NHTSA Complaint #11310386 — 2018 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTKSE

ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND BECAME VERY HOT AFTER SUSTAINED HIGHWAY SPEEDS (75MPH), WHEN SHIFTED DOWN TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. IN ADDITION TO THE LOSS OF POWER VEHICLE FUEL CONSUMPTION INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. DEALER FOUND ENGINE EXPERIENCED ENGINE OIL SUMPING, WHEREBY THE ENGINE OIL PUMP WAS NOT RETURNING SUFFICIENT OIL TO THE OIL TANK. EXCESS OIL WAS COLLECTING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CRANK CASE. THIS OIL WOULD BUILD UP TO THE POINT THAT THE CRANK WOULD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE EXCESS AND CAUSE FOAMING. THE RESULTING LACK OF LUBRICATION HAS CAUSED SIGNIFICANT INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE. HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THEIR 2017 MODELS. THEY HAVE COME OUT WITH NUMEROUS DESIGN CHANGES TO THE OIL PUMP, HOWEVER, THE SUMPING HAS CONTINUED THROUGH THE 2017, 2018, AND 2019 MODEL YEARS. IN 2020 THEY HAVE NOW COME OUT WITH YET ANOTHER PUMP DESIGN WHICH THEY CONTEND WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. IN THE MEAN TIME HARLEY HAS NOT CONDUCTED A RECALL ON THE PRIOR MODELS, LEAVING THE ENTIRE 3 YEARS OF PRODUCTION OF TOURING MODELS SUBJECT TO LOSS OF POWER DURING CRITICAL PERIODS, SUCH AS ACCELERATING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. HARLEY RECOMMENDS THAT THE OIL PUMP BE REPLACED AT OWNER COST IF ENGINE UPGRADES ARE ADDED, BUT THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE PUMP AT THE COMPANY'S EXPENSE UNTIL INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE OCCURS. IT APPEARS THAT THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO WAIT OUT FOR THE EXPIRATION OF THE MANUFACTURERS ORIGINAL 2 YEAR WARRANTY.