2009 Harley-Davidson Flht Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flht, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes450.0%
- Driver assistance112.5%
- Interior & seats112.5%
- Other / unspecified112.5%
- Powertrain (other)112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHT ELECTRA GLIDE MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V076000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). WHILE UNLOADING THE VEHICLE FROM A TRAILER, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO QUEEN CITY HARLEY-DAVIDSON (5960 DIXIE HWY, FAIRFIELD, OH 45014, 513-874-4343) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ABS WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE ABS WAS NOT COVERED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHT ELECTRA GLIDE. WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE FRONT BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ANTI-BRAKE SYSTEM MODULE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE16009 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MOTORCYCLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,934.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE FLHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE MOTORCYCLE LOST POWER AND