Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 4,224 complaints for HARLEY-DAVIDSON
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTCUTG
(2019) - STEERING
Feb 7, 2023
Incident date: Jan 16, 2023
The individual has a 2013 Ford Explorer with two active recalls for rear toe link fracture and reached out to Alton Blakely dealership in Somerset, Kentucky, to have it repaired. However, the dealership refused to repair the vehicle and directed the individual to find another dealership. The reason given was that in the past, they have conducted the repair and left the vehicle in worse shape than ... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLTRK
(2021) - POWER TRAIN
Jan 25, 2023
Incident date: Oct 18, 2022
Due to faulting welding in the torque converter, the transmission failed and the car would shudder and disengage while driving. This problem was associated with a separate recall for the identical year, make and model vehicle where the torque converter failed and Ford Edge's from July 2017 to March 2018 were recalled: https://www.motorsafety.org/ford-recalls-vehicles-with-defective-torque-c... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2022) - POWER TRAIN
Jan 19, 2023
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
Differential problem, converter torque locked up transmission and froze engine. No engine light or warnings were given, this happened in the middle of rush hour traffic where I could have been rear ended from sudden engine failure and was very dangerous for me to exit my vehicle for help. I had the vehicle repaired at Lithia Honda Medford oregon.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2022) - ENGINE
Jan 19, 2023
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
Differential problem, converter torque locked up transmission and froze engine. No engine light or warnings were given, this happened in the middle of rush hour traffic where I could have been rear ended from sudden engine failure and was very dangerous for me to exit my vehicle for help. I had the vehicle repaired at Lithia Honda Medford oregon.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHX
(2008) - STEERING
Jan 17, 2023
Incident date: Nov 24, 2022
When slightly pressing the accelerator while at speeds between approximately 35-70 MPH, there appears to be a vibration felt in the front of the car. It can be felt in the yoke and the pedal. It could affect the driver's ability to break or turn the wheel in emergency. It appears more than 60% of the owner of the same model and year has detected a similar shaking in the yoke and pedal, yet the m... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTCUTG
(2013) - SERVICE BRAKES
Jan 2, 2023
Incident date: Jan 2, 2023
When engine is hot, approximately 170F+ per oil temperature gauge, rear brake lights remain ON after only pressing the rear brake pedal. Seems to be more prevalent when motorcycle is stationary. Lights will only turn OFF after cooling and the engine is turned OFF and then ON again. This has happened multiple times. Has not happened with front brakes.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTCU
(2017) - SERVICE BRAKES
Nov 19, 2022
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
ABS module failure resulting in front brake locking up. ABS module failed resulting in brake failure. While I was not involved in any incident the failed part showed no signs of beginning to fail. One day I I got onto the motorcycle and when I went to squeeze the front brake it was hard as a rock and it locked up my front wheel. This particular failure happened in my driveway so nobody was in da... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHXS
(2017) - ENGINE
Nov 17, 2022
Incident date: Jan 1, 2017
The contact owns a 2017 Harley Davidson Street Glide FLHXS. The contact stated that while riding at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a high RPM and then lost motive power. The dealer was made aware of the failure and scheduled an upcoming appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to Tech... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHR
(2013) - SERVICE BRAKES
Nov 15, 2022
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
The front brake on my bike got real hard when depressed and brake would engage. I bled the brakes but because of being ABS I could not do so. I called manufacter and they said no recall was issued. Called dealer and they said could be fixed for a price. There are 33,336 miles on bike. I understand that this a problem and a recall was issued prior to the year of my bike, it doesn't seem to have b... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLTRK
(2022) - POWER TRAIN
Nov 6, 2022
Incident date: May 29, 2022
The plastic clutch cable adjuster broke & caused the clutch to begin slipping while riding up a hill. The bike would not move forward & had to be pulled to the side of the road.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLTRKSE
(2022) - POWER TRAIN
Nov 5, 2022
Incident date: May 20, 2022
the manufacture put damaged parts on then new vehicle. I pointed out the issued to the dealership. The dealership called the manufacture and the manufacture refused to fix the issue.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLTRKSE
(2022) - SERVICE BRAKES
Nov 5, 2022
Incident date: May 20, 2022
the manufacture put damaged parts on then new vehicle. I pointed out the issued to the dealership. The dealership called the manufacture and the manufacture refused to fix the issue.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLTRKSE
(2022) - ENGINE
Nov 5, 2022
Incident date: May 20, 2022
the manufacture put damaged parts on then new vehicle. I pointed out the issued to the dealership. The dealership called the manufacture and the manufacture refused to fix the issue.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLDE
(2018) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Nov 1, 2022
Incident date: Oct 12, 2022
Faulty front brake light switch causes the brake light to remain on all the time. Comon failure and the part is on back order for two months. Issue has been confirmed by dealer.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLDE
(2018) - SERVICE BRAKES
Nov 1, 2022
Incident date: Oct 12, 2022
Faulty front brake light switch causes the brake light to remain on all the time. Comon failure and the part is on back order for two months. Issue has been confirmed by dealer.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTCUTG
(2022) - SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:ABS WARNING LIGHT
Nov 1, 2022
Incident date: Oct 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Harley-Davidson FLHTCUTG Tri Glide Ultra Motorcycle. The contact stated that while riding at an undetermined speed, the ABS warning light illuminated. The motorcycle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS unit was not properly connected. The motorcycle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. On another occasion while riding at... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHX
(2009) - SERVICE BRAKES
Oct 28, 2022
Incident date: Oct 8, 2022
I took my bike in to Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson for the repair as described in the recall. My bike had no issues with brakes or ABS light. The service department hooked it up to their computer and the ABS light was triggered. The service caused the ABS Module to fail. They refuse to repair the damage they caused. They want me to sign a statement that I know I am leaving their shop without antilo... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHT
(2001) - SUSPENSION
Oct 27, 2022
Incident date: Oct 27, 2022
There is a crack in the rear swing arm from top to bottom. Have been reading on line forums. Apparently this has been going on for years. Why no recall ?
