2003 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui problems & reliability
26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 9, 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 components.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 17 | 65% |
| Engine | 3 | 12% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 8% |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% |
| Power Train | 1 | 4% |
| Tires | 1 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 4% |
| Wheels | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 22 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 11,800 miles (middle 50% between 4,249 and 34,126 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I I was on the fwy and power went off , was able to restart , noe at home I can start the bike but power shuts down with in a couple minutes , can't ride have checked stator,valtage reg is new ? Can't find the problum hepl”
Electrical System · filed Jan 9, 2021
“Engine failure at 30000 and 48700 miles. The first engine failure was paid by me $5479.10. The second engine failure was paid by harley davidson customer relations, thank you harley davidson. The cam shaft tensioner is a known hazard and should be changed at about 25000 miles on all tc 88 engines. Plastic pieces can…”
Engine · filed Nov 12, 2014
“My 2003 harley davidson flhtcui ultra classic had a catastrophic engine failure due to a cam shaft tensioner at 29,705 miles.the engine was rebuilt for $5479.10 dollars. Many motorcycles have had the same problem at about the same mileage. This will cause the engine to stop running. Which can leave the rider stranded…”
Engine · filed Oct 22, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
6 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui.
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 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
GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1158: OIL FILTER PACKAGING AND CASE QUANTITY UPDATE. PURPOSE: To inform dealerships that Harley-Davidson has made updates to oil filters including new part numbers…
PAB1158 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2024
SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.6.4): 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 May 1, 2024
GENUINE MOTOR PARTS AND MOTOR ACCESSORIES BULLETIN PAB1146: 68193-95 BULB WEDGE, FENDER TIP LAMP. Purpose: To inform dealers of an issue with the bulb wire terminals not being to specification. The light bulbs were used…
PAB1146 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 21, 2023
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 2003 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 2003 Harley-Davidson Flhtcui?
- · 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 11,800 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.