2018 Harley-Davidson Flde problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (2) · Power Train (2)
Safety recalls (2)
Suspension:rear:shock Absorber 2025-06-06 · campaign 25V375000 · 82,117 vehicles
Defect: Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain 2018-2024 Softail motorcycles. The mounting tab on the rear shock pre-load adjuster may break, allowing the rear shock absorber adjuster to damage the rear tire, causing a loss of tire pressure.
Risk: A sudden loss of tire pressure increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a new bracket, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 16, 2025. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0188. Some of the vehicles included in this recall were previously repaired under recall 23V591, and will need to have the new remedy completed.
Suspension:rear:shock Absorber 2023-08-22 · campaign 23V591000 · 65,224 vehicles
Defect: Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain 2018-2019 FLDE, 2018-2021 FLHC, 2018-2023 FLHCS, 2018 and 2023 FLHCS ANV, 2020-2023 FXLRS, 2022-2023 FXLRST, and 2022 FXRST Softail motorcycles. A fastener securing the rear shock absorber may break and allow the rear shock absorber adjuster to damage the rear tire, causing a loss of tire pressure.
Risk: A loss of tire pressure can lead to a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the shock absorber fastener, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0181.
Service bulletins (64)
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.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-17 · M1490 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin m1490 (v 26.9.4): digital technician ii - updates and release notes. purpose: revision. this bulletin informs dealers that harley-davidson has made a software update to digital technician ii (dt ii). digital technician ii (part number: hd-48650). new software update. note: the tech
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-14 · M1733 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin m1733: cosmetic cylinder staining (all milwaukee-eight models). purpose: initial release. this bulletin informs dealers that cosmetic staining or etching on the inside of the cylinder bore does not have an impact on engine performance, oil consumption, or overall functionality. this
Wheels 2026-07-25 · M1490 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin m1490 (v 26.8.3): digital technician ii - updates and release notes. purpose: revision. this bulletin informs dealers that harley-davidson has made a software update to digital technician ii (dt ii). digital technician ii (part number: hd-48650). version version 26.8.3, release dat
Fuel/Propulsion System 2026-06-11 · M1490 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin m1490 (v 26.7.3): digital technician ii - updates and release notes. purpose: revision. this bulletin informs dealers that harley-davidson has made a software update to digital technician ii (dt ii). digital technician ii (part number: hd-48650). version 26.7.3. release date:• week
Vehicle Speed Control 2026-04-24 · M1490 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin m1490 (v 26.6.2): digital technician ii - updates and release notes. purpose: revision. this bulletin informs dealers that harley-davidson has made a software update to digital technician ii (dt ii). digital technician ii (part number: hd-48650). version 26.6.2. release date: week
Vehicle Speed Control 2026-03-31 · M1490 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin m1490 (v 26.5.2): digital technician ii - updates and release notes. purpose: revision. this bulletin informs dealers that harley-davidson has made a software update to digital technician ii (dt ii). digital technician ii (part number: hd-48650). version 26.5.2 release date: week of
Showing the 6 most recent of 64 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-09-02 · Unknown Or Other“my 2018 harley softail was repaired .the rear shock adjuster bolt was broken 11/1/2018 at 1500 mile this was before the recalls.then it was repaired again with the recall 2/6/24 it was broken again.my bike was then repaired again on 7/29/25 for the recall .it was broken at the time again. on 8/25/25 i was riding home i felt a large bang to the rear…”
2022-11-01 · Service Brakes“faulty front brake light switch causes the brake light to remain on all the time. comon failure and the part is on back order for two months. issue has been confirmed by dealer. …”
2019-03-21 · Power Train · 3,000 mi“my motorcycle was recalled for a potentially life threatening condition. fluid could leak past the clutch reservoir and cause the drive train to stay engaged and you cant shift out of gear causing you to crash. this is march 21, 2019 and i am 123 customers away from the harley dealership from having parts to fix my bike.…”
2019-02-23 · Service Brakes · 2,400 mi“2018 harley davidson softail deluxe 2400 miles. was riding at lunch heading back to work, on a city street came to a intersection the lights were turning red went to apply my front brakes and they went from working with no issues or signs of issues to complete fail of the front brakes pulled off the road into a ditch while applying my rear brakes…”
2019-01-09 · Power Train · 1,600 mi“i received a recall notice on november 5th 2018 and still cannot get the dealer to fix the recall issue, it is now january 9th 2019…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.