2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Harley-Davidson › Flhr › 2008
These records cover every 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
2 recalls name the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr. Newest first.
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…
Risk and remedy
Risk
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.
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…
Risk and remedy
Risk
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.
Owner complaints
14 complaints2 involved a crash2 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Service brakes
My complaint IS with the recall on the ABS brakes on 2008 HD flhr road king I towed my motorcycle to tucson harley because the back brake wouldn't work they told me due to maintenance the ABS module IS bad $800.00 parts alone I just bought this bike in dec used I haven't put 50 miles no way to…
My complaint IS with the recall on the ABS brakes on 2008 HD flhr road king I towed my motorcycle to tucson harley because the back brake wouldn't work they told me due to maintenance the ABS module IS bad $800.00 parts alone I just bought this bike in dec used I haven't put 50 miles no way to check maintenance on the motorcycle when you buy it private party.the recall should be on the ABS module because they used the wrong brake fluid, to begin with, the part ABS module # 4688-08 IS the problem it's all over the internet blogs it also says dead motorcycle riders can't file a compliant
- Service brakes
Sudden and complete loss of rear brake; pedal goes to the maximum limit without resistance. *tr
- Wheels
Front wheel locked up at 40 mph and threw me off the motorcycle. we believe the cause to be a defective front wheel bearing. *tr
- Electrical system · Fuel/propulsion system · Vehicle speed control
I was traveling on a surface road at approx. 50Mph. As I approached the intersection of euclid and lambert the light started to change. I rolled onto the throttle to clear the intersection safely. As I cleared the intersection I rolled off the throttle at which point the throttle went to the wide…
I was traveling on a surface road at approx. 50Mph. As I approached the intersection of euclid and lambert the light started to change. I rolled onto the throttle to clear the intersection safely. As I cleared the intersection I rolled off the throttle at which point the throttle went to the wide open position by itself. The sudden surge forward caused me to lose my grip on the handle bars, throwing me onto my back from the bike. The motorcycle continued approx. 1/4 mile down the road at the wide open throttle position ,going through another intersection without a rider. I suffered a shattered right wrist and road rash on the arms and back. I was fortunate to keep my life. The motorcycle IS totaled and fortunately didn't do any harm to anyone else but me. *tr
- Fuel/propulsion system
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley davidson road king flhr motorcycle. The contact stated that before starting the vehicle, he noticed fuel leaking from the fuel tank. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The vin was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 6,000.
- Engine
Stock compensator failed at 12300 miles. HD suggests replacing with upgraded screaming eagle compensator. high speed failure could result in serious bodily injury. *tr
- Electrical system · Vehicle speed control
Bike would just shut down. Once restarted it would idle at approx 1500 rpm (limp mode). this happen twice. there no throttle response, idle was still around 1500 rpm. Talk to the dealer about my issues. Before I could finish my little speech, I was told that it was the ecm or the atc pin connectors. He describes my problem to me. They have fixed this problem in that past. *tr
- Suspension
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley davidson road king classic motorcycle. the contact stated that there was a loud noise coming from the bottom of the vehicle. the contact diagnosed the failure and determined that the wheel bearing was defective. the dealer replaced the wheel bearing numerous…
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley davidson road king classic motorcycle. the contact stated that there was a loud noise coming from the bottom of the vehicle. the contact diagnosed the failure and determined that the wheel bearing was defective. the dealer replaced the wheel bearing numerous times, but the failure would recur. the manufacturer was notified, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 10,000 and the current mileage was 45,000. The vin was unavailable.
- Vehicle speed control
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley davidson flhr motorcycle. While driving approximately 35 mph,the motorcycle decelerated abnormally. The failure recurred when driving at various speeds. The motorcycle was taken to an authorized dealer where lubricant was applied to the electronic throttle connectors. The manufacturer was not notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 22,000. updated 03/14/12 *bf
- Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
2008 harley davidson motorcylce. Consumer writes in regards to rapid acceleration *tgw the consumer stated while riding the bike, it started to rapidly accelerate over the speed set on the electrical speed control. The speed control was set at 50 mph. However, the bike raced up to 70 mph on its…
2008 harley davidson motorcylce. Consumer writes in regards to rapid acceleration *tgw the consumer stated while riding the bike, it started to rapidly accelerate over the speed set on the electrical speed control. The speed control was set at 50 mph. However, the bike raced up to 70 mph on its own. The cruise control did shut of when the consumer manually pressed the set switch to the off position. once the cruise control setting was turned off, the check engine light illuminated on the speedometer. upon returning home, the consumer attached his harley davidson emc code read to the bike which gave he a diagnostics code number po557 cruise control input. *Jb
- Electrical system
Fly by wire throttle failed, throttle only works in idle mode. Third time this happened, last time was a 400 hundred dollar tow plus seven hundred dollars in hauling cost. Replaced tgs (throttle grip sensor), temporarily fixed for two miles. Throttle wire loom not available from harley, back ordered until 09/14/2010. Know for a fact of two other '08 HD touring bike this happened on. *Tr
- Suspension › Rear
When traveling between 50- 70 mph on a long sweeping turn, the rear end will begin to oscillate. Causing a lack or loss of control. *Tr
- Engine and engine cooling
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 (na) harley davidson road king. while pulling out of a service station at 15 mph, the contact heard a banging noise coming from the primary case. the bolt that holds the compensation brackets in the primary case came out, which caused the vehicle to stop running. he…
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 (na) harley davidson road king. while pulling out of a service station at 15 mph, the contact heard a banging noise coming from the primary case. the bolt that holds the compensation brackets in the primary case came out, which caused the vehicle to stop running. he pulled off the road and had the vehicle towed. the dealer that repaired the vehicle stated that the bolt was installed improperly when it was manufactured, and the incorrect lock type was used. the failure mileage was 2,723 and current mileage was 2,900.
