2003 Harley-Davidson FLHR: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
3 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
41,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Suspension is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 3 complaints (66.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 1 | 33.3% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 2 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 |
Suspension: 2; Exterior Lighting: 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 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 1 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 |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
2003: 1; 2016: 1; 2019: 1
Pattern summary
Suspension leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10024880 · 2003-07-28 (July 28, 2003)
THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER INSPECTED AND DETERMINED THAT THE BULBS DIDN'T FAIL BUT DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS DEFECT IN THE BULB SOCKET. THE DEALER DIDN'T HAVE THE NEWLY DESIGNED BULB SOCKET. THE DEALER BENT THE CONTACT POINT IN THE OLD SOCKETS TO MAKE A CONNECTION. *AK *CB *NLM
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10024880 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10820466 · 2016-01-15 (January 15, 2016)
I AM WRITING TO REPORT A PROBLEM WITH THE SWINGARM ON HARLEY DAVIDSON TOURING BIKES. THIS AFFECTS NOT ONLY MY 2003 BUT, NEWER BIKES AS WELL. THE BIKES HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING WHAT IS TERMED AS THE DEATH WOBBLE AT SPEEDS OF 70 MPH AND SOMETIMES LESS ESPECIALLY IN CURVES. THIS PROBLEM IS KNOWN TO HD BUT, THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE ANTIQUATED DESIGN OF THEIR SWINGARMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CHANGED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. THE BIKES EXPERIENCE WEAVE OR WOBBLE DUE TO THE SWINGAR…
Owner-reported narrative. 78,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10820466 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11242559 · 2019-08-06 (August 6, 2019)
I AM WRITING AS TO A SAFETY CONCERN DEALING WITH ALL OF HARLEY DAVIDSON'S TOURING BIKES. AFTER CONTACTING HD ABOUT MY CONCERNS I REALIZED I WOULD HAVE TO TALK TO SOMEONE WHO CARED. THEY HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE SWINGARMS ON THESE MOTORCYCLES THAT CAUSES DANGEROUS OSCILLATIONS THAT CAUSE THE BIKE TO LOSE CONTROL AT SPEEDS FROM 60MPH TO ABOUT 70 MPH. THE BIKES TEND TO FISH TAIL THAT CAUSES THE RIDERS TO LOSE CONTROL OR MAKE THEM VERY SCARED TO RIDE THEM. HD HAS NO ENTITY TO MAKE THEM AS A CORPORATION TO FIX OR ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THEY KNOW …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11242559 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
04V218000 · Exterior Lighting:Tail Lights
Reported: 2004-05-07 (May 7, 2004)
ON CERTAIN DYNA, XL, AND TOURING MOTORCYCLES, THE TAIL LIGHT BULB CAN FALL OUT OF THE SOCKET.
Consequence: THE TAIL LIGHT AND THE BRAKE LIGHT BECOME INOPERATIVE, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BULBS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 3, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-342-4680.
NHTSA campaign record ↗