2008 Harley-Davidson Flhx
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Harley-Davidson › Flhx › 2008
These records cover every 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhx. 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 Flhx. 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
30 complaints1 involved a crash1 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Service brakes
after Harley Davidson performed the recall, the brakes are now lock up due to deposits in brake hydraulic control unit making the motorcycle unsafe to ride. they are stating this is not part of the recall, in the first paragraph of the recall it states that that is the problem that happens from the…
after Harley Davidson performed the recall, the brakes are now lock up due to deposits in brake hydraulic control unit making the motorcycle unsafe to ride. they are stating this is not part of the recall, in the first paragraph of the recall it states that that is the problem that happens from the defective brake fluid. This is exactly why the recall is out there, they had me using defective brake fluid for 10 years before they release the new fluid in February of 2018. This a complete band aid fix from a manufacture if i have ever seen one.
- Service brakes
I hit my brakes and I felt the abs system kick in and after I let off the brakes the next time I attempted to use the rear brake the pedal was extremely hard to push and I had no braking power on the rear of the motorcycle.
- Fuel/propulsion system
Motorcycle goes in to limp mode . No throttle response
- Electrical system · Service brakes
ABS Module failed causing loss of all brakes on motorcycle. Brakes were working. Brought cycle to Harley Dealer for brake fluid flush as part of recall. Upon mechanic using Digitech to perform service it caused ABS module to fail. Because of failure motorcycle was left with zero brakes. Had to pay…
ABS Module failed causing loss of all brakes on motorcycle. Brakes were working. Brought cycle to Harley Dealer for brake fluid flush as part of recall. Upon mechanic using Digitech to perform service it caused ABS module to fail. Because of failure motorcycle was left with zero brakes. Had to pay out of pocket for new ABS module. Due to design of module when it fails it causes brakes not to function leaving rider and other motorists at risk. I had to pay $641.61 out of pocket to remedy this failure that Harley Davidson was aware of.
- Engine · Power train
While riding on the freeway at 65 mph the check engine light came on and the bike went into a 'limp' mode all of a sudden and would not go over 15-20 mph. Had to cut across traffic without getting hit to get to the side of the road. Turned off bike and it reset was able to make it home. Researched…
While riding on the freeway at 65 mph the check engine light came on and the bike went into a 'limp' mode all of a sudden and would not go over 15-20 mph. Had to cut across traffic without getting hit to get to the side of the road. Turned off bike and it reset was able to make it home. Researched problem on line and have seems similar problems with this year and it's being traced bad pins used in some of the connectors during this time.
- Electrical system · Unknown or other
When riding the throttle goes into limp mode. On the freeway while changing lanes lost my throttle in front of cars going 75 mph this IS very dangerous!
- Service brakes
Rear pedal became to hard to press ABS module fail while in motion on the highway
- Service brakes
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley-davidson flhx. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 18v076000(service brakes). The motorcycle was taken to redding harley-davidson (1268 twinview blvd, redding, ca 96003) for service. After the recall service was performed, the mechanic…
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley-davidson flhx. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 18v076000(service brakes). The motorcycle was taken to redding harley-davidson (1268 twinview blvd, redding, ca 96003) for service. After the recall service was performed, the mechanic indicated that the ABS indicator remained illuminated. The contact stated that no indicators were illuminated prior to having the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 68,000.
- Engine · Power train · Unknown or other
Riding my flhx the other day and bike started making noise from my primary and I pulled over and checked noise and comfirmed it was coming from the left side(primary). Made it home safe; wasn't far from home. Took off the primary cover and checked over the inner primary components. The compensator…
Riding my flhx the other day and bike started making noise from my primary and I pulled over and checked noise and comfirmed it was coming from the left side(primary). Made it home safe; wasn't far from home. Took off the primary cover and checked over the inner primary components. The compensator and adjuster were bad. Did some research and found that the auto-adjusted chain tensioner tightens so bad over time that it ratchets all the sproket parts down so bad that it startes to create wear on components so bad that parts can break loose, lock up, and the components in my year flhx are severly under rated. This compensator wasn't supposed to be used for anything bigger than an 80 cubic inch motor; my bike came stock with a 96 cubic inch motor. Flhx IS past any warranty, but this IS an increasing problem that harley should be held accountable for and be made to correct it. Repair IS going to cost over $1000.00 for repair for something that should have been made right in the first place, especially for a motorcycle that IS so popular and vastly sold accrossed the country. If these parts were to lock up while riding, it could cause sever injury or death to rider and anyone around the bike during the time.
