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Harley-Davidson FlhrModel year report

2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr Problems

Complaints
14filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
12,300miles, 13 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 14 consumer complaints for the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr. The part named most often is vehicle speed control, with 4 complaints (29% of the total), followed by electrical system (3) and brakes (2). 13 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 12,300 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 15 technical service bulletins for this model year. Vehicle speed control complaints overlap with 4 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Electrical system complaints overlap with 4 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Vehicle speed control: “Bike would just shut down. Once restarted it would idle at approx 1500 RPM (limp mode). This happen twice. There no throttle response, idle was still around 1500 RPM. Talk to the dealer about my issues. Before I could finish my little speech, I was told that it was the ECM or the atc pin connectors. He describes my problem to me. They have fixed this problem in that past.”

NHTSA complaint #10454567, filed 2012-04, 23,000 miles

Electrical system: “I was traveling on a surface road at approx. 50mph. As I approached the intersection of euclid and lambert the light started to change. I rolled onto the throttle to clear the intersection safely. As I cleared the intersection I rolled off the throttle at which point the throttle went to the wide open position by itself. The sudden surge forward caused me to lose my grip on the handle bars, throwing me onto my back from the bike. The motorcycle continued approx. 1/4 mile down the road at the wide open throttle position ,going through another intersection without a rider. …”

NHTSA complaint #10555753, filed 2013-12, 10,300 miles

Brakes: “My complaint is with the recall on the ABS brakes on 2008 hd FLHR road king I towed my motorcycle to tucson harley because the back brake wouldn't work they told me due to maintenance the ABS module is bad $800.00 parts alone I just bought this bike in dec used I haven't put 50 miles no way to check maintenance on the motorcycle when you buy it private party.the recall should be on the ABS module because they used the wrong brake fluid, to begin with, the part ABS module # 4688-08 is the problem it's all over the internet blogs it also says dead motorcycle riders can't file a compliant”

NHTSA complaint #11072402, filed 2018-02, 21,038 miles

Engine cooling: “Front cylinder head gasket failed on my 2008 h-d flhrse4 at only 1900 miles resulting in oil leak. Dealer is checking both cylinders and heads for warpage prior to replacing gaskets. This appears to be an on going issue with the 110 motors and is well documented on the various owner forums.”

NHTSA complaint #10208806, filed 2007-11, 1,880 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

100% of the 13 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 9,000 and 22,000 miles.

31%0–1054%10–2515%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (13 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 12,300 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

2007200820102011201232013320142018
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 15 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 15 bulletins →

Other model years of the Harley-Davidson Flhr

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
201853,4501———Not enough data
2011927,0002———Not enough data
20091019,0003———Not enough data
20081412,3002———Not enough data
1999854,8271———Not enough data
1995630,0420———Not enough data

All Harley-Davidson Flhr model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr have?

NHTSA recorded 14 consumer complaints for the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr is reported most often?

Vehicle speed control is named most often, in 4 complaints (29% of the total), followed by electrical system with 3.

Has the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2008 Harley-Davidson Flhr reported?

Among the 13 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 12,300 miles and the middle half falls between 9,000 and 22,000 miles; 100% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.