Owners filed 8 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the exterior lighting. It has been recalled 2 times.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Tires
1
1
0
2
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Power Train › Driveline › Driveshaft
1
1
0
1
Power Train › Automatic Transmission
1
0
0
0
Exterior Lighting
1
0
0
0
Engine and Engine Cooling
1
0
0
0
Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers
1
0
0
0
Electrical System
1
0
0
0
2 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers04V134000
Filed Mar 18, 200481,496 vehiclesHarley-Davidson Motor Company
Defect. 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.
Risk. 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.
Exterior Lighting02V002000
Filed Jan 4, 200228,949 vehiclesHarley-Davidson Motor Company
Defect. 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.
Risk. 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.
What owners reported
Newest filings
TiresCrash2 injured
Filed Nov 12, 20101,500 milesTN
ON SEPTEMBER 23RD 2010 MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELING WEST ON INTERSTATE 40 IN TENNESSEE ON A 2001 HARLEY DAVIDSON ULTRA CLASSIC.. AT MILE MARKER 356 THE REAR TIRE SUDDENLY DEFLATED CAUSING THE BIKE TO FISHTAIL VIOLENTLY. I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. I ATTEMPTED TO EASE THE BIKE INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE TO AVOID POSSIBLE COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. I LOST CONTROL AND MY WIFE AND I WERE THROWN FROM THE BIKE. THE BIKE FLIPPED AND WAS DAMAGED HEAVILY. MY WIFE RECEIVED MULTIPLE SCRAPES, BRUISES, AND A SPRAINED WRIST. I RECEIVED 6 BROKEN RIBS, SEVERE BRUISING, AND SEVERAL DEEP SCRAPES RESULTING IN SCARING OF MY RIGHT ARM AND HAND. THE REAR TIRE WAS A DUNLOP D-402 WIDE WHITEWALL. THE TIRE HAD LESS THAN 1500 MILES ON IT. IT APPEARED TO HAVE SEPARATED. THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED A FEW HOURS EARLIER BEFORE WE LEFT HOME. THE BIKE WAS NOT OVERLOADED. THE BIKE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. MY INSURANCE COMPANY SETTLED ON THE BIKE BUT WE HAVE SEVERAL MEDICAL BILLS THAT INSURANCE DID NOT COVER. *TR
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Feb 9, 200640,000 milesCA
REAR BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO POOR DESIGN OF MASTER CYLINDER MOUNTED TOO CLOSE TO EXHAUST ALONG WITH DOT 5 BRAKE FLUID WHICH GENERATES AIR IN SYSTEM AT ALTITUDES. *NM
Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 7, 200427,000 milesVA
I OWN A 2001 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTCUI. AT APPROXIMATELY 27,000 MILES THE MAIN DRIVE BELT BROKE. FORTUNATELY IT BROKE AS I ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE THE PARKING GARAGE, BUT HAD I BEEN IN TRAFFIC IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. THE DEALERSHIP LOOKED AT THE BELT AND SAID THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS CAUSE FOR THE BREAKAGE. I ASKED THE MANUFACTURER IF THEY WANTED TO LOOK AT THE BELT, BUT THEY DECLINED AND SAID IT WAS LIKELY CAUSED BY DAMAGE OR IMPROPER SERVICE. ALL MANUFACTERER RECOMMENDED SERVICE HAS BEEN DONE ON THIS VEHICAL, AND IT WAS DONE AT THE DEALERSHIPS, SO I DON'T BUY THE LATER CAUSE OF FAILURE. THIS HAPPENED A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT I HAVE RECORDS I CAN RETRIEVE THAT WILL SHOW A MORE EXACT DATE AND MILEAGE. *AK
Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Oct 29, 200350,000 milesPA
MOTORCYCLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. CONDITION FORCED DRIVER TO PULL THE MOTORCYCLE OFF THE ROAD. WAS UNABLE TO RESTART MOTORCYCLE UNTIL 30-60 -SECONDS LATER. DEALER INSPECTED MOTORCYCLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Electrical System
Filed Oct 29, 2003PA
2001 FLHTCUI HARLEY DAVIDSON:VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AT ANY TIME.HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE NEW AND AFTER TWO YEARS AND TOO MANY TRIPS TO THE DEALER TO FIX THIS PROBLEM I'M FRUSTRATED.THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBELM.U*AK
Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Filed Oct 13, 200311,500 milesPA
MAIN CIRCUIT BREAKER ON MOTORCYCLE CUTS OUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED, LEAVING BIKE WITH NO POWER. HAD TO DRIFT TO SIDE OF ROAD. WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND IT RESET ITSELF. BIKE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY AFTER THAT. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAPPENED. *LA
Power Train › Driveline › DriveshaftCrash1 injured
Filed May 22, 2002NC
REAR WHEEL DRIVE BELT BROKE AND LOCKED UP REAR WHEEL--MOTORCYCLE SLID SIDEWAYS IN A STEEP TURN AND HIT THE GUARD RAIL. MOTORCYLE THEN BOUNCED BACK INTO THE ROAD AND WRECKED AND INJURED MOTORCYCLE AND RIDER FOLLOWING. OVER $150,000 IN PERSONAL INJURY EXPENSE. SINCE THE ACCIDENT I HAVE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THIRTEEN OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH 2001 HARLEY-DAVIDSONS HAVING THE BELTS BREAK, SOME OF WHICH HAVE CAUSED PERSONAL INJURIES.
Exterior Lighting
Filed Jan 29, 2002MO
MOTORCYCLE WAS AFFECTED BY A RECALL, CONSUMER IS REQUESTONG A COPY OF RECALL NOTICE TO CORRECT ELECTRICAL WIRING FOR LIGHT ON FENDER TIP, DEALERSHIP WAS CHARGING CONSUMER FOR PARTIAL LABOR, $32.00 BECAUSE THEY HAD TO REMOVE A CHROME BRAKE ROTOR COVER, AN AFTER-MARKET PRODUCT, TO SERVICE RECALLED COMPONENT.*AK *SLC
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: Mar 18, 2004. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.