2008 Harley-Davidson Flhrc
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Harley-Davidson › Flhrc › 2008
These records cover every 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhrc. 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 Flhrc. 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
12 complaints
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Unknown or other
On numerous occasions while attempting to warn drivers attempting to cut me off, or just letting them know that I am concerned for my safety by their driving habits, I have honked the horn on my motorcycle with little or no reaction. Simply put, the horn on this motorcycle IS about as loud as a…
On numerous occasions while attempting to warn drivers attempting to cut me off, or just letting them know that I am concerned for my safety by their driving habits, I have honked the horn on my motorcycle with little or no reaction. Simply put, the horn on this motorcycle IS about as loud as a fart in a rainstorm! I have talked with numerous other roadking owners with similar complaints. The horn IS too weak to notify other drivers of impending disaster! There IS a serious safety issue and should warrant a recall. Note: harley davidson offers a louder horn replacement for the stock horn however it it a $50.00 upgrade! That tells me that they are aware of the inferior stock horns on these motorcycles, however they want me to "foot the bill" for louders replacement units. Note: all newer harley-davidsons are now equipped with this upgraded horn.
- Service brakes
Rear brake switch wiring melted. brake switch began leaking profusely. dealer says brake fluid exchange recalled for year. the switch was not. however, forums say this IS a common problem due to excessive exhaust header heat. the dealer told me the switch has been redesigned. I have one…
Rear brake switch wiring melted. brake switch began leaking profusely. dealer says brake fluid exchange recalled for year. the switch was not. however, forums say this IS a common problem due to excessive exhaust header heat. the dealer told me the switch has been redesigned. I have one ordered. this problem happened spontaneously and could have been catastrophic.*dt vin provided has no displayable records. Updated 10/2/18*jb
- Service brakes
While starting to exit an interstate highway and entering the radiused exit ramp, I applied both front and rear brakes on my motorcycle in order to slow from 65 mph to a safe exit speed. While entering the turn, the brake pedal for the rear brakes, went all the way down. I lost all rear braking…
While starting to exit an interstate highway and entering the radiused exit ramp, I applied both front and rear brakes on my motorcycle in order to slow from 65 mph to a safe exit speed. While entering the turn, the brake pedal for the rear brakes, went all the way down. I lost all rear braking ability on the exit ramp. I was unable to safely slow to the posted exit speed. This motorcycle IS equipped with ABS braking. I returned home using front brakes only. The rear brake reservoir did not lose any brake fluid. The failure was not caused by a loss of brake fluid. I have not ridden the motorcycle since.
- Power train
2008 harley-davidson roadking classic with 23,748 miles started having excessive vibration and the starter made a loud "bang" during hot starts...also noticed a loud clunk sound from the primary chain case when shutting the engine off. The harley-davidson dealership diagnosed the problem to be a…
2008 harley-davidson roadking classic with 23,748 miles started having excessive vibration and the starter made a loud "bang" during hot starts...also noticed a loud clunk sound from the primary chain case when shutting the engine off. The harley-davidson dealership diagnosed the problem to be a worn compensator and sprocket. Apparently these components are having a high rate of pre--mature failure on 2007 thru 2010 harley motorcycles. This problem could lead to catastrophic engine failure and possible death if not properly diagnosed and replaced. Currently there IS no recall being offered by harley-davidson for this component. They do however offer an upgraded version SE compensator at a significant expense to the owner. I opted for the upgraded SE compensator replacement and now all previous symptoms are gone!
- Power train
The gear shift and heal-toe shift levers fell off the motorcycle while traveling on an interstate highway at a speed of about 75 mph, leaving no mechanism for changing gears. I have received anecdotal information from many other riders of harley davidson motorcycles that the loss of the heal-toe…
The gear shift and heal-toe shift levers fell off the motorcycle while traveling on an interstate highway at a speed of about 75 mph, leaving no mechanism for changing gears. I have received anecdotal information from many other riders of harley davidson motorcycles that the loss of the heal-toe shift levers IS a frequent occurrence, and they are forced to replace the shift levers with accessories from independent parts manufacturers. I have witnessed many such after-market modifications during my travels.
- Vehicle speed control
While driving at a speed of 60 mph, I encountered a horse drawn carriage on the side of the road. I applied my foot operated rear brake first and found that the cruise control would not disengage. Only after I applied my front hand brake could I get the cruise control to disengage. This IS a very dangerous situation that could have lead to serious rider/passenger injury. *tr
- Electrical system · Vehicle speed control
While traveling on the beltway at 60 miles an hour my motorcycle went into a limp mode. speed dropped to 15 miles an hour quickly and would not go above 15 mph. this has happened to me several times. recently took the bike to the dealer and they replaced a sensor in the handle bar. this did not…
While traveling on the beltway at 60 miles an hour my motorcycle went into a limp mode. speed dropped to 15 miles an hour quickly and would not go above 15 mph. this has happened to me several times. recently took the bike to the dealer and they replaced a sensor in the handle bar. this did not fix the problem, have to take the bike back to the dealer again due to the same recurring problem. when this occurs it IS very scary. Not sure if anyone has been injured or died as a result of this problem (what I experienced it will only be a matter of time). there are (many) pages of similar problems that have occurred on the internet. this problem needs to be addressed by harley. *tr
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
2008 harley-davidson roadking taken to the shop for excessive vibration. At 10,000 miles, the compensator sprocket on this motorcycle disintegrated and replaced by the dealer under warranty.. this sprocket IS connected to the main shaft this incident was diagnosed as a loose engine mount at…
2008 harley-davidson roadking taken to the shop for excessive vibration. At 10,000 miles, the compensator sprocket on this motorcycle disintegrated and replaced by the dealer under warranty.. this sprocket IS connected to the main shaft this incident was diagnosed as a loose engine mount at first. the dealer tightened it, but it did not correct the problem. I took it back and they claimed it was the compensator sprocket. replaced it and vibration was not corrected. they tore it back down and found that there was excessive runout on the primary crank (around .015) my research seems to lean toward harley-davidson increasing their runout spec in recent history. this type of play and vibration on the primary crankshaft of a motorcycle could lead to catastrophic engine failure, lockup, fire etc. Which could cause the rider to go down and possibly be fatally injured. the shop IS rebuilding the motor under warranty (only 25K on the motor). however, I am concerned that there IS a problem with 2008 and early 2009 models from postings on the web with similar stories. *Tr
- Steering
Our 2008 harley davidson road king classic with cruise control and ABS pulls to the left if constant pressure IS not applied to the handlebars. If you take your hands off the bars it will promptly cross the center line and would be heading into oncoming traffic. We made the dealer aware of this…
Our 2008 harley davidson road king classic with cruise control and ABS pulls to the left if constant pressure IS not applied to the handlebars. If you take your hands off the bars it will promptly cross the center line and would be heading into oncoming traffic. We made the dealer aware of this shortly after purchase. We have continued to point it out to them and have questioned the safety of the machine. We were assured that all of their bikes will go a little to the left or a little to the right, it IS normal. "That IS just how they are made". We had a handling issue which caused the bike to cross the center line on a curvy road. The bike then traveled across the opposite lane. Luckily there was no oncoming traffic at the time. There was a very small and soft shoulder on this road. The front tire entered the shoulder and was "sucked" in, causing the bike to go into the soft, muddy, shallow ditch. There was cosmetic damage to the fender, crash bar, headlamp assembly, and, fork tin. The bike was checked out by the dealer and they found no major damage. After replacing the parts the bike now pulls even harder to the left. We have had the dealer check it out. They have tried unsuccessfully on several occasions to resolve this problem. They claim that the bike IS safe and that we should continue to ride it. We have yet another appointment with them to have our bike for a few days so they can try once again to fix it. They have admitted they do not know what to do to solve the problem. I know that all bikes are not made pulling left or right. Our bike IS not the only one with this problem. A previous complaint proves that. Harley will not even consider that there IS something "wrong" with this bike. It IS after all a harley. A $25,000 touring bike should be safe and go straight. A bike that pulls left or right IS not safe, it IS dangerous. *Tr
- Electrical system
My harley davidson 2008 road king check engine light keeps coming on and harley davidson can't seen to offer a solution. the error code IS po577 and has something to do with the cruise control. I've had it in 3 times with the same results. No fixes. in to the dealer twice under warranty one time after that. *Tr
- Steering
My 2008 harley davidson road king classic with cruise control pulls to the left when hands are taken off the handle bars. the bike only has 3400 miles on it and was taken to the dealer the first month I had it for this problem. no fix found and now they have had it for 6 weeks with no fix. if…
My 2008 harley davidson road king classic with cruise control pulls to the left when hands are taken off the handle bars. the bike only has 3400 miles on it and was taken to the dealer the first month I had it for this problem. no fix found and now they have had it for 6 weeks with no fix. if you have to take your hands off the bars for a second to adjust your helmet, glasses or remove a bug that gets in your eye the bike starts to pull to the left and you have to lean very far to the right to keep it going straight. this IS a very lethal problem as you can be forced into on coming traffic or a bad road surface while trying to fix your short duration problem the dealer both times say they either never heard of this or they heard of it a few times. they claim all things are within factory specs and there IS nothing that can be done to fix the problem. harley IS only going to pay the dealer so much to fix it and if they can not determine the problem and the dealer decides the problem IS too much trouble to figure out, they tell you it IS now normal. what needs to be done to solve the hazard IS take the front steering, rear wheel and swing arms apart and check for alignment and possibly check the frame and determine if there IS a problem there. a touring bike should not pull to the left or right, these bikes are and should be designed for safe enjoyable straight riding. the public that spends ($30,000.00 on a touring bike should feel safe and not have to lean to one side to correct a steering-tracking problem). this IS very dangerous. *Tr
- Fuel system, gasoline
I received a recall notice from harley davidson the end of july 08 and as of now oct, I am still unable to have the recall corrected. I left my name and telephone at the shop in tacoma, wa to set up an appointment as soon as parts are available and am still waiting. the recall says the engine…
I received a recall notice from harley davidson the end of july 08 and as of now oct, I am still unable to have the recall corrected. I left my name and telephone at the shop in tacoma, wa to set up an appointment as soon as parts are available and am still waiting. the recall says the engine stall could cause injury or death. instead of having legal disclaimers, corrective action IS needed to limit further loss. *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.
- 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.
- 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.
Every Harley-Davidson Flhrc model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.