What breaks most · 1995 to 2007 model years
Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI problems by year
Owners have filed 106 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI across model years 1995 to 2007. Three years stand out: 2003 for electrical system complaints, 2006 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints and 2000 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 1995, 1996 and 2004.
- Years to check closely: 2003, 2006, 2000
- Fewest complaints: 1995, 1996, 2004
- Complaints on file
- 1061995 to 2007, all trims
- Worst year
- 200325 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 130 fires · 10 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 15kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 12Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 10 | 2 | 1 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | Engine and cooling (5) | |
| 13 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 8 | 2 | 2 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 8 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 25 | 3 | 1 | Electrical system (16) | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (2) | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 14 | 2 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (5) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (1) |
What fails on the 2003 Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 64% |
16 | 2 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 12% |
3 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 8% |
2 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Equipment and infotainment | 4% |
1 | 1 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 4% |
1 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Tires | 4% |
1 | 1 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 4% |
1 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
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.
-
Speedometer goes to zero regardless of vehicle speed, engine idle control degrades. Problem seem to be greater during hot weather. Have seen similar complaints from other riders with similar equipment.
-
Brake line was found to be chaffed from rubbing on the clutch line which is bundle together. This resulted in a approximately 1/8" hole in the brake line. Found when changing the brakes.
-
Your campaign number 04v134000 includes model year 2001-2003 h-d motorcycles. I have a model year 2000 h-d motorcycle with the exact same electrical problem. The problem has occurred approximately 10 times since i have had the motorcycle. (the incident date is the last time the problem occurred) *la
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 30, 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 FLHTCUI years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2003, 2006, 2000 carry the most filings on the Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI. The 2003 alone has 25 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI problem?
On the 2003 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 16 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Harley-Davidson FLHTCUI complaints that include mileage is about 15,000 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.