On november 19, 2020, while traveling on a highway the engine light and temperature light came on meaning the engine was running hot, on an expressway the motorcyclist needs to pull over to the emergency lane which puts the operator in danger. It turns out the water pump malfunctioned on a 2016 motorcycle. The dealer was aware of the problems with the water pumps stating the harley has updated the water pumps so obviously harley is aware of the problems with the water pumps on 2014-2016 touring liquid cooled models. This same incident happened to my father on a 2015 tri glide in 2018. After researching this situation it appears this is a common problem which harley is aware of yet not correcting. The water pump failure puts the operator and passenger in a dangerous situation should the water pump fail on a busy expressway or highway.
The worst 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltru problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Acceleration2
- Electrical2
- Engine2
- Body1
- Visibility1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Acceleration2
- Electrical2
- Engine2
- Body1
- Visibility1
Recalls 1
Power train: clutch assembly
- What is wrong
- Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain model year 2016 Electric Glide Ultra Classic (FLHTCU), Electra Glide Ultra Classic Low (FLHTCUL), Ultra Limited Low (FLHTKL), Ultra Limited (FLHTK), CVO Street Glide (FLHXSE), Street Glide (FLHX), Street Glide Special (FLHXS), Road Glide Special (FLTRXS), Road Glide (FLTRX), Police Electra Glide (FLHTP), Road Glide Ultra (FLTRU), Fat Boy S (FLSTFBS), Softail Slim S (FLSS), and CVO Softail Pro Street Breakout (FXSE) motorcycles. In the affected motorcycles, the clutch master cylinder may lose the ability to generate enough lift to disengage the clutch, especially if the motorcycle has been parked for an extended period of time.
- Risk
- When the engine is running and the motorcycle is in gear, if the clutch cannot be fully disengaged, the motorcycle may move unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the clutch master cylinder for the presence of gas in the fluid, if so, the dealer will flush the clutch system and rebuild the clutch master cylinder, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2016. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1‑800‑258‑2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0169.
Recall number 16V471000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltru 43
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
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Big twin inner primary seal changes
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Aftermarket exhaust header debris
- Digital technician II - updates and release notes
- Dtii update procedure for software version (26.4.3)
What 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltru owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I was riding my motorcycle and encountered heavy rain when my speedometer, tachometer, dash lights, fuel indicator and voltage gauge started turning on and off, my fuel indication started going from empty to half tank over and over again until it went dead, same with my tachometer and speedometer. Now the tachometer is at around 1200 rpms and my speedometer is at 14 MPH. There's also swelling inside the glass due to water filtration I presume which harley davidson didn't seal the speedo and tach gauges really well. I'm really worried due to this and also worried for my fellow riders luckily I was going slow in the city but I'm afraid this could happen to other riders going at high speeds. I also searched online at many harley davidson forums and saw many people with this issue. While this happened the vehicle was in motion and in a city street around 3:40pm when I left work. I attached a picture below where if is zoomed in water can be noticed inside the speedometer and tachometer.
Water pump failed august 2018 on a trip and was replaced at dealership under warranty. The 2nd pump failed august 2019 for the same reason and was replaced with upgraded water pump by dealer in sept 2019. July 2020 the upgrade has failed. Going to dealer 3rd time for replacement.
Front wheel bearings went bad with only 131330miles on bike bearings were making a rumbling noise while riding down road
After a heavy rain, all the instruments stopped working
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 harley-davidson road glide ultra (fltru). While driving 60 MPH, the saddlebag mounting receptacle failed and the contact's saddlebag fell onto the road. The motorcycle was taken to a dealer (rock-n-roll city harley-davidson 4985 w 150th st, cleveland, oh 44135) where it was determined that this was a known issue. The dealer offered to repair the motorcycle and cover the cost of the saddlebag. The manufacturer stated that they would not cover the cost of the contents of the saddle bag. The motorcycle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 4,800. The VIN was unavailable.
I purchased this motorcycle on july 23, 2016 and according to 16v‑471 (attached), the submission date of the recall to the federal safety agency was june 24, 2016, the planned dealer notification date was july 06, 2016 - july 08, 2016, the planned owner notification date was july 18, 2016 - july 22, 2016. This means harley davidson knowingly sold me a potentially deadly motorcycle without notifying me at the time of purchase (because I wouldn't have bought it of course). I just had a friend die on a motorcycle. My wife and I are disappointed and angry with harley davidson for knowingly putting our lives in danger in the name of profitability. At minimum, this still-like-new motorcycle needs to be picked up and a refund issued.
Blinding glare from sun reflecting off the screen on the boom audio infotainment system. Glare is so bad that the driver is blinded and cannot see the roadway.
Compare the 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltru
Other model years
Questions about the 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltru
Is the 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltru reliable?
Owners have filed 8 complaints about the 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltru, 1.3 times a typical Fltru model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltru?
Acceleration and speed control, with 2 complaints. Next is electrical (2).
How many recalls does the 2016 Harley-Davidson Fltru have?
1 recall, covering power train.
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