WHEEL BEGAN TO WOBBLE EXCESSIVELY, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. NO ACCIDENT OCCURED, BUT THE MOTORCYCLE WAS DANGEROUSLY DIFFICULT TO HANDLE, THE WHOLE BIKE WOBBLING UNCONTROLLABLY. STEERING WAS ALSO COMPROMISED. SLOWLY PROCEEDED TO HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS HAD OCCURED WITH THIS MOTORCYCLE AND THAT IT WAS A "SPOKE LOOSENING" PROBLEM THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL AND YEAR. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10470098 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
2000: 0; 2001: 0; 2002: 1; 2003: 1; 2004: 1; 2005: 1; 2006: 0; 2007: 1; 2008: 0; 2009: 0; 2010: 0; 2011: 0; 2012: 0; 2013: 0; 2014: 0; 2015: 0; 2016: 0