Riding vehicle when sudden and unexpected loss of power occurred. Searched online and found the issue was with the throttle control actuator. Hd has revised this assembly, but it is still problematic. Search results are loaded with other owners experiencing the same issue. Hd knows about it and has issued a tsb on it, but has done nothing in the order of a recall for this potentially deadly situation.
The worst 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHRSE4 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Acceleration2
- Electrical1
- Fuel system1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Acceleration2
- Electrical1
- Fuel system1
Recalls 2
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
- What is wrong
- Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling all 2008-2011 Touring, CVO Touring and VSRC motorcycles equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS), including Road King (FLHR), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHP), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHPE), Electra Glide Standard Police (EFI) (FLHTP), Electra Glide Classic (EFI) (FLHTC), Electra Glide Ultra Classic (EFI) (FLHTCU) and Street Glide (EFI) (FLHX), 2008 VROD (VRSCAWA), CVO Road King 4 (FLHRSE4), Night Rod (VRSCDA), CVO Ultra Classic 3 (FLHTCUSE3), Night Rod Special (VRSCDXA), 2008-2010 Road King Classic (EFI) (FLHRC), 2008-2009 Road Glide (EFI) (FLTR) and Electra Glide Standard (EFI) (FLHT), 2009-2010 V-Rod (VRSCAW), 2009 CVO Ultra Classic (FLHTCUSE4) and CVO Road Glide 3 (FLTRSE3), 2009-2011 Night Rod Special (VRSCDX) and V-Rod Muscle (VRSCF), 2010 CVO Ultra Classic 5 (FLHTCUSE5) and CVO Street Glide (FLHXSE), 2010-2011 Electra Glide Ultra Limited (FLHTK) and Road Glide Custom (FLTRX), 2011 Road Glide Ultra 103 (FLTRU103), Street Glide 103 (FLHX103), Road King Classic 103 (FLHRC103), CVO Ultra Classic 6 (FLHTCUSE6), CVO Road Glide Ultra (FLTRUSE), Road Glide Custom 103 (FLTRX103), and CVO Street Glide 2 (FLHXSE2) motorcycles. Deposits may form on components within the brake system if the DOT 4 brake fluid is not replaced for a prolonged period of time beyond the 2-year maintenance schedule specified in the Owners Manual.
- Risk
- These deposits may cause a valve within the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit to stick, reducing braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will flush the entire brake system with new Platinum Label DOT 4 brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1‑800‑258‑2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0171.
Recall number 18V076000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
- What is wrong
- Harley davidson is recalling 47,579 my 2008 flhp, flhpe, flhr, flhrc, flhrse4, flht, flhtc, flhtcu, flhtcuse3, flhtp, flhx, and fltr motorcycles. These motorcycles may experience a cracking of the fuel filter shell leading to loss of fuel pressure. This loss of fuel pressure can cause diminished performance and, in some cases, may cause an engine stall or a no-start condition.
- Risk
- This condition could lead to a crash which could cause injury or death to the rider.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel filter shell free of charge. The recall began on july 31, 2008. Owners may contact harley davidson at 1‑414‑343‑4056.
