NHTSA Complaint #11193282 — 2008 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLTR

WHILE RIDING ON 3/31/2018 I WAS APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT AND BEGAN MY DOWN SHIFTING AND BRAKING. I STEPPED ON THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL AND TO MY SURPRISE THERE WAS LITTLE RESISTANCE, I PUMPED THE PEDAL AGAIN ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME RESULT. I THEN PUMPED THE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES NOTING SAME RESULT AS PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS BUT WAS ABLE TO STOP USING MY FRONT BRAKE. WE PULLED OFF INTO A GAS STATION PARKING LOT TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM. UPON INSPECTION, I FOUND ONE OF TWO WIRES (RED) ON THE REAR BRAKELITE SWITCH SENSOR HAD MELTED OFF FROM THE SWITCH AN WAS LYING NEXT TO THE SWITCH SENSOR AND FLUID HAD LEAKED/SPRAYED OUT COVERING THE SURROUNDING AREA. LOOKING MORE CLOSELY, I FOUND THAT THE BRASS TERMINAL POST OF THE SWITCH HAD MELTED OFF THE SWITCH HOUSING AND WAS STILL LODGED WITHIN THE WIRE CONNECTOR. I RECALLED THIS HAPPENING TO A RELATIVE A FEW YEARS AGO AND IN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE THROUGH FORUMS AND GENERAL ONLINE RESEARCH, I FOUND THERE ARE SEVERAL CASES REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND EVEN A RECALL (HARLEY DAVIDSON RECALL 0145) WHICH ONLY COVERED 2009-2011. THIS SAFETY ISSUE OBVIOUSLY APPLIES TO THE 2008 MODEL FLTRI AS WELL AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED.