NHTSA Complaint #10461323 — 2012 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTK

2012 FLHTK ULTRA LIMITED PURCHASED 03/2012. ON MAY 25TH 2012 THE FRONT BRAKE FAILED. THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER WAS HARD AND WOULD NOT MOVE TO ENGAGE THE FRONT BRAKES. I TOOK THE BIKE TO THE DEALER AND THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY I WAS TOLD THE ABS MODULATOR HAD A STUCK VALVE OR SOME UNKNOWN FAILURE AND HD WAS SHIPPING OUT A PART TO FIX IT. THURSDAY THAT SAME WEEK THEY CALLED AND SAID THE BIKE WAS FIXED. I HAVE TALKED TO THE DEALER AND SPENT 5 HOURS ON THE PHONE WITH HD CORPORATE OFFICE CUSTOMER SERVICE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME TO BE INFORMED OF WHAT EXACTLY THE FAILURE WAS. I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH A TECH WHO CAN EXPLAIN WHY THE ABS SYSTEM DID NOT WARN ME OF A FAILED VALVE AND WHY THE ABS WAS ABLE TO DISABLE THE FRONT BRAKES ON A MOTORCYCLE. THE ABS SOLE REASON FOR BEING ON THAT BIKE IS ADDED SAFETY, NOT TO MAKE IT LESS SAFE. HAD THIS FAILURE HAPPENED A FEW HOURS LATER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON THE INTERSTATE WITH NO WAY TO STOP THE BIKE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY! I UNDERSTAND THINGS BREAK, I GET IT. BUT HD DID NOT TEST THE REST OF THE COMPONENTS IN THE ABS SYSTEM FOR OTHER CONTRIBUTING ISSUES. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NO ABS LIGHT, NO CODES, NOTHING. JUST GO TO GRAB THE BRAKES AND THEY ARE NOT THERE, THE ENTIRE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. I SEEM TO BE THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES JUST HOW SERIOUS THIS ISSUE IS AND NO ONE AT HD WILL HELP ME IN GETTING ANSWERS. THE ABS SYSTEM ON HD MOTORCYCLES IS SERIOUSLY FLAWED IF IT IS ABLE TO LOCK YOU OUT OF USING THE BREAKS AND GIVE NO WARNING EVEN THOUGH IT DID IT'S SELF CHECKS AT START UP. I AM STILL TRYING TO GET ANSWERS BUT AS OF THIS WRITING, I STILL HAVE NO ANSWERS AS TO WHAT HAPPENED OR IF IT CAN HAPPEN AGAIN. THIS IS THE SECOND BRAKE FAILURE ON 2 BRAND NEW HARLEYS I BOUGHT THIS YEAR. THE OTHER IS A 2012 DYNA FXDC, FRONT MASTER CYLINDER FAILED THE DAY AFTER WE BOUGHT IT! *TR