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHXSE
(2017) - POWER TRAIN
Oct 23, 2022
Incident date: Oct 22, 2022
At the 25K service no mention was made by the service tech. At the 30K service I was informed that oil is migrating form the transmission to the primary case. I was told to operate for 1000 miles bring it back to be verified. Brought it back on 10/22/2022. It was verified that oil is in fact migrating from the transmission to the primary case. This is a known problem with the M8 motorcycles. A s... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTK
(2015) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Oct 18, 2022
Incident date: Sep 29, 2022
Saddlebag fell off while driving. Dealer inspected and did not find cause. Previous recall fix had been completed.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHX
(2012) - SERVICE BRAKES
Oct 12, 2022
Incident date: Oct 1, 2022
My front brake lever froze and can not be pulled in on my 2012 Harley Davidson motorcycle. Dealership is saying brake pistons are froze up and ABS module will need to be replaced. I’ve owned the bike 6 years and have never been told the brake fluid needed to flushed every 2 years. There was a recall on this issue but only for years 2008-2011 and my bike is 2012, but was built on 2011. I never r... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FXBBS
(2022) - SERVICE BRAKES
Sep 25, 2022
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
Traveling at night on I-10 East. Near 22nd street off ramp. Banning calufornia, solo 40+ yes experienced rider on a 2022 Harley Davidson mc. Initially signed paperwork to finance vehicle at dealer in January 2022 (. Vin sticker reveals vehicle built in 2021. Anxious dealer selling it to me as a 2022 model as written all over contract. ) Multiple heavy trucks, and civilian vehicles in all directio... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FXBBS
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Sep 25, 2022
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
Traveling at night on I-10 East. Near 22nd street off ramp. Banning calufornia, solo 40+ yes experienced rider on a 2022 Harley Davidson mc. Initially signed paperwork to finance vehicle at dealer in January 2022 (. Vin sticker reveals vehicle built in 2021. Anxious dealer selling it to me as a 2022 model as written all over contract. ) Multiple heavy trucks, and civilian vehicles in all directio... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FXBBS
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Sep 25, 2022
Incident date: Apr 15, 2022
Traveling at night on I-10 East. Near 22nd street off ramp. Banning calufornia, solo 40+ yes experienced rider on a 2022 Harley Davidson mc. Initially signed paperwork to finance vehicle at dealer in January 2022 (. Vin sticker reveals vehicle built in 2021. Anxious dealer selling it to me as a 2022 model as written all over contract. ) Multiple heavy trucks, and civilian vehicles in all directio... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FXBBS
(2022) - SERVICE BRAKES
Sep 25, 2022
Incident date: Feb 12, 2022
Traveling on Calif i10 west midnight February 2022. Approaching exit making lane changes to make exit safely. Speeds of 65 70 mph. Pushed down on rear brake of motorcycle and the pedal fell completely off of it mount and became suddenly ineffective. No back brakes able to stop the bike utilizing alternative methods and heavy engine transmission use and barely the front brakes since relying on only... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2022) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sep 20, 2022
Incident date: Sep 18, 2022
Throttle tends to rev and stick at 4000rpm randomly. Not sure if this is caused by the system software or hardware failure or both. Once this happens the engine functions erratically and the exhaust pipes will heat up until they are red hot and will melt and cause a fire or explosion in the vehicle. The dealership and the manufacturer have been made aware of this tremendous vehicle safety hazard ... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2022) - ENGINE
Sep 20, 2022
Incident date: Sep 18, 2022
Throttle tends to rev and stick at 4000rpm randomly. Not sure if this is caused by the system software or hardware failure or both. Once this happens the engine functions erratically and the exhaust pipes will heat up until they are red hot and will melt and cause a fire or explosion in the vehicle. The dealership and the manufacturer have been made aware of this tremendous vehicle safety hazard ... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Sep 20, 2022
Incident date: Sep 18, 2022
Throttle tends to rev and stick at 4000rpm randomly. Not sure if this is caused by the system software or hardware failure or both. Once this happens the engine functions erratically and the exhaust pipes will heat up until they are red hot and will melt and cause a fire or explosion in the vehicle. The dealership and the manufacturer have been made aware of this tremendous vehicle safety hazard ... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2021) - ENGINE
Sep 18, 2022
Incident date: Sep 17, 2022
The radiator hose on the right side is not tightly clamped to the radiator hose mount. Vibration causes it to slip backward and contact the exhaust header which burns the radiator hose and causing catastrophic loss of coolant which can lead to engine seizure. Engine seizure while riding puts the rider, any passengers, and other motorists at risk.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTK
