2012 Harley-Davidson Flstfb

Routine

Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes3
101
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Exterior Lighting1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Exterior Lighting
Filed Apr 25, 2022CA

MY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH DOESN'T WORK ON THE FOOT BRAKE AND IT STAYS ON, ON THE HAND BRAKE. I HEARD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS ON HARLEYS.

Service Brakes
Filed Aug 2, 20183,416 milesPA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTFB. WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS AT THE DEALER (M & S HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 160 FALLING SPRING ROAD, CHAMBERSBURG, PA 17202, 717-709-9650) FOR ROUTINE BRAKE FLUID REPLACEMENT MAINTENANCE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER FURTHER STATED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID WAS CONTAMINATED, AND THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD MOISTURE AND CORROSION. THE FRONT MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT EXPLAINED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE WAS KEPT IN A GARAGE WITH A DEHUMIDIFIER AND WAS CLIMATE CONTROLLED; THEREFORE, THE CYLINDER SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V076000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,416.

Service BrakesCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 12, 20184,000 milesOK

I PURCHASED A NEW 2012 HARLEY DAVIDSON AT A HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP IN CORITH, TX. SOON AFTER FOUND THAT THE ABS LIGHT WAS COMING ON. I HAD TAKEN IT BACK TO THEM TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT. STILL HAD ISSUES AND HAD THEM LOOK AGAIN. I'VE HAD ISSUES WITH IT SINCE. ALSO TOOK IT TO HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP IN SHERMAN, TX. THEY HAD IT FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. THEY SAID THEY REPLACED A WIRE. STILL HAVING ISSUES TOLD THEM ABOUT IT SEVERAL TIMES. LITTLE OVER A WEEK AGO I HAD A WRECK IN A TURN BECAUSE MY BACK TIRE KEPT LOCKING UP AND SKIDDING. I HAD A FRIEND FOLLOWING ME THAT SEEN IT. NOW THEY TELL ME IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT $11,000.00 FOR REPAIRS FROM THE WRECK. THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR IT AND ARE TRYING TO BLAME ME. ASKING ME IF I DID THE TWO YEAR BRAKE LINE FLUSH AND ASKED ME WHY I WAS RIDING IT IF ABS WASN'T WORKING. I NEED HELP. AT THE COST OF REPAIRS THE BIKE MAY BE TOTALED. IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME I KEEP THIS BIKE. MY OLDER BROTHER PASSED AWAY IN 2012. I WAS RIDING NORMAL JUST WANTING TO RELAX AFTER HAVING OPEN HEART SURGERY IN MARCH. I JUST WANT MY BIKE FIXED AND FEEL SAFE TO RIDE IT. I THINK I'VE PAID ENOUGH TO GET THAT. THANK YOU

Service Brakes
Filed Apr 21, 2013200 milesOK

WHEN THIS MOTORCYCLE WAS NEW, AFTER SITTING IN MY GARAGE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER WOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO THE HANDLEBARS. I COULD PUMP IT UP AND IT WOULD BE OK UNTIL IT SET FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, NO BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL THEY DID BUT THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. TODAY I ROLLED IT OUT OF THE GARAGE, @ 3851 MILES, AND PUMPED THE LEVER. ON THE SECOND PULL, THE BOLT INTO THE MASTER CYLINDER, WITH A BANJO FITTING, BLEW OUT AND BRAKE FLUID SPRAYED ALL OVER AND, OBVIOUSLY, NO BRAKE. THE THREADS IN THE MASTER CYLINDER APPEAR TO BE STRIPPED AND I CANNOT TIGHTEN THE BANJO FITTING. I HAVE READ THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM OF HAVING TO PUMP UP THE BRAKES ON THAT YEAR HARLEY DAVIDSON. *TR

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 15, 20121,200 milesCA

I'VE PURCHASED A 2012 H. D. FAT BOY. AFTER 1200 MILES, I'VE NOTICED THAT THE THROTTLE CABLES CONSTANTLY CONTACT AGAINST THE NACELLE AND CAUSE CABLE CHAFE AND NACELLE DAMAGE. I DID MU OWN INVESTIGATION AND FOUND OUT THAT THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS AMONG ALL SOFT TAIL MODELS. I CONTACTED HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THEY HAVE REFUSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IF NOT FIXED COULD RESULT IN SAFETY, CAUSING THROTTLE TO LOCK AT HIGH SPEED. *TR

5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2012
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20161000Routine
20142000Routine
20131000Routine
2012 — this page5000Routine
20111000Routine
20102000Routine

Compare every Flstfb 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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.