2004 Harley-Davidson Road King problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Vehicle Speed Control (1) · Tires (1) · Suspension:rear (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Harley-Davidson Road King model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (1)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Fuel System, Other:storage:fuel Gauge System 2004-05-07 · 58 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
wiring harnesses in accessory led fuel gauges part no. 75237-03 were manufactureed improperly. model year unknown. *mj
What owners report
2007-08-02 · Power Train“harley davidson roadking 2004 purchased new. gear shifter went "flacid" and i was unable to shift into any gear. this happened once in 2004; twice in 2005; twice in 2006; and once last week in 2007. each time the gear shifter was tightened by the american harley dealer here in western new york; and one time in 2006 harley replaced the gear shifter.…”
2005-09-22 · Electrical System:horn“horn gets worse and becomes inaudible. the harley motor company should recall and replace all horns with better quality parts. mine has been replaced at my cost. *nm…”
2005-08-24 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 13,100 mi“dt: the caller had warranty work done on gas tank line and the replacement part was of the same design only shorter. the caller said the line from the gas pump was rubbing on tank and causing a hole in the line inside the tank. dealer said the replacement part will fail. the caller did not have a problem yet with replacement part. manufacturer …”
2005-05-24 · Vehicle Speed Control“dt: consumer states: motor cuts out upon acceleration from stop or if starting the motorcycle and making a turn. also, it cuts out. it makes a noise pressure release of the air. *ak…”
2004-09-18 · Suspension:rear · 50 mi“i have reported this before but have not heard back from you... can you please help? poor handling motorcycle, 2004 harley davidson, flhtci - motorcycle tended to want to "pull" to the left, especially when decelerating - several visits to the dealer for "alignments" of the engine/frame/drivetrain - problem minimized but not eliminated. - "h…”
2004-08-09 · Tires · 3,000 mi“passing a semi tractor trailer a about 70mph front end steering on new 04 electraglide classic began a wobbling of the front tire. it was extremely noticable and nearly caused the bike to go into the tractor trailer. in order to solve the problem i reduced my speed w/o applying brakes to about 40mph and the wobbling finally stopped. *ak *tc…”
2004-08-03 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip · 5,000 mi“when braking there would be a loud grinding noise, which could cause extended stopping distance. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak…”
2004-07-24 · Suspension · 20 mi“motorcycle stability issue. i purchased new with about 20 test miles, an flhtci, 2004, harley davidson motorcyle. immediately upon riding i found it "pulled" to the left, especially when you roll off the throttle(decelerate). the amount of deflection would have caused a swerve into oncoming traffic had i not been an experienced rider. dealer ha…”
2004-06-04 · Engine And Engine Cooling“without warning, the motorcycle lost power when riding at any speed. this caused the consumer to drift to the side of the road. the consumer contacted the dealership about this issue. *ak *sc *jb…”
2004-05-25 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic“the dealership replaced the front rotors and pads . however the problem still existed. please provide further information. *jb…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.