2003 Harley-Davidson Flhrci

Routine

Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the equipment. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
000
Equipment1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Electrical System › Horn1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Exterior Lighting › Tail Lights04V218000
Filed May 7, 200431,070 vehiclesHarley-Davidson Motor Company

Defect. ON CERTAIN DYNA, XL, AND TOURING MOTORCYCLES, THE TAIL LIGHT BULB CAN FALL OUT OF THE SOCKET.

Risk. 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.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Feb 9, 200624,000 milesCA

REAR BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO USE OF DOT 5 BREAK FLUID AT HIGH ALTITUDE IN HOT WEATHER. ON TRIP OVER SIERRAS ON JULY 16, 2006, I AND FOUR OTHERS HAD REAR BRAKE OR OTHER HYDRALIC FAILURE. *NM

Electrical System › Horn
Filed Oct 4, 2005NJ

THE STOCK HORN ON MY 2003 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE HAD BEEN ANEMIC AT BEST FROM NEW AND HAD PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WEAKER IN VOLUME AND NOW ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALERS HAS CLAIMED THAT THE LOW VOLUME IS TYPICAL OF HD HORNS AND THAT, SINCE THE INTERMITTENT FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE 12 MONTH ORIGINAL WARRANTY, IT IS NOT A HD PROBLEM. THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN ACCIDENT YET. IF THERE IS, I MIGHT NOT BE AROUND TO COMPLAIN. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Jul 12, 20047,420 milesCA

CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE IN A NEW 2003 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE AT 3284 MILES AND AGAIN AT 7420 MILES. THE FIRST WAS DUE TO A CRACKED FLYWHEEL, WHICH WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, AND THE SECOND DUE TO A BROKEN OIL PUMP. THE CAUSE WAS DETERMINED BY AN ENGINEER'S MEASUREMENTS TO BE MIS-ALIGNED CRANKCASE, AND THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE ENGINE. *LA

Equipment
Filed Jan 7, 2004AZ

HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHRCI 2003. THE HOSES TO THE OIL COOLER COULD POSSIBLY RUBBED AGAINST THE ENGINE CRANKCASE. THE HOSES MAY LEAK OIL WHICH CAN CAUSE THE REAR TIRE TO SPIN OUT IF THE OIL CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE TIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *PH THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL#03E051000 FROM A THIRD PARTY, HOWEVER WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, HE WAS INFORMED THAT A FIX HAD NOT BEEN DEVELOPED AND TO TAKE THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE DEALER WHO MAY PROVIDE A SOLUTION. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HOSE, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER DID NOT BELIEVE THAT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM.*JB

4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2006
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20067000Routine
20052000Routine
2003 — this page4100Routine
20024000Routine
20011000Routine
20004000Routine
19997100Routine

Compare every Flhrci year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: May 7, 2004. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.