What breaks most · 2014 to 2022 model years
Harley-Davidson FLHXS problems by year
Owners have filed 51 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Harley-Davidson FLHXS across model years 2014 to 2022. Three years stand out: 2014 for brakes complaints, 2017 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2015 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2020, 2019 and 2016.
- Years to check closely: 2014, 2017, 2015
- Fewest complaints: 2020, 2019, 2016
- Complaints on file
- 512014 to 2022, all trims
- Worst year
- 201417 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 50 fires · 4 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 5kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 14Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | 5 | Brakes (4) | |
| 6 | 2 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 7 | 1 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (5) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Body and structure (1) |
What fails on the 2014 Harley-Davidson FLHXS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 24% |
4 | 1 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 12% |
2 | 0 | — |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 12% |
2 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Equipment and infotainment | 12% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 12% |
2 | 0 | Shop all exterior lighting parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 12% |
2 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 12% |
2 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 6% |
1 | 0 | Shop all electrical system 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.
-
Was riding and when i was coming to a stop the front brakes completely locked up. The motorcycle was completly immovable
-
Excessive heat from a defective engine design has caused several burns to right lower leg. Rear cylinder creates excessive heat which forces operator to assume unsafe sitting positions to avoid engine heat, which right leg is always exposed to with no choice due to vehicle controls.
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 FLHXS years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2014, 2017, 2015 carry the most filings on the Harley-Davidson FLHXS. The 2014 alone has 17 complaints, led by brakes.
What is the most common Harley-Davidson FLHXS problem?
On the 2014 model year, the most-reported component is brakes with 4 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Harley-Davidson FLHXS problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Harley-Davidson FLHXS complaints that include mileage is about 5,000 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.