2016 Harley-Davidson Flhx: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2016 Harley-Davidson Flhx
Only 6 defect reports have been filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Harley-Davidson Flhx, which is too few to compute mileage percentiles or a risk score. The reports reported loss of braking.
When each failure gets reported
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss of braking | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 13k | — | 1.0 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 2 | 2 | — | 1k | — | 1.0 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Manual clutch or hydraulics failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 300 | — | 0.5 | $900–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 5k | — | 0.5 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Loss of braking
Tl* the contact owned a 2016 harley-davidson flhx. While riding at an unknown speed, there was either a tire blowout or a brake failure that caused the contact to crash into a rock wall. As a result, the contact went airborne and landed on the pavement. The contact sustained lacerations and injuries to the lungs, head, elbows, fingers, and neck that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The motorcycle was towed to yellowstone harley-davidson (540 alaska frontage rd, belgrade, mt 59714, (406) 388-7684) where it was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was notified and opened case number: [xxx]. The approximate failure mileage was 13,000. *tt information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tt
Tl* the contact owned a 2016 harley-davidson flhx. While riding at an unknown speed, there was either a tire blowout or a brake failure that caused the contact to crash into a rock wall. As a result, the contact went airborne and landed on the pavement. The contact sustained lacerations and injuries to the lungs, head, elbows, fingers, and neck that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The motorcycle was towed to yellowstone harley-davidson (540 alaska frontage rd, belgrade, mt 59714, (406) 388-7684) where it was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was notified and opened case number: [xxx]. The approximate failure mileage was 13,000. *tt information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tt
Cruise control failure
The electrical switches on the left side stopped working. It has left me without inportant safety features like high beams, left blinker, and horn. Cruise control and volume control are also unusable. When I took it into the harley dealership in fairfax, va they told me they couldn't do anything at the shop b/c it wasn't currently "throwing a code". It has since stopped working again. The guy at the shop said it's fairly common for the switch housing to go out. The kicker, they said it would be $100 just to read the code (not covered under warranty) and if the problem was u see warranty, they would fix it. Seem's crazy that the bike is less than 6 months old and having safety issues! Note: date given below is just an estimate. Not sure of exact date.
The electrical switches on the left side stopped working. It has left me without inportant safety features like high beams, left blinker, and horn. Cruise control and volume control are also unusable. When I took it into the harley dealership in fairfax, va they told me they couldn't do anything at the shop b/c it wasn't currently "throwing a code". It has since stopped working again. The guy at the shop said it's fairly common for the switch housing to go out. The kicker, they said it would be $100 just to read the code (not covered under warranty) and if the problem was u see warranty, they would fix it. Seem's crazy that the bike is less than 6 months old and having safety issues! Note: date given below is just an estimate. Not sure of exact date.
Manual clutch or hydraulics failure
Gail's harley davidson in grandview, mo. Sold me a new motorcycle that has a very serious existing safety recall .......... Hd # 0169 NHTSA #16v-471. This is a violation of federal law. Per harley- davidson's own website, of which I have copies, the recall came out on 7/8/2016 and I purchased my motorcycle and took possession on 7/17/2016......... I had several near accidents before I stopped riding the bike any more; for instance I was almost pulled into an intersection when the clutch failed... It did this several times before I got it home and parked it in my garage.
Recalls on the 2016 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2016 Harley-Davidson Flhx, affecting an estimated 1,945 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover power train:clutch assembly. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
27,232 vehicles 2016-06-27- Defect
- Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain model year 2016 Electric Glide Ultra Classic (FLHTCU), Electra Glide Ultra Classic Low (FLHTCUL), Ultra Limited Low (FLHTKL), Ultra Limited (FLHTK), CVO Street Glide (FLHXSE), Street Glide (FLHX), Street Glide Special (FLHXS), Road Glide Special (FLTRXS), Road Glide (FLTRX), Police Electra Glide (FLHTP), Road Glide Ultra (FLTRU), Fat Boy S (FLSTFBS), Softail Slim S (FLSS), and CVO Softail Pro Street Breakout (FXSE) motorcycles. In the affected motorcycles, the clutch master cylinder may lose the ability…
- Consequence
- When the engine is running and the motorcycle is in gear, if the clutch cannot be fully disengaged, the motorcycle may move unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the clutch master cylinder for the presence of gas in the fluid, if so, the dealer will flush the clutch system and rebuild the clutch master cylinder, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2016. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0169.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
Every year of the Harley-Davidson Flhx
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
What the reports on file say
The complaints recorded against the 2016 Harley-Davidson Flhx are loss of braking (2 reports, around 13k miles), cruise control failure (2 reports, around 1k miles), manual clutch or hydraulics failure (1 report, around 300 miles) and other electrical problem (1 report, around 5k miles). With a sample this size these are anecdotes rather than a pattern, and they are shown because somebody looking at this exact car would rather see them than nothing.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Other years of the same model do have enough: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The mechanical parts are often shared across those years, so their pages are the better guide to what this one is likely to do, with the caveat that a shared part is not a shared production line.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed