2002 Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
8 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
14,885 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: . 6 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 8 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 25.0% |
| Braking behavior | 1 | 12.5% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 4 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | 1 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System | 1 |
| Power Train | 1 |
| Seats:Motorcycle | 1 |
| Structure:Frame And Members | 1 |
Electrical System: 4; Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers: 1; Exterior Lighting: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System: 1; Power Train: 1; Seats:Motorcycle: 1; Structure:Frame And Members: 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 | 4 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 2 |
| 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: 4; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 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 (4). 2 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 |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
2002: 1; 2003: 2; 2004: 1; 2005: 2; 2008: 1; 2015: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 complaint narratives. 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 10025389 · 2003-07-03 (July 3, 2003)
HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS CAUSING BIKE TO SHUT DOWN IN TRAFFIC AND AT HIGH SPEEDS.
Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10025389 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10036832 · 2003-08-29 (August 29, 2003)
I PURCHASED A 2002 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTCUI 1-29-02. IT CURRENTLY ONLY HAS 1200 MILES ON IT. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED AND WELL CARED FOR. I WAS TAKING A RIDE 8-27-03 AND WHILE GOING AROUND A CURVE THE SEAT SHIFTED CAUSING ME TO WOBBLE A LITTLE. I WENT HOME, REMOVED THE SEAT AND FOUND THE PLASTIC AROUND THE SEAT MOUNTING TONGUE CRACKED, CAUSING THE SEAT TO COME LOOSE. I FEEL THIS IS VERY UNACCEPTABLE QUALITY ON A MOTORCYCLE WITH ONLY 1200 MILES ON IT. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 1,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10036832 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10064061 · 2004-03-29 (March 29, 2004)
6 TIMES WITH NO WARNING MY 2002 HARLEY JUST LOST ALL ELECTRIC AS IF YOU JUST REMOVE THE KEY AND 3 TIMES I WAS ON THE EXPRESS WAY AT NIGHT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC.AFTER A FEW MINUTES AND TURNING THE KEY ON/OFF IT WOULD JUST ACT NORMAL. HARLEY WAS CONTACTED AND STATED "KNOWS OF NO SUCH PROBLEMS". SPENT HUNDRED $ AS MECHANICS TROUBLE SHOOTED FOR A PROBLEM. STILL UNKOWN IF FIXED AND NEW RIDING SEASON HAS STARTED. EACH INNCIDENT HAPPEN IN LATE AUGUST AND EARLY SEPT.2003 WHILE TOURING. SINCE THEN BIKE HAS BEEN STORED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 4,880 miles reported. Look up ODI 10064061 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10129086 · 2005-07-18 (July 18, 2005)
DT: LAST YEAR OWNER RECEIVED A RECALL ON HARLEY DAVIDSON. THE RECALL NUMBER IWASNOT AVAILABLE. THE OWNER WENT TO DEALERSHIP, AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PARTS. THE FIRST TIME HE WENT TO DEALER WAS LAST SUMMER. HE RETURNED TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES LAST YEAR. THEN OWNER GOT ANOTHER LETTER ON JULY 5 2005, BUT HAS NOT CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. OWNER CONTACTED HARLEY DAVIDSON, BUT DID NOT ASK IF THERE WERE PARTS AVAILABLE. THE RECALL WAS ABOUT THE MAIN CIRCUIT BREAKER, WHICH WAS LOCATED UNDER THE SEAT. THE OWNER WI…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10129086 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10143648 · 2005-11-25 (November 25, 2005)
AT 25000 MILES THE FRAME CRACKED ON MY HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC. THIS RENDERED THE BIKE UN-DRIVABLE. IT DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT, BUT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL. THE DEALER SAID THE WELD WAS DEFECTIVE ON THE FRAME. THE ONLY POSSIBLE FIX WAS TO REPLACE THE FRAME. IT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED SAFELY. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 24,890 miles reported. Look up ODI 10143648 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10231866 · 2008-06-20 (June 20, 2008)
MOTORCYCLE QUITS WHILE RIDING. CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS RECALLED AND REPLACED IN JUNE, 2008. ON A RIDE WITH THE MOTORCYCLE ON 6/20/2008. THE MOTORCYCLE LOST ALL POWER, ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL, WHILE RIDING IN TRAFFIC. RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC SINCE BRAKE LIGHTS AND EMERGENCY SIGNALS DO NOT FUNCTION WITHOUT ELECTRICAL POWER. GOT TO SIDE OF ROAD AND AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO, THE POWER IS RESTORED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE ON THE SAME DAY AND IS VERY DISCONCERTING. THE DEALER HAS NO REMEDY, OTHER THAN TO HAVE ME LEAVE THE VEHICLE FOR LABOR INTE…
Owner-reported narrative. 37,465 miles reported. Look up ODI 10231866 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10787460 · 2015-10-31 (October 31, 2015)
ON SEPT 14 2015 WHILE RIDING MY MOTORCYCLE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC MY DRIVE BELT BROKE CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO SLOW SUDDENLY IN TRAFFIC ALMOST GETTING REAR ENDED. THE BELT WAS FAIRLY NEW AND HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO BY A HARLEY DEALER IN VIRGINIA. AT THAT TIME THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHILE RIDING THE BELT SUDDENLY BROKE AND I WAS COMING DOWN A STEEP GRADE AND WAS ALMOST RUN OVER BY A LARGE TRUCK. I WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF A HILL AND TRYING TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE BELT BROKE. THE FIRST TIME THE BELT BROKE THE MC HAD ABOUT 35,0…
Owner-reported narrative. 42,136 miles reported. Look up ODI 10787460 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 8017264 · 2002-08-27 (August 27, 2002)
VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN WITHOUT ANY NOTICE, THERE IS A DEFECT IN SOME WIRES WHICH SHUT DOWN THE CYLINDERS ON VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK CONSUMER STATES WIRE TO THE FRONT FUEL GETS PULLED CAUSING THE BIKE TO LOSE POWER AND RESULTED IN THE BIKE TO FALL DOWN WHEN STARTING OUT ON TURN. CONSUMER STATES HE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS FOUND ON THE INTERNET. *YH
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 8017264 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
02V002000 · Exterior Lighting
Reported: 2002-01-04 (January 4, 2002)
ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE CLIPS THAT RETAIN THE WIRING FOR THE FRONT FENDER TIP LIGHT CAN BECOME DETACHED FROM THE FENDER, CAUSING THE WIRES TO FRAY AND SHORT.
Consequence: THIS COULD CAUSE THE LIGHTING SYSTEM FUSE TO BLOW, LEAVING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT AN OPERATIONAL FRONT FENDER TIP LIGHT, HEADLIGHT, TAILLIGHT, RUNNING LIGHTS, AND PASSING LAMPS (IF EQUIPPED).
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FENDER TIP LIGHT WIRING HARNESS RETENTION CLIPS, AND INSPECT AND REPLACE, IF NECESSARY, ANY DAMAGED WIRING HARNESSES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JANUARY 9, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-342-4680.
NHTSA campaign record ↗04V134000 · Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers
Reported: 2004-03-18 (March 18, 2004)
ON CERTAIN TOURING AND POLICE MODEL MOTORCYCLES, THE 40 AMP MAIN CIRCUIT BREAKER CAN "OPEN" FOR REASONS OTHER THAN WHICH IT WAS DESIGNED, CAUSING AN UNEXPECTED INTERRUPTION OF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE MOTORCYCLE.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE MOTORCYCLE TO STALL, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 23, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.
NHTSA campaign record ↗