HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDC 2010, RIDDEN IN URBAN AND HIGHWAY ON-ROAD ENVIRONMENT SUFFERS FROM A CHRONIC FUEL LEAK, ORIGINATING FROM A FAULTY VALVE UNDER THE FUEL TANK NEAR THE PRIMARY FUEL HOSE. ACCORDING TO STAFF AT ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP, ALL BIKES OF THIS TYPE SUFFER FROM A CHRONIC FUEL LEAKING PROBLEM THAT ORIGINATES FROM USE OF SUBSTANDARD VALVES CONTAINING INFERIOR RUBBERS ON THE FUEL TANKS. WAS ADVISED TO KEEP THE TANK NEARLY EMPTY TO PREVENT THE FUEL FROM LEAKING OUT. REPAIRS WERE NOT CARRIED OUT DUE TO THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE REPAIR AND THE UNIVERSAL NATURE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THESE BIKES. OVER A PERIOD OF APPROXIMATELY 9 MONTHS THE PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL LEAKAGE BEGAN TO GET WORSE. AFTER SEVERAL TIMES OF FILLING UP THE BIKE'S TANK ONLY HALF WAY AND LEAVING IT FOR A PERIOD OF A FEW DAYS, IT BECAME INCREASINGLY APPARENT THAT THE AMOUNT OF FUEL LEAKING FROM THE BIKE WAS SUBSTANTIAL. THE PROBLEM BECAME SO SEVERE THAT EXCESS GASOLINE WOULD HAVE TO BE WIPED OFF OF THE ENGINE BLOCK BEFORE THE BIKE COULD BE SAFELY STARTED. ACCORDING TO FUEL GAUGE READINGS, APPROXIMATELY .1-.5 GALLONS OF GASOLINE WOULD LEAK OUT OF THE TANK PER DAY EACH TIME THE BIKE WAS PARKED WITH A PARTLY-FILLED FUEL TANK. ON THE NIGHT OF 24MAR2015, A SLICK OF GASOLINE FROM THE BIKE WAS IGNITED THE SPARKS OF A SPLITTING WEDGE HITTING THE CONCRETE NEAR IT. THE BIKE HAD BEEN LEFT FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN A PARTLY FUELED MANOR. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKING INTO SENSITIVE AND DANGEROUS ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS OF THE BIKE. THE FIRE WAS MINOR AND QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED WITH NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES. THIS PROBLEM IS A WIDESPREAD AND IMMINENT DANGER TO OWNERS OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES WITH VALVE DEFECTS. THE NATURE OF THIS PROBLEM ALLOWS FUEL TO LEAK INTO AND AROUND THE BIKE, POSING A FIRE HAZARD. VARIOUS ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS OF THE BIKE ARE SATURATED WITH FUEL, POSING AN EXPLOSION HAZARD. *TR

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #10701530 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov