The 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtk has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 250,757 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 27 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
11
1crashes
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4
SUSPENSION
3
2crashes1injuries
ENGINE
2
1injuries
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1
1injuries
POWER TRAIN
1
STEERING
1
TIRES
1
Total complaints27
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Rear brake failed, & no abs. Push hard on pedal and no brakes!!! Brake pedal very stiff and applies no brakes!! Almost got into wreck. It was close and I am calling it a wreck. Thank god I was going slow! This issue is highly dangerous!! Why doesn't the nhtsb give a [xxx]? (rear brake has never…”
“Rear brake failed, & no abs. Push hard on pedal and no brakes!!! Brake pedal very stiff and applies no brakes!! Almost got into wreck. It was close and I am calling it a wreck. Thank god I was going slow! This issue is highly dangerous!! Why doesn't the nhtsb give a [xxx]? (rear brake has never…”
“Rear brake paddle hard to press in motion,and on highway”
“Front brake lever is very hard to pull, front brakes won't engage. This happened as I was riding on the highway and getting ready to exit. I tried to pump the brakes and it got better but only for a few minutes. I called my mechanic and he told me it was the abs control module. He said it's been…”
“When backing out of garage I could not depress the front brake handle, it was completely stuck and would not move.”
“Front brake leaver froze up as I was preparing to stop. Lucky rear brakes worked. The brake leaver is froze it will not operate.”
“While riding my bike, I observed traffic stopping/slowing ahead. I tried to pull my front brake lever and it would not move at all. No give whatsoever. Luckily I was not in an emergency brake situation so I down shifted more rapidly, used my rear brake and came to a stop. At the next ramp, I got…”
“The rear dunlop tire on my 2012 harley electra glide started to lose air. Upon a closer inspection the tire was splitting in numerous spots. The tire is not dry rotted . For safety reasons it was returned to the dealer who installed the tire. He stated he had never seen this happen before. A new…”
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 Flhtk as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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