One of the most important safety features of any vehicle is the brakes. We count on the brakes in our vehicles to ensure that we are able to stop when needed. When the brakes are not working properly or they fail, it can lead to serious accidents and injuries. This is why it is incredibly important to have reliable brakes in your vehicle. Recently, Harley-Davidson has issued a recall for their motorcycles because of the potential of brake failure.
In July of 2016, Harley-Davidson began receiving complaints of brake issues with their motorcycles. In total the company received 43 complaints. Some of these complaints included reports of injury and crashes. The reason for the brake problems is that deposits can form on the brake parts if the brake fluid is not changed every two years as stated in the owner’s manual. The deposits of fluid can cause a valve in the anti-lock brake control unit to stick and not function properly. The malfunction of brakes can have serious consequences.
These problems with the brakes have caused the United States National Highway Traffic and Safety to become involved. Initially, Harley-Davidson wanted to do a field service campaign instead of a recall, but the government declined and told them they must do a recall. There are more than 30 models of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, which span the model years 2088 through 2011, that are affected by the recall. This amounts to a recall of more than 250,000 motorcycles that are being recalled, including 175,000 motorcycles in the United States.
To check and see if your motorcycle is affected by the recall, you can visit the Harley-Davidson website and can enter your VIN number to see if your motorcycle is affected. If you find that you own one of the affected motorcycles , you can take your motorcycle to a dealership where they will flush and replace brake fluid. By having this done, you can help ensure that your brakes will continue to function properly.