Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2004 Harley-Davidson Road King, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Suspension3
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Power train1
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Tires1
- Electrical system1
- Engine and engine cooling1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 14 2004 Road King vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 14 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2004 Harley-Davidson Road King failed the safety check 0.00% of the time — 100% less often than the average 2004 passenger car (2.21%). Median odometer at inspection: 28,444 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Recalls
ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, A CONDITION OCCURS THAT COULD ALLOW PRESSURE TO BUILD UP IN THE FUEL TANK. ON FUEL INJECTED VEHICLES, THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE FUEL TO SPRAY OUT UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN THE FUEL CAP IS REMOVED. ON CARBURETED VEHICLES, EXCESSIVE FUEL COULD BE TRANSFERRED TO THE CARBURETOR, WHICH WOULD EVENTUALLY ALLOW FUEL TO DRIP FROM THE AIR CLEANER.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Harley-Davidson told its dealers about the 2004 Harley-Davidson Road King: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10007489 | WIRING HARNESSES IN ACCESSORY LED FUEL GAUGES PART NO. 75237-03 WERE MANUFACTUREED IMPROPERLY. MODEL YEAR UNKNOWN. *MJ |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)