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Front cylinder head gasket failed on my 2008 H-D flhrse4 at only 1900 miles resulting in oil leak. dealer IS checking both cylinders and heads for warpage prior to replacing gaskets. this appears to be an on going issue with the 110 motors and IS well documented on the various owner forums. *tr
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Sudden Brake Failure - Motorcycle
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation in July 2016 based on forty-three (43) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ).During the course of this investigation ODI received a total of 145 VOQs related to the alleged defect on the subject motorcycles.Owners allege they experience a sudden and…
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation in July 2016 based on forty-three (43) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ).During the course of this investigation ODI received a total of 145 VOQs related to the alleged defect on the subject motorcycles.Owners allege they experience a sudden and complete loss of brakes on one or both wheels.To better understand the cause of the braking issue on the subject motorcycles, ODI requested NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) conduct inspections and testing of affected vehicle braking systems.Through its work, VRTC determined that deposits were forming on the valves in the Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) of the Antilock Braking System (ABS). These deposits could prevent the proper function of the HCU and render the brakes ineffective.To understand why deposits were forming in the HCU, Harley Davidson completed an analysis of the Dow 460 brake fluid used as original equipment on the subject motorcycles and determined that it had stability issues if left in the brake system for an extended period of time.Harley Davidson found that if a brake fluid flush was not conducted as outlined in the owner?s manual for the motorcycles, and was left in the system for a period of time beyond their recommendation; deposits could form in the HCU.Through further testing, Harley Davidson identified an alternate, commercially available, brake fluid that did not have the same stability issues as the original fluid and could stop the proliferation of any current brake system deposits.ODI sent Information Request (IR) letters to Harley Davidson and Dow Chemical (the supplier of the brake fluid on the subject motorcycles) to collect information about the subject bikes and the alleged defect.Harley Davidson responded in full on Sept 30, 2016 and Dow responded with a confidential submission on October 25, 2017.ODI analyzed the information contained in both IR responses and concluded that motorcycles manufactured during Model Years (MY) 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 were failing at a rate greater than their peers.Based on this analysis and the brake fluid study conducted by Harley Davidson, a group of motorcycles was identified that were potentially affected by the instability of the original brake fluid.2008 marked the introduction of ABS on Harley Davidson motorcycles and a change in the Dow 460 brake fluid used in the 2012 MY vehicles provided the bases for the scope of the affected population.With recall action 18V-076 taken by Harley Davidson this investigation is closed as further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: https://www.nhtsa.gov/ using the complaint identification numbers attached to this resume.
- Motorcycle stalling
The subject fuel filter housing (p/n 62229-08) cracks, resulting in sudden engine stall due to unregulated fuel pressure.harley-davidson has modified the housing with a new part number 62229-08a.shortly after opening this pe, odi received harley's defect notification indicating that the subject vehicles were being…
The subject fuel filter housing (p/n 62229-08) cracks, resulting in sudden engine stall due to unregulated fuel pressure.harley-davidson has modified the housing with a new part number 62229-08a.shortly after opening this pe, odi received harley's defect notification indicating that the subject vehicles were being recalled to install the new fuel filter housing.with that recall, received prior to release of our information request, this investigation IS concluded.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11008736SERVICE BULLETIN M1555 (REV E): BATTERY WARRANTY GUIDELINES. PURPOSE: Revision E. Added: Added procedures for the DCA-8000 E Battery Tester.* Updated: All sections. This bulletin informs the dealership network that Harley-Davidson has provided guidelines for battery warranty.
