Rear brake failed, & no ABS. Push hard on pedal and NO BRAKES!!! Brake pedal very stiff and applies no brakes!! Almost got into wreck. It was close and I am calling it a wreck. Thank god I was going slow! This issue is highly dangerous!! Why doesn't the NHTSB give a [XXX]? (Rear brake has never worked well since new. Had it in the Harley shop when new, and they say nothing is wrong. Nothing wrong??? No brakes on a motorcycle is not a good thing!!!!!! ) Found that 2011 & earlier bikes have a recall on the ABS. My 2012 has the same system. Why is there not a recall? Also found that Harley will not fix the brake issue on the recalled bikes. WHY??? Also, air suspension system fails. This leads to a loss of control of the bike, somewhat. Also triple trees feel loose which effects handling. This may be related to the air suspension issues. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtk brakes problems
11 complaints (58% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 18,200. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 58%
- typical mileage
- 18,200
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Harley-Davidson Flhtk brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtk brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtk owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Rear brake paddle hard to press in motion,and on highway
Front brake lever is very hard to pull, front brakes won't engage. This happened as I was riding on the highway and getting ready to exit. I tried to pump the brakes and it got better but only for a few minutes. I called my mechanic and he told me it was the ABS control module. He said it's been happening for years with harley davidson's faulty design. This seems to still be happening even with bikes newer than mine. How many more lives have to be lost because of harley davidson's faulty equipment. I would like to add that my mechanic use to do all the warranty work for the harley dealership in augusta, ga he is a very knowledgeable and reputable and honest mechanic.
When backing out of garage I could not depress the front brake handle, it was completely stuck and would not move.
Front brake leaver froze up as I was preparing to stop. Lucky rear brakes worked. The brake leaver is froze it will not operate.
While riding my bike, I observed traffic stopping/slowing ahead. I tried to pull my front brake lever and it would not move at all. No give whatsoever. Luckily I was not in an emergency brake situation so I down shifted more rapidly, used my rear brake and came to a stop. At the next ramp, I got off the freeway and pulled into a gas station. When I tried my front brake lever again. This time it was pulling back, but needed a lot of force. In another minute I tried again and it felt normal, and engaged the brake. I continued home without incident. The next couple times I rode it didn't feel right. Then last week it felt fine and was working fine. The all of the sudden I tried to brake w/the front and it jammed again. I tried a little more pressure, and it began to move. After about an inch of travel, it gave all the way and locked the brake. I was going slow enough that the wheel didn't skid, but I ended up on my gas tank up against my fairing! I was not injured, and there was no damage to my bike, but if I had been on the freeway, my well being would have been at a huge risk. After seeing a mechanic, and going online to research this, I found out that the ABS module, is causing the problem. I am not alone in this as I have heard this from quite a few people over the past few days. I don't know if you have heard of this, but I wanted to get this out there, so you have a report on this, so maybe you folks can look into this. Brake systems aren't suppose to kill riders, in my opinion. Thank you for your time.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 harley-davidson ultra limited (na). While driving 45 MPH, the brake pedal was hard and failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to gateway harley-davidson (3600 lemay ferry rd, saint louis, mo 63125) where it was diagnosed that the ABS control module needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and opened case number: 3338038. No further assistance was provided. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 28,000.
Abs rear brake pedal is stuck and will not depress. I have no rear brake at all. I was driving on a city street approx. 40mph. Coming to a stop, I tried to apply rear brakes and found the pedal would not depress. I had no rear brake.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 harley-davidson flhtk. The contact stated that the ABS module failed and resulted in a lack of front brake functionality while driving 75 MPH. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
When slowing down rapidly, the front end wobbles fiercely, you have to be holding on very tightly and make it stop faster for it to be corrected, I have had the bike in the shop several times and no resolution. It is dangerous.
Questions about the 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtk brakes
Does the 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtk have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the brakes of the 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtk, 58% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtk brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 18,200 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtk brakes?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Harley-Davidson Flhtk have bad brakes?
The Harley-Davidson Flhtk model years with the most brakes complaints are 2010 (16 complaints), 2011 (13 complaints) and 2012 (11 complaints).
Other 2012 Harley-Davidson Flhtk problems
Electrical 4Suspension 3Engine 2Driver assistance 1Fuel system 1Steering 1Tires 1Transmission 1
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