What breaks most · 1995 to 2019 model years
Harley-Davidson FLHT problems by year
Owners have filed 67 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Harley-Davidson FLHT across model years 1995 to 2019. Three years stand out: 1999 for engine and cooling complaints, 2009 for brakes complaints and 1996 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2000, 2004 and 2005.
- Years to check closely: 1999, 2009, 1996
- Fewest complaints: 2000, 2004, 2005
- Complaints on file
- 671995 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 19998 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 20 fires · 4 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 24kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 15Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (6) | |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 8 | 1 | 1 | Engine and cooling (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (2) | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Engine and cooling (3) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Wheels (1) | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 8 | 0 | 3 | Brakes (4) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Brakes (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Body and structure (2) |
What fails on the 1999 Harley-Davidson FLHT
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 38% |
3 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 25% |
2 | 0 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 13% |
1 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 13% |
1 | 1 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Equipment and infotainment | 13% |
1 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Consumer contacted dealer in reference to recall0101/angle sensor. Dealer contacted, problem was taken care of. *ak *ml
-
Consumer received NHTSA recall 98v158000 concerning ignition switch failure. On 28 jul 98. On above date contacted dealer to honor recall. Dealer informed consumer that parts would be available in august or october 30 1998. However, recall has still not honored at this time. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Harley-Davidson FLHT years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1999, 2009, 1996 carry the most filings on the Harley-Davidson FLHT. The 1999 alone has 8 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Harley-Davidson FLHT problem?
On the 1999 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 3 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Harley-Davidson FLHT problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Harley-Davidson FLHT complaints that include mileage is about 24,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.