- Service brakes · Steering · Wheels
2008 harley davidson anti lock brake failure investigation-- unable to stop safely when anti lock brakes failed to work properly. brakes were applied mc skidded and lost control and I was ejected from the mc. Mc sustained roll over damage which consisted of broken forks, broken front fairing…
2008 harley davidson anti lock brake failure investigation-- unable to stop safely when anti lock brakes failed to work properly. brakes were applied mc skidded and lost control and I was ejected from the mc. Mc sustained roll over damage which consisted of broken forks, broken front fairing, broken front windscreen, scratches to the left side, broken left saddlebag, and dents to the crash bar rider sustained multiple broken bones and lacerations.
- Service brakes
After approx 15 min of riding, the brake pedal for the rear brake will depress all the way down and there will be no brakes. The front brake lever becomes difficult to squeeze and only applies minimal stopping ability. This has happened the last 3 times I have ridden and almost caused me to run a…
After approx 15 min of riding, the brake pedal for the rear brake will depress all the way down and there will be no brakes. The front brake lever becomes difficult to squeeze and only applies minimal stopping ability. This has happened the last 3 times I have ridden and almost caused me to run a red light through cross traffic. Once I get the bike home I can pump the brake and it will eventually work properly again or if it does not, it will the next day.
- Service brakes
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley-davidson flhx. While driving 50 mph, the contact depressed the brake pedal. As he turned left, the brake failed, the motorcycle flipped over, and the driver was ejected into the ditch. The driver sustained a minor injury, but medical attention was not required.…
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley-davidson flhx. While driving 50 mph, the contact depressed the brake pedal. As he turned left, the brake failed, the motorcycle flipped over, and the driver was ejected into the ditch. The driver sustained a minor injury, but medical attention was not required. The motorcycle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake failed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,135.
- Fuel/propulsion system
I was in a roundabout when I tried to increase my speed but no response. The bike would still run so I limped home. Ever sance it has set two codes thay are p1510 and p2138 went to local deler he told me I would half to install a race tuner I didnot install a race tuner . Thay also told me to live with it
- Service brakes
Rear brake line failure -- improper clutch cable routing rubbed against the brake line resulting a rupture.
- Engine
I have actually 2 complaints regarding the engine I bought a 103 kit in my harley from the factory ... In the past year I've noticed some issues with starting on taking it into a mechanic I was told the issue was inherent with the 103 engine that was later addressed which they added compression…
I have actually 2 complaints regarding the engine I bought a 103 kit in my harley from the factory ... In the past year I've noticed some issues with starting on taking it into a mechanic I was told the issue was inherent with the 103 engine that was later addressed which they added compression release to the heads ... I am out of warranty so I went ahead with this from my mechanic ... However in doing so he had it apart and took a look at the compensator and primary bearing ... Both of which were bad ... I look on the forums and it appears to be an ongoing issue ... Why was this not addressed and recalled? Both issues are prevalent for my year / model ... Or any model for that year and that engine ... *tr
- Power train
The compensator IS an issue with harley that needs to be addressed on 2007 and 2008 twin cam bikes. *tr
- Power train
What we have discovered IS the compensator sprocket has either worked loose or IS cracked, this IS within the shaft assembly where the clutch assembly and primary final drive IS located, harley knows they have a problem with this, and it could result in the drive train locking up if the assembly…
What we have discovered IS the compensator sprocket has either worked loose or IS cracked, this IS within the shaft assembly where the clutch assembly and primary final drive IS located, harley knows they have a problem with this, and it could result in the drive train locking up if the assembly locks up or something comes loose and causes such an event it could lock up the rear wheel and cause a crash I know of a few people that are having this same issue, and also just from research online there are a lot of motorcycles with the same problem. *tr
- Electrical system · Vehicle speed control
I was driving down the high way and was in the fast lane when all of a sudden my throttle stopped responding and I lost power to the bike I then pulled the clutch in so I didn't come to sudden stop and get rear ended by the car behind me and I eased over the median and noticed my check engine…