- 11007544SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.8.8): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.8.8. Release Date: Week of August 5, 2024. New Features for Harley-Davidson vehicles: Advanced Module Replace for 2021 and later Revolution Max; 2023 and later CVO Touring; and 2024 Street Glide (FLHX), Road Glide (FLTRX). New Features for LiveWire vehicles: Updated calibrations for 2024 S2DM EV1/ EV6; 2024 S2MH EV1; and 2024 S2DM, S2MH. Changes: Added Hand Control Module (HCM) (Part No. 71500522A and 71500536A) for reflash support.
- 11005514GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1158: OIL FILTER PACKAGING AND CASE QUANTITY UPDATE. PURPOSE: To inform dealerships that Harley-Davidson has made updates to oil filters including new part numbers, packaging design, and bulk case quantity changes.
- 11001293SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.6.4): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.6.4. Release Date: Week of May 1, 2024. New Features for LiveWire S2DM and S2MH, 2024 Revolution Max, and 2024 Touring.
- 10254115SERVICE BULLETIN M1612 (REV A): MILWAUKEE-EIGHT AND TWIN CAM TRANSMISSION GEAR PACKS. Purpose: Revision. Update: Notes for Table 3 and 4. * Updated: Part Numbers. This bulletin informs dealers that all: Twin Cam gear packs on CVO, Dyna, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models and Milwaukee-Eight gear packs on CVO, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models ordered after December 04, 2023 will not come with the shift drum, forks, shafts and related hardware. Models Affected: 2006-2017 Twin Cams: Dyna models 2007-2016 Twin Cams: CVO, Police, Touring and Trike models 2007-2017 Twin Cams: Softail models 2017-2024 Milwaukee-Eight: CVO, Police, Touring and Trike models 2018-2024 Milwaukee-Eight: Softail models
- 10248401GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1146: 68193-95 BULB WEDGE, FENDER TIP LAMP. Purpose: To inform dealers of an issue with the bulb wire terminals not being to specification. The light bulbs were used in numerous front and rear fender tip light assemblies for domestic and international applications.
- 10248398SERVICE BULLETIN M1612: MILWAUKEE-EIGHT AND TWIN CAM TRANSMISSION GEAR PACKS. Purpose: This bulletin informs dealers that all: Twin Cam gear packs on CVO, Dyna, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models and Milwaukee-Eight gear packs on CVO, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models ordered after December 04, 2023 will not come with the shift drum, forks, shafts and related hardware. Note: Resubmission is a correction to Selected Products Section of Transaction ID 24MC44619, NHTSA ID 10248397. Models Affected by M1612 to include only: 2006-2017 Twin Cams: Dyna models 2007-2016 Twin Cams: CVO, Police, Touring and Trike models 2007-2017 Twin Cams: Softail models 2017-2024 Milwaukee-Eight: CVO, Police, Touring and Trike models 2018-2024 Milwaukee-Eight: Softail models
- 10248397SERVICE BULLETIN M1612: MILWAUKEE-EIGHT AND TWIN CAM TRANSMISSION GEAR PACKS. Purpose: This bulletin informs dealers that all: Twin Cam gear packs on CVO, Dyna, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models and Milwaukee-Eight gear packs on CVO, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models ordered after December 04, 2023 will not come with the shift drum, forks, shafts and related hardware.
- 10193480The purpose of this service bulletin is to communicate updates and corrections to certain 2008-2016 service literature.
- 10179446GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1100: TWIN CAM LONGBLOCK & WARRANTY ENGINE - PROGRAM UPDATES. PURPOSE: To inform dealers of certain twin cam longblock and twin cam warranty engines are no longer supported. Instead, shortblocks should be ordered where applicable.
- 10147404SERVICE BULLETIN M1296A: TRANSMISSION LUBRICANT CHECKING AND FILLING PROCEDURES. REVISION. Purpose: This bulletin is being revised to inform dealers that the transmission lubricant check and fill procedures have been updated. This should clarify the amount of fluid to be added to the transmission during PDI. Additionally, this removes Sidecar from applicability.
- 10139399TECH ARTICLE TA0023: TA0023: Crankshaft Rod Bearing. Purpose: Technicians have been falsely identifying connecting rod bearings as failed due to a perception of resistance as the rods are rotated. The clearance of the Twin Cam and Milwaukee-Eight crank pin bearings are maintained to a very tight range. This optimizes performance and maintains low mechanical noise in operation. The connecting rod bore can also distort slightly in operation due to stress relaxation. As a result, bearing clearance decreases due to the contact zone broadening and the load being distributed over more rollers. The combination of a bore being slightly out of round and reduced bearing clearance can result in varying degrees of resistance through the range of motion. Axial clearance is also tightly controlled for proper alignment. For these reasons, zones of resistance can be found when the connecting rods are rotated by hand through their range of motion. Resistance during rod motion, by itself, is not an indication of a performance or durability concern.
- 10090280This document will outline inspection and measurement procedures for gerotor style oil pumps. It provides inspection procedures only without specifications.
Every Harley-Davidson Flhr model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.