(2010) - SERVICE BRAKES
Aug 30, 2022
Incident date: Aug 30, 2022
Lost brakes to rear wheel with abs failure
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTCU
(2010) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Aug 25, 2022
Incident date: Aug 20, 2022
on Saturday 8/20/22 i was driving to work when i got in the parking lot i lost throttle control it went to limp mode. shut bike off started it back up worked fine. after work i was riding home got bout 2 mile my engine light came on and i lost power to my throttle. it would not rev up. shut bike off for few seconds it ran fine the rest of the way home. this is very dangerous if someone would of b... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTKSE
(2015) - STRUCTURE:BODY
Aug 17, 2022
Incident date: Jul 22, 2022
I brought my motorcycle into a Harley Davidson dealer for a Virginia State Safety Inspection. The inspector noticed a crack in the powder-coat of paint covering a welded section of the frame. Further investigation revealed the crack in the paint followed the edge of the weld and the weld is lifted off of the frame. Harley Davidson Corporate was notified and I was told the motorcycle is out of warr... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTKSE
(2015) - STEERING
Aug 17, 2022
Incident date: Jul 22, 2022
I brought my motorcycle into a Harley Davidson dealer for a Virginia State Safety Inspection. The inspector noticed a crack in the powder-coat of paint covering a welded section of the frame. Further investigation revealed the crack in the paint followed the edge of the weld and the weld is lifted off of the frame. Harley Davidson Corporate was notified and I was told the motorcycle is out of warr... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTKSE
(2015) - SUSPENSION
Aug 17, 2022
Incident date: Jul 22, 2022
I brought my motorcycle into a Harley Davidson dealer for a Virginia State Safety Inspection. The inspector noticed a crack in the powder-coat of paint covering a welded section of the frame. Further investigation revealed the crack in the paint followed the edge of the weld and the weld is lifted off of the frame. Harley Davidson Corporate was notified and I was told the motorcycle is out of warr... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTCU
(2014) - POWER TRAIN
Aug 16, 2022
Incident date: Aug 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra. The contact stated that while riding at an undisclosed speed, the clutch was unable to disengage, preventing a shift to the intended gear. The contact added DOT 4 fluid into the clutch reservoir however, the failure recurred with the clutch fluid leaking. The motorcycle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHTC
(2009) - SERVICE BRAKES
Aug 10, 2022
Incident date: Oct 1, 2021
Bought the HD new in 2008 and used all warranty plans for 1st 10 years of ownership. They performed all work per their guidelines. Never once did they flush the system as this recall mentions every 2 years? While riding down my driveway the rear brake failed to engage on a gravel road and I loss control using my front brake to stop before entering a 2 lane road with traffic at 45 MPH. Loss of cont... Read more
Crash
1 injured
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLTRU
(2011) - SERVICE BRAKES
Aug 7, 2022
Incident date: Jun 25, 2022
riding down a hill i applied the brakes and come across some dirt on the road the anti lock brake activated so i did not skid about a half mile down the road was a stop sign when i applied therear brake again they did not work. There were no warning of the failure until i needed brakes,there were no warning lights before or after the failure . the ABS had to be replaced at a total cost of 1417.59 ... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLHC
(2018) - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION:PUMP
Aug 2, 2022
Incident date: Apr 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Harley-Davidson FLHC Heritage Classic. The contact stated while riding approximately 75 miles at 3500rpm at approximately 3,500 RPM, there was an oil pump defect in the sump. There also was unusual metal-on-metal sound. Additionally, there was oil leaking onto exhaust. The oil warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that there was a loss of power while riding at ... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 27, 2022
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
The TFT (display) intermittently goes black while riding and / or when starting. This is a huge safe issue. You don’t know if the gear is in neutral, turn signals engine temperature, etc cannot be monitored… the biggest issues when you come to a stop and you don’t know what gear you are in causing stalling in high traffic areas, intersections, etc. Harley is well aware of the issue and refus... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2021) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Jul 24, 2022
Incident date: Jul 23, 2022
2021 Harley Pan America engine electrical/ engine issue the bike will lock itself at 4k rpm when applying throttle nothing will happen. The bike is stuck at 4k rpm and will force you to crawl and not let you speed up. Causing you to be in danger of vehicles and not being able to escape any situation. It will flash a check engine light and show that traction control, and general warning lights are ... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2021) - ENGINE
