NHTSA Complaint #766941 — 2000 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTF

IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MANUFACTURER KNOWS THAT CERTAIN VEHICLES PRODUCED EARLY IN THE MODEL YEAR POSSIBLY HAVE A CAM BEARING IN THE ENGINE THAT CAN CATASTROPHICALLY FAIL AT ANYTIME WITHOUT WARNING AND CAUSE A POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENT TO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER. THE MANUFACTURER APPARENTLY DOES NOT KNOW WHICH VEHICLES THESE DEFECTIVE CAM BEARINGS WERE INSTALLED IN AND THUS HAS PROVIDED ALL OWNERS OF THIS CLASS OF ENGINE THAT WAS MANUFACTURED BEFORE A SPECIFIC DATE IN THE 1999 & 2000 MODEL YEARS WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TOCOVER ONLY THAT SPECIFIC COMPONENT IF IT FAILS. IN MY OPINION, THAT DOES NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE CRTICAL SAFETY ISSUE OF A MANUFACTURER KNOWING THAT A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY IN THE UNITS THAT HAVE THE DEFECTIVE TYPE OF BEARING INSTALLED, YET THE OWNER AND PASSENGER MUST RIDE WITH CONSTANT CONCERN AND FEAR THAT THE BEARING COULD FAIL AT ANY MOMENT AND CAUSE A SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT RECALLED THE UNITS FOR AND INSPECTION TO DETERMINE WHICH VEHICLES HAVE THE POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE BEARINGS SO THAT AN OWNER CAN UNDERSTAND THE RISK OR HAVE THE BEARING REPLACED AT GREAT COST TO THEMSELVES TO RESOLVE THE SAFETY ISSUE OF NOT KNOWING IF YOU HAVE THE DEFECTIVE BEARING IN YOUR ENGINE OR NOT. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE OF GREAT CONCERN AND THE MANUFACTURER'S ANSWER IS TO GIVE ALL TWIN CAM EQUIPPED VEHICLES MANUFACTURED DURING THAT TIME AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR REPAIRS AS A WAY OF APPEASING THOSE UNFORTUNATE CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF THEY ARE AT RISK OR NOT FOR THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. AGAIN, A WARRANTY REPAIR WOULD ONLY COME INTO PLAY AFTER A FAILURE OF UNKNOWN MAGNITUDE. IT SEEMS THE PRUDENT THING TO DO WOULD BE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLES THAT WERE MANUFACTURED DURING THE PERIOD WHEN APPARENTLY TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEARINGS WERE USED FROM DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS OF WHICH ONE IS THE BEARING THAT IS EXPERIENCING THESE CATASTROPHIC FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER APPARENTLY DOESN'T KNOW WHICH VEHICLES.*AK