The 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtcu103 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 250,757 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the service brakes. Last updated July 5, 2026.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2012 TOURING, CVO TOURING AND TRIKE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 6, 2008, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 16, 2011. SEE THE ABOVE LIST FOR THE MODELS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY BE EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM.
Consequence
THE EXCESSIVE HEAT MAY CAUSE THE SWITCH TO NOT ACTIVATE THE BRAKE LAMP OR ACTIVATE THE BRAKE LAMP WHEN NO BRAKE IS APPLIED AND/OR CAUSE A BRAKE FLUID LEAK AT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, AFFECTING REAR BRAKE PERFORMANCE. EITHER CONDITION MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy
HARLEY-DAVIDSON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL A INSTALL A REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH KIT, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING OCTOBER 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.
Complaints by component
SERVICE BRAKES
5
1crashes
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2
ENGINE
2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1
STRUCTURE:BODY
1
1crashes1injuries
SUSPENSION
1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1
1crashes1injuries
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1
1crashes1injuries
WHEELS
1
Total complaints16
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“2012 road glide ultra. Abs module has gone bad at 48000 miles. This seems to becoming a common problem. It is very expensive to replace and the brakes do not function now. Motorcycle is not road worth and now parked.”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2012 harley davidson flhtcu. The contact stated that while driving about 30 mph, the vehicle lost brake power without warning. The vehicle was taken to the savannah harley-davidson dealer [REDACTED], located at 1 fort argyle rd, savannah, ga 31419) where it was diagnosed…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2012 harley-davidson flhtcu electra glide ultra motorcycle. While driving various speeds, the brake pedal was applied, but was stiff and difficult to depress. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was…”
“Kickstand spring broke causing bike to jump ninto 180 degree crash”
“Kickstand spring broke causing bike to jump ninto 180 degree crash”
“Start vehicle and no charging. Less than 12v on dash gauge. 2nd time in two weeks this has happened. Check engine and battery light come on. 3 miles down the road, and voltage is now 14v. Check engine and battery light switch off. Suspect a faulty voltage regulator. Had this happen on the 05…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2012 harley-davidson electra glide ultra flhtcu. While riding the motorcycle, the voltage fluctuated and the motorcycle began to sputter. The motorcycle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that there was a…”
“Abs hydraulic control unit (hcu) failure. Front brake lever and rear pedal locked out. No braking abaility. Component failure mode leaves vehicle with no braking ability causing accident w/o fatality. Harley davidson mo co notified with no response. Contacted [REDACTED].”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtcu103 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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