Harley-Davidson FXS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
8 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
1,282 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1979 to 2012 model years. Data snapshot: . 8 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Exterior Lighting is the most frequently named component, appearing in 8 of 8 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 3 | 37.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 25.0% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 8 |
| Electrical System | 2 |
| Service Brakes | 1 |
Exterior Lighting: 8; Electrical System: 2; Service Brakes: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 8 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 8; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 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 (8). 0 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 |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 3 |
2011: 2; 2012: 3; 2013: 3
Pattern summary
Exterior Lighting leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues 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 10445606 · 2012-01-27 (January 27, 2012)
THE LEFT SIDE 1157-TYPE BRAKE/TAIL/TURN-SIGNAL BULB FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 400 MILES. WITHIN THE NEXT 1000 MILES THE ORIGINAL RIGHT-SIDE BULB FAILED, AND 2 SYLVANIA "LONG LIFE" REPLACEMENT BULBS HAVE ALSO FAILED. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10445606 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10534081 · 2013-08-07 (August 7, 2013)
REAR RIGHT RUNNING LIGHT FAILED, TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE SIGNAL STILL FUNCTION. RUNNING SIGNAL COMES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY IN A RANDOM PATTERN. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY LOOSE CONNECTION, ABRASION, KINK, CRIMP OR OTHER VISUAL DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRE GOING TO THE LIGHT. BIKE HAS REDUCED ROAD AND NIGHT TIME VISIBILITY DUE TO PROBLEM. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 7,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10534081 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10470841 · 2012-08-15 (August 15, 2012)
AFTER ONLY 700 MILES, MY TAIL LIGHTS BURNT OUT AND CONTINUE TO DO SO EVERY 50 MILES OR SO. HARLEY DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED MANY TIMES BY MYSELF AND OTHER RIDERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR WRITE A RECALL FOR THE WIRING HARNESS OR SOCKETS. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET REAR ENDED WHILE RIDING AT NIGHT? *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10470841 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 |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
2011: 0; 2012: 0