2011 Harley-Davidson Flhtk problems & reliability
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Harley-Davidson Flhtk, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes → | 11 | 55% |
| Power Train | 2 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 10% |
| Wheels | 2 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 5% |
| Engine | 1 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2011 Harley-Davidson FLHTK Electra Glide Ultra. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V076000 (Services Brakes, Hydraulic) was performed; however, while riding and coming to a complete stop, the front brake was engaged but…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Nov 6, 2023
“When I went to apply the rear brake the pedal was solid and brakes would not engage. I narrowly avoided crashing but not my bike is not safe to ride. After research I have found that harley has been aware of abs failure for many years that was caused by poor design of their abs system. However it is up to the consumer…”
Service Brakes · filed May 4, 2020
“I had just pulled out onto the highway in high traffic area and my motorcycle started producing a clanking noise from the primary case and after doing extensive research, come to the conclusion that the primary compensator was failing. At the time this happened, my cycle also dropped voltage from 14.8 volts dc down to…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 4, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Sudden Brake Failure - Motorcycle
Preliminary Evaluation PE16009 · opened Jul 6, 2016 · closed Apr 23, 2018 · led to recall 18V076000
Technical service bulletins
19 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 Harley-Davidson Flhtk. The 10 most recent:
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 26.0.2): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II)…
M1490 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2025
SERVICE BULLETIN M1391A (REVU): MIDTRONICS GRX-3110 AND DCA-8000 SOFTWARE. PURPORSE: Revision U. The purpose of this bulletin is to inform the dealer network that a software update to the GRX-3110 and DCA-8000 is now…
M1391A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 28, 2025
GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1171 (REV B): SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR SCREAMIN EAGLE PRO STREET TUNER. PURPOSE: Revision B. Updated: Summary. The App has returned to the Apple App Store. This bulletin…
PAB1171 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 25, 2025
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 25.8.9): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II)…
M1490 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 2025
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 25.8.7): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II)…
M1490 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2025
SERVICE BULLETIN M1391A (REV T): MIDTRONICS GRX-3110 AND DCA-8000 SOFTWARE. PURPORSE: Revision T. The purpose of this bulletin is to inform the dealer network that a software update to the GRX-3110 and DCA-8000 is now…
M1391A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2025
SERVICE BULLETIN M1684: MARKET SPECIFIC BATTERY INTRODUCTION. PURPOSE: Initial Release. This bulletin informs dealers of the availability of new batteries for new Original Equipment (OE) vehicle production and in the…
M1684 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 16, 2025
SERVICE BULLETIN M1650: MILWAUKEE EIGHT AND TWIN CAM CAMSHAFT DRIVE GEAR RETENTION KIT CHANGES. PURPOSE: This bulletin informs dealers that changes have been made to the Camshaft Drive Gear Retention Kit and service…
M1650 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 24, 2025
SERVICE BULLETIN M1555 (REV E): BATTERY WARRANTY GUIDELINES. PURPOSE: Revision E. Added: Added procedures for the DCA-8000 E Battery Tester.* Updated: All sections. This bulletin informs the dealership network that…
M1555 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Sep 12, 2024
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.8.8): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL…
M1490 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 8, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2011 Harley-Davidson Flhtk has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2011 Harley-Davidson Flhtk?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.