2018 Harley-Davidson FXFBS: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
8 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
2,200 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2018 model year. Data snapshot: . 7 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 |
| Engine | 1 |
| Service Brakes | 1 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 1 |
Electrical System: 4; Vehicle Speed Control: 3; Engine: 1; Service Brakes: 1; Unknown Or Other: 1; Visibility/Wiper: 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 | 7 |
| 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: 7; 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 (7). 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 |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 2 |
2018: 2; 2019: 4; 2020: 2
Pattern summary
Electrical System 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 11123064 · 2018-08-28 (August 28, 2018)
CONDENSATION FORMS INSIDE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WHILE DRIVING, RENDERING THE SPEED INDICATOR UNREADABLE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE DRIVER CAN BECOME DISTRACTED TRYING TO READ THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THROUGH THE CONDENSATION. IT'S ALSO A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE DRIVER CAN'T DETERMINE THEIR SPEED WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER IS UNREADABLE. THE CONDENSATION MAY ALSO CAUSE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER TO FAIL OVER TIME. HARLEY DAVIDSON IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT HAS ADVISED THAT THEY WILL ONLY FIX IT ONCE, AND WON'T GUARANTEE THAT …
Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11123064 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11163989 · 2018-12-29 (December 29, 2018)
'TAKATA RECALL' REAR BRAKE LOCKS UP IN HARD BREAKING SITUATIONS AND PULLS BACK WHEEL LEFT. ALSO SPEEDOMETER CONSTANTLY FILLS WITH CONDENSATION NO MATTER WHAT THE TEMPERATURE OR WEATHER IS LIKE OUTSIDE. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE AND A CONSTANT PROBLEM
Owner-reported narrative. 2,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11163989 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11183224 · 2019-02-28 (February 28, 2019)
AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE WARMS UP (ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF RIDING), CONDENSATION BEGINS TO FORM INSIDE THE SPEEDOMETER ON THE INSIDE OF THE GLASS. THIS CONDENSATION BLOCKS THE VIEW OF THE SPEED READING AND OTHER INDICATORS. AT NIGHT, VISIBILITY IS EVEN WORSE WHEN THIS OCCURS. HARLEY SAYS THAT THIS IS JUST THE WAY IT IS, BUT THAT CANNOT BE THE CASE. THE GAUGE SHOULD BE COMPLETELY SEALED SO MOISTURE CANNOT GET IN. THIS IS A WIDELY REPORTED PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE IT IS DANGEROUS. THE PICTURE I ATTACHED SHOWS THE CONDENSATION FORMING ON TH…
Owner-reported narrative. 15 miles reported. Look up ODI 11183224 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11183239 · 2019-02-28 (February 28, 2019)
AFTER TAKING MY '18 HD OUT FOR LUNCH, THE SPEEDOMETER FOGGED UP WHILE I WAS INSIDE THE BUILDING (ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES - ~75 DEGREES OUTSIDE). THE ENTIRE RIDE HOME THE SPEEDOMETER WAS FOGGED UP AND I WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE SPEED OF MY MOTORCYCLE OR GEAR THAT THE BIKE WAS IN. SINCE THE UNIT ONLY HAS AN ANALOG TACH I AM OUT OF LUCK WHEN IT COMES TO DETERMINING MY SPEED TO KEEP SAFE / LAWFUL VEHICLE OPERATION ON THE ROAD. I PHONED HD TO ASK ABOUT POSSIBLE WARRANTY OPTIONS AND I WAS TOLD "THIS IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR" AND THAT THEY WOULD / COULD DO NOTHIN…
Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11183239 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11192417 · 2019-03-29 (March 29, 2019)
CONDENSATION FORMS INSIDE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WHILE DRIVING, RENDERING THE SPEED INDICATOR UNREADABLE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE DRIVER CAN BECOME DISTRACTED TRYING TO READ THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THROUGH THE CONDENSATION. IT'S ALSO A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE DRIVER CAN'T DETERMINE THEIR SPEED WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER IS UNREADABLE. THE CONDENSATION MAY ALSO CAUSE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER TO FAIL OVER TIME. HARLEY DAVIDSON IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT HAS ADVISED THAT THEY WILL ONLY FIX IT ONCE, AND WON'T GUARANTEE THAT TH…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11192417 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11193359 · 2019-04-02 (April 2, 2019)
THE SPEEDOMETER FILLS WITH CONDENSATION RENDERING IT UNREADABLE. HARLEY DAVIDSON CORPORATE IS REPLACING DEFECTIVE SPEEDOMETERS WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE SPEEDOMETER AND REFUSES TO REPLACE IT MORE THAN ONCE.
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11193359 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11319072 · 2020-03-23 (March 23, 2020)
MOISTURE IS COLLECTING UNDER THE SPEEDOMETER, FORCING ME NOT TO KNOW MY SPEED, RPM, ETC. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I AM ON MY SECOND FACTORY REPLACEMENT OF THE UNIT.
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11319072 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11321160 · 2020-04-15 (April 15, 2020)
OIL SUMPING, OIL PUMP FAILURE. CYLINDER SEIZED. 2300 TOTAL MILES. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 2,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11321160 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.