2008 Harley-Davidson FLHX: complaints, problems and recalls

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V357000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP) IN JULY OF 2008. HE CALLED THE DEALER ON AUGUST 4,2008 TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL AND THEY WOULD CALL HIM WHEN THEY ARRIVED. THE TECHNICIAN NEVER CALLED BACK. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER AND DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE HAS YET TO …

Owner-reported narrative. 8,030 miles reported. Look up ODI 10240947 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE RIDING MY 2008 STREET GLIDE I WOULD LOSE ALL RESPONSE ON THE THROTTLE, WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE I HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL THE THROTTLE RANDOMLY BEGAN TO RESPOND. WHILE ON THIS PARTICULAR TRIP THE BIKE REPEATED THIS AT LEAST 10-15 TIMES. THE BIKE IS BEING TRAILER TO THE DEALER FOR REVIEW. THIS IS DEFINATELY A SAFETY ISSUE WHILE RIDING BIKE ON A BUSY INTERSTATE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 2,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10241175 at NHTSA ↗

THE SEAT ON MY 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHX BROKE AT HE REAR BRACKET. THE BRACKET IS HELD ON TO THE SEAT BY PLASTIC TABS, WHICH BROKE. THE SEAT SLID REARWARD UNDER ACCELERATION, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THESE BRACKETS USED TO BE ATTACHED TO THE SEAT WITH TWO BOLTS, BUT I GUESS HARLEY SAVING MONEY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEIR CUSTOMERS SAFETY. I CALLED H-D CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND THEY SAID THEY WOLD ONLY REPLACE THE SEAT WITH ANOTHER ONE JUST LIKE IT. IS'NT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVFIDE A SAFE MOTORCYCLE, NOT ONE THAT …

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10266319 at NHTSA ↗

2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE FLHX NOTICED NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR WHEEL OF THE MOTORCYCLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND AT LOWER SPEEDS AROUND TOWN HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT PRODUCES A HOWLING / WHINING NOISE. AND AT LOWER AROUND TOWN IT PRODUCES A CLICKING NOISE .TYPICAL NOISES THAT A FATIGUED WHEEL BEARING WOULD MAKE WHEN IT IS STARTING TO FAIL.TOOK MOTORCYCLE TO THE HARLEY DEALER TOLD THEM ABOUT THE NOISES, THEY STATED THAT THOSE NOISES WHERE NOT THERE AND ANY NOISE I WAS HEARING WAS NORMAL AND THAT THERE TIME FOR CHECKING OUT THE BIKE WAS NOT COVE…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10269702 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED A 2008 HARLEY DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE IN AUGUST OF 2008. ALL WAS GREAT UNTIL JUNE 2009 A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE 5000 MILE SERVICE. I WAS RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE TO WORK AND IT SIMPLY SHUT OFF, AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES IT RESTARTED. I LET IT GO THINKING IT WAS JUST A FLUKE, BUT AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS IT HAPPEN AGAIN. THEN, AFTER SEVERAL MORE WEEKS, AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER 7/28/09 AND THEY KEPT IT A WEEK AND SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE BIKE HOME AND AGAIN, A FEW WEEKS LATER, IT SHUT OFF ON THE WAY T…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10285293 at NHTSA ↗

FLY BY WIRE THROTTLE ON TOURING AND CRUISER HARLEY-DAVIDSONS BEGINS TO REV / RACE WITHOUT EVEN TURNING THE HANDLE. HAPPENS QUITE FREQUENTLY ONCE IT BEGINS. PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS DURING TURNS AND STARTING OUT IN TRAFFIC. HAS OCCURRED ON MY MOTORCYCLE ABOUT 15 TIMES IN THE PAST WEEK. 3 TIMES IT ALMOST CAUSED ME TO CRASH IN A TURN. CALLED LOCAL HD DEALER AND THEY CAME TO PICKUP MOTORCYCLE 5/25/10 TO SERVICE. SERVICE MANAGER SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS THROTTLE SYSTEM. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 24,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10332236 at NHTSA ↗

