My front brake lever froze and can not be pulled in on my 2012 Harley Davidson motorcycle. Dealership is saying brake pistons are froze up and ABS module will need to be replaced. I’ve owned the bike 6 years and have never been told the brake fluid needed to flushed every 2 years. There was a recall on this issue but only for years 2008-2011 and my bike is 2012, but was built on 2011. I never received recall notice.
The worst 2012 Harley-Davidson FLHX problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Brakes8
- Tires2
- Transmission2
- Body1
- Electrical1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes8
- Tires2
- Transmission2
- Body1
- Electrical1
- Engine1
- Wheels1
Recalls 1
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- What is wrong
- Harley-davidson is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 touring, cvo touring and trike vehicles manufactured from june 6, 2008, through september 16, 2011. See the above list for the models included in the recall. The rear brake light switch may be exposed to excessive heat from the exhaust system.
- Risk
- The excessive heat may cause the switch to not activate the brake lamp or activate the brake lamp when no brake is applied and/or cause a brake fluid leak at the brake light switch, affecting rear brake performance. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Harley-davidson will notify owners, and dealers will a install a rear brake light switch kit, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during october 31, 2011. Owners may contact harley-davidson at 1‑414‑343‑4056.
Recall number 11V506000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2012 Harley-Davidson FLHX 21
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Battery warranty guidelines
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Midtronics GRX-3110 and DCA-8000 software
- Genuine motor parts and accessories bulletin PAB1171 (rev b): software update for screamin eagle pro...
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Midtronics GRX-3110 and DCA-8000 software
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Market specific battery introduction
- Milwaukee eight and twin cam camshaft drive gear retention kit changes
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
What 2012 Harley-Davidson FLHX owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
2012 harley street glide ABS control module is failing. Causing the front brake lever to become rock hard and unusable. Same exact module that was recalled on 2008-2010 was also used in 2011-2013. Extreme safety hazard as you can not stop if someone pulls out in front of you.
Front brakes complete failure resulting in an accident. Abs failed & instead of reverting to non ABS it locked out the brake system resulting in no brakes. This is a design flaw on 2008 & up harley's with ABS. I believe that an investigation & recall are in order please. I was slightly injured, this can lead to fatalities!!
The ABS control module failed causing loss of brakes. A search of the internet revealed that this is a common problem with harley davidson ABS brake systems. There was no indicator light or warning that the problem existed just sudden brake failure. Luckily I was just moving the motorcycle around the yard when the problem occurred and was able to safely roll to a stop. Had this happened at highway speeds or in traffic the results could have been catastrophic. This vehicle has less than 8,000 miles on it and is garage kept in a climate controlled building. Any help or advise would be appreciated and I hope this can help or possibly save the lives of other riders.
The front brakes were fine going to work but when I left work the front brake lever was stiff as a board and had no front brakes. The bike was not in motion when I discovered the problem.
I was driving at 40 MPH on a 45 MPH 6 lane county road and a car cut in front of me. I downshifted one gear and grabbed the front brake lever and stepped on rear brake pedal. They were both as hard as a rock and I had no brakes. I jumped the curb and rolled into a grassy embankment and the bike fell on me. I had no brakes and rode home with a car behind me with flashers on, less than one mile home.
Front bake is hard to apply upon start up. It has also been hard a few times after the motorcycle has been ridden for a little.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 harley-davidson street glide (flhx). While parking the motorcycle, the brakes failed. There were no warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (steel city harley-davidson, 1375 washington rd, washington, pa 15301) for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and would not assist. The failure mileage was 21,000. *tt carfax not able to display VIN record updated 9/26/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 harley-davidson street glide flhx motorcycle. While driving approximately 50 MPH and applying the brakes, a vibration occurred under the chassis. The vehicle was taken to harley-davidson of nassau county (located on sunrise high, bellmore, ny 11710) where it was diagnosed that the aftermarket production of the custom rims and router that were attached to the wheel failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000.
Have a heel to toe shifter... Friend from a major harley dealer looked over the bike and noticed the shifter arm has slipped away from the transmission, so it slides up and down the splined shaft from the transmission making it loose and could fall off...have seen recalls for this but not for my VIN!?
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Questions about the 2012 Harley-Davidson FLHX
Is the 2012 Harley-Davidson FLHX reliable?
Owners have filed 16 complaints about the 2012 Harley-Davidson FLHX, 2.0 times a typical FLHX model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Harley-Davidson FLHX?
Brakes, with 8 complaints, typically around 30,000 miles. Next is tires (2).
How many recalls does the 2012 Harley-Davidson FLHX have?
1 recall, covering exterior lighting.
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