Recall number 08V357000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHRSE4
Defect investigations
Sudden Brake Failure - Motorcycle
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation in July 2016 based on forty-three (43) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ).During the course of this investigation ODI received a total of 145 VOQs related to the alleged defect on the subject motorcycles.Owners allege they experience a sudden and complete loss of brakes on one or both wheels.To better understand the cause of the braking issue on the subject motorcycles, ODI requested the federal safety agency's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) conduct inspections and testing of affected vehicle braking systems.Through its work, VRTC determined that deposits were forming on the valves in the Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) of the Antilock Braking System (ABS). These deposits could prevent the proper function of the HCU and render the brakes ineffective.To understand why deposits were forming in the HCU, Harley Davidson completed an analysis of the Dow 460 brake fluid used as original equipment on the subject motorcycles and determined that it had stability issues if left in the brake system for an extended period of time.Harley Davidson found that if a brake fluid flush was not conducted as outlined in the owner?s manual for the motorcycles, and was left in the system for a period of time beyond their recommendation; deposits could form in the HCU.Through further testing, Harley Davidson identified an alternate, commercially available, brake fluid that did not have the same stability issues as the original fluid and could stop the proliferation of any current brake system deposits.ODI sent Information Request (IR) letters to Harley Davidson and Dow Chemical (the supplier of the brake fluid on the subject motorcycles) to collect information about the subject bikes and the alleged defect.Harley Davidson responded in full on Sept 30, 2016 and Dow responded with a confidential submission on October 25, 2017.ODI analyzed the information contained in both IR responses and concluded that motorcycles manufactured during Model Years (MY) 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 were failing at a rate greater than their peers.Based on this analysis and the brake fluid study conducted by Harley Davidson, a group of motorcycles was identified that were potentially affected by the instability of the original brake fluid.2008 marked the introduction of ABS on Harley Davidson motorcycles and a change in the Dow 460 brake fluid used in the 2012 MY vehicles provided the bases for the scope of the affected population.With recall action 18V‑076 taken by Harley Davidson this investigation is closed as further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: using the complaint identification numbers attached to this resume.
PE16009
Technical service bulletins for the 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHRSE4 11
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Battery warranty guidelines
- Market specific battery introduction
- Milwaukee eight and twin cam camshaft drive gear retention kit changes
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Genuine motor parts and motor accessories bulletin PAB1158: oil filter packaging and case quantity update
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Milwaukee-eight and twin cam transmission gear packs.
- Genuine motor parts and motor accessories bulletin PAB1146: 68193-95 bulb wedge, fender tip lamp.
- Milwaukee-eight and twin cam transmission gear packs.
- Milwaukee-eight and twin cam transmission gear packs.
What 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHRSE4 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 h-d flhrse4. The contact stated that while parked, there was fuel leaking from the fuel tank without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that that the fuel tank o-ring needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 harley davidson road king motorcycle. While driving 65 MPH, he noticed that the right side saddle bag fell off of the vehicle. The contact was informed by the dealer that the retaining pins were loose and needed to be replaced. There were no prior warnings and the vehicle has not been serviced. The current and failure mileages were 8,500.
I was operating my 2008 harley davidson flhrse4 on several occasions when the throttle by wire cut out in traffic almost causing an accident. This has happened on several occasions, and each time, the motorcycle has been taken to the dealership where it was purchased for repair. Each time, the service dept. Stated the issue was fixed, only to occur again during a future ride. Apparently, the throttle by wire has been an issue ever since harley davidson started using it in their motorcycles. My 3rd and last incident I had, I was traveling in traffic, and my throttle cut out to idle, and then came on full throttle while I was moving with traffic, nearly causing me to collide with the rearend of a pickup truck, and crash my motorcycle. I pulled over after avoiding the collision, and shut the motorcycle down for a few minutes. Upon starting it back up, the motorcycle went into limp mode, and since I was close to the harley davidson dealership, I rode it to the dealership slowly on back streets. Upon reaching the dealership, the engine service light was on, and my butterfly valve on the bike was fluttering violently due to some sort of short in the throttle system. My bike is currently at the service dept. Awaiting a look by an "expert" from another dealership. I have owned this motorcycle a total of 13 months now, and it has been in the service department at the dealership I purchased it from, for about 2 months total. According the dealership, a different part has failed this time, but I know that the throttle by wire is the culprit due to the circumstances, and repeat function issues. This issue has nearly caused me several accidents due to the sudden drop in acceleration, and cutting out. When I asked the service dept. If I was the first with this problem, they told me of at least 20 other 2008 or newer h-d motorcycles with the same problems. What is it going to take before there is a safety recall on the throttle by wire/ fly by wire issue?
Compare the 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHRSE4
Other model years
2008
Questions about the 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHRSE4
Is the 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHRSE4 reliable?
Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHRSE4, close to a typical FLHRSE4 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHRSE4?
Acceleration and speed control, with 2 complaints. Next is electrical (1).
How many recalls does the 2008 Harley-Davidson FLHRSE4 have?
2 recalls, covering service brakes, hydraulic and fuel system, gasoline.
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