Jul 24, 2022
Incident date: Jul 19, 2022
While riding this motorcycle, I stopped for gas and then went to restart the motorcycle and the starter just "screeched" rather that starting the engine. On second attempt, the bike started however the normal idle RPMs of around 1200 went up to 4000 and would not drop back to normal RPM. (I have had this bike take as many as 4 start attempts, twice while stuck in busy intersections and previousl... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 24, 2022
Incident date: Jul 19, 2022
While riding this motorcycle, I stopped for gas and then went to restart the motorcycle and the starter just "screeched" rather that starting the engine. On second attempt, the bike started however the normal idle RPMs of around 1200 went up to 4000 and would not drop back to normal RPM. (I have had this bike take as many as 4 start attempts, twice while stuck in busy intersections and previousl... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2021) - ENGINE
Jul 24, 2022
Incident date: Jul 23, 2022
2021 Harley Pan America engine electrical/ engine issue the bike will lock itself at 4k rpm when applying throttle nothing will happen. The bike is stuck at 4k rpm and will force you to crawl and not let you speed up. Causing you to be in danger of vehicles and not being able to escape any situation. It will flash a check engine light and show that traction control, and general warning lights are ... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2021) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 24, 2022
Incident date: Jul 23, 2022
2021 Harley Pan America engine electrical/ engine issue the bike will lock itself at 4k rpm when applying throttle nothing will happen. The bike is stuck at 4k rpm and will force you to crawl and not let you speed up. Causing you to be in danger of vehicles and not being able to escape any situation. It will flash a check engine light and show that traction control, and general warning lights are ... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2021) - VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Jul 24, 2022
Incident date: Jul 19, 2022
While riding this motorcycle, I stopped for gas and then went to restart the motorcycle and the starter just "screeched" rather that starting the engine. On second attempt, the bike started however the normal idle RPMs of around 1200 went up to 4000 and would not drop back to normal RPM. (I have had this bike take as many as 4 start attempts, twice while stuck in busy intersections and previousl... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
NIGHTSTER (RH1250)
(2022) - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 23, 2022
Incident date: Jun 15, 2022
Vehicle had a no start 3 weeks after purchasing, dealer inspected said to charge battery. 2 weeks after getting bike back, no start again. Dealer picked up said right hand module was bad and was replaced. Same night we picked it up, bike had another no start. Dealer picked up and currently has in possession says it is once again right hand module which they had just fixed. No solution as of yet.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
NIGHTSTER (RH1250)
(2022) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Jul 23, 2022
Incident date: Jun 15, 2022
Vehicle had a no start 3 weeks after purchasing, dealer inspected said to charge battery. 2 weeks after getting bike back, no start again. Dealer picked up said right hand module was bad and was replaced. Same night we picked it up, bike had another no start. Dealer picked up and currently has in possession says it is once again right hand module which they had just fixed. No solution as of yet.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
FLRT
(2016) - SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Jul 22, 2022
Incident date: Jul 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Harley-Davidson FLRT Freewheeler. The contact stated that while riding 60 MPH, the front wheel had seized with smoke coming from the front tire after the handlebar brake was released. The motorcycle was taken to the dealer on two separate occasions where the calipers, rotors, and brake pads were replaced twice; however, the failure recurred. The motorcycle was then taken to... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2021) - UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Jul 19, 2022
Incident date: Jun 29, 2022
Twice while at a busy intersection and after stopping, I inadvertently stalled the engine when releasing the clutch after stopping. This is a non-issue if I can immediately restart the engine and get moving. However, when I try to restart the engine to clear the intersection as cars are swerving around me. I hit the starter and it just "screeches" and the engine does not start. I wait several ... Read more
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
RA1250
(2021) - ENGINE
Jul 19, 2022
Incident date: Jun 29, 2022
Twice while at a busy intersection and after stopping, I inadvertently stalled the engine when releasing the clutch after stopping. This is a non-issue if I can immediately restart the engine and get moving. However, when I try to restart the engine to clear the intersection as cars are swerving around me. I hit the starter and it just "screeches" and the engine does not start. I wait several ... Read more