2008 HARLEY FLHX, WHILE TRAVELING AT NORMAL SPEEDS THE VEHICLE LOSES THROTTLE CONTROL, THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING JUST NO THROTTLE RESPONSE 'FLY BY WIRE THROTTLE', THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AND I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON FOUR OCCASIONS, THEY HAVE REPLACED THE ECM, THROTTLE BODY SENSOR AND CONNECTOR AND CONNECTOR PINS WITH NO RESULTS. THIS SITUATION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND I HAVE NARROWLY ESCAPED DEATH ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE LATEST EVENT HAPPENING NOV 4, 2010, THE ORIGINAL EVENT HAPPENED OVER A YEAR AND HALF AGO. THE DEA…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10364131 at NHTSA ↗

THROTTLE CUTS OFF. HARLEY DAVIDSON SINCE 2008 USES A CABLE LESS THROTTLE. FROM READING THE FORUMS THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. THE THROTTLE WILL JUST STOP WORKING BECAUSE OF SENSOR FAILURE. THIS HAPPEN TO ME TODAY ON A SECONDARY ROAD. COULD NO EVEN IMAGINE THIS HAPPENING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 13,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10437360 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2008-07-30 (July 30, 2008)

HARLEY DAVIDSON IS RECALLING 47,579 MY 2008 FLHP, FLHPE, FLHR, FLHRC, FLHRSE4, FLHT, FLHTC, FLHTCU, FLHTCUSE3, FLHTP, FLHX, AND FLTR MOTORCYCLES. THESE MOTORCYCLES MAY EXPERIENCE A CRACKING OF THE FUEL FILTER SHELL LEADING TO LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE. THIS LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE CAN CAUSE DIMINISHED PERFORMANCE AND, IN SOME CASES, MAY CAUSE AN ENGINE STALL OR A NO-START CONDITION.

Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WHICH COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH TO THE RIDER.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER SHELL FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.

Reported: 2018-01-29 (January 29, 2018)

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling all 2008-2011 Touring, CVO Touring and VSRC motorcycles equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS), including Road King (FLHR), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHP), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHPE), Electra Glide Standard Police (EFI) (FLHTP), Electra Glide Classic (EFI) (FLHTC), Electra Glide Ultra Classic (EFI) (FLHTCU) and Street Glide (EFI) (FLHX), 2008 VROD (VRSCAWA), CVO Road King 4 (FLHRSE4), Night Rod (VRSCDA), CVO Ultra Classic 3 (FLHTCUSE3), Night Rod Special (VRSCDXA), 2008-2010 Road King Classic (EFI) (FLHRC), 2008-2009 Road Glide (EFI) (FLTR) and Electra Glide Standard (EFI) (FLHT), 2009-2010 V-Rod (VRSCAW), 2009 CVO Ultra Classic (FLHTCUSE4) and CVO Road Glide 3 (FLTRSE3), 2009-2011 Night Rod Special (VRSCDX) and V-Rod Muscle (VRSCF), 2010 CVO Ultra Classic 5 (FLHTCUSE5) and CVO Street Glide (FLHXSE), 2010-2011 Electra Glide Ultra Limited (FLHTK) and Road Glide Custom (FLTRX), 2011 Road Glide Ultra 103 (FLTRU103), Street Glide 103 (FLHX103), Road King Classic 103 (FLHRC103), CVO Ultra Classic 6 (FLHTCUSE6), CVO Road Glide Ultra (FLTRUSE), Road Glide Custom 103 (FLTRX103), and CVO Street Glide 2 (FLHXSE2) motorcycles. Deposits may form on components within the brake system if the DOT 4 brake fluid is not replaced for a prolonged period of time beyond the 2-year maintenance schedule specified in the Owner’s Manual.

Consequence: These deposits may cause a valve within the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit to stick, reducing braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will flush the entire brake system with new Platinum Label DOT 4 brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0171.