I was driving down the high way and was in the fast lane when all of a sudden my throttle stopped responding and I lost power to the bike I then pulled the clutch in so I didn't come to sudden stop and get rear ended by the car behind me and I eased over the median and noticed my check engine light was on so I turned the bike off and waited a few minutes and started it back up and the light returned and I was able to get it back to the house with limited throttle and power and crossing the two lanes for traffic to get off the highway was the scariest thing I have had to do on a bike I wasn't sure wouldn't fail half way between lanes so if this issue could be looked into I think it has potential to save a life and I don't feel safe having to ride in fear of this taking place again and its bad enough to worry about traffic its self but to add another worry to it makes it unsafe and I feel that more lives are put at risk because of it. *tr
- Engine · Vehicle speed control
While driving on a very busy highway at around 60 mph I went to pass a car and while in the other lane passing I lost all throttle. This has happened numerous times and very dangerous. I have been riding motorcycles for 40+ years and can't even imagine what would happen to an inexperienced rider.…
While driving on a very busy highway at around 60 mph I went to pass a car and while in the other lane passing I lost all throttle. This has happened numerous times and very dangerous. I have been riding motorcycles for 40+ years and can't even imagine what would happen to an inexperienced rider. I can not to this day get a straight answer from dealer's or mechanics. I guess this IS all included in the $22,000 I dished out.very very dangerous. There are definite issues with the electronic throttle (fly by wire). *tr
- Exterior lighting
Installed led headlight and passing lights. headlight failed in high and low beam modes at night. rechecked installation and had failures two additional times. unit completely failed on december 2, 2012. Mileage on unit was less than 1000 miles. *tr
- Suspension
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley flhx motorcycle. While driving approximately 35 mph, a loud nose emitted from the vehicle without any warning. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where both wheel bearings were replaced. The contact stated that in 2012, the failure recurred and the…
TL* the contact owns a 2008 harley flhx motorcycle. While driving approximately 35 mph, a loud nose emitted from the vehicle without any warning. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where both wheel bearings were replaced. The contact stated that in 2012, the failure recurred and the wheel bearings were replaced for the second time by the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 11,000.
- Electronic stability control (esc) · Vehicle speed control
Complete throttle failure at highway speed. Error codes collected indicate electronic throttle response failure. I have experienced this failure on multiple occasions. Postings on HD forums indicate the problem IS wide spread on HD motorcycles from 2008 forward with an electronic throttle control…
Complete throttle failure at highway speed. Error codes collected indicate electronic throttle response failure. I have experienced this failure on multiple occasions. Postings on HD forums indicate the problem IS wide spread on HD motorcycles from 2008 forward with an electronic throttle control system. This IS an extremely dangerous hazard for which HD has failed to accept responsibility or offer to correct. Please investigate! *tr
- Electrical system
Throttle cuts off. Harley davidson since 2008 uses a cable less throttle. From reading the forums this seems to be a wide spread problem. The throttle will just stop working because of sensor failure. This happen to me today on a secondary road. Could no even imagine this happening on the highway at 65 mph. *tr
- Vehicle speed control
2008 harley flhx, while traveling at normal speeds the vehicle loses throttle control, the engine IS still running just no throttle response 'fly by wire throttle', this has happened numerous times and I have taken it back to the dealership on four occasions, they have replaced the ecm, throttle…
2008 harley flhx, while traveling at normal speeds the vehicle loses throttle control, the engine IS still running just no throttle response 'fly by wire throttle', this has happened numerous times and I have taken it back to the dealership on four occasions, they have replaced the ecm, throttle body sensor and connector and connector pins with no results. This situation IS extremely dangerous and I have narrowly escaped death on two occasions. The latest event happening nov 4, 2010, the original event happened over a year and half ago. The dealership has put at apprx 3000 miles on the vehicle during this long process. *Tr
- Fuel system, other · Vehicle speed control
Fly by wire throttle on touring and cruiser harley-davidsons begins to rev / race without even turning the handle. Happens quite frequently once it begins. Particularly hazardous during turns and starting out in traffic. Has occurred on my motorcycle about 15 times in the past week. 3 times it…
Fly by wire throttle on touring and cruiser harley-davidsons begins to rev / race without even turning the handle. Happens quite frequently once it begins. Particularly hazardous during turns and starting out in traffic. Has occurred on my motorcycle about 15 times in the past week. 3 times it almost caused me to crash in a turn. Called local HD dealer and they came to pickup motorcycle 5/25/10 to service. Service manager says they have been having problems with this throttle system. *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.
- 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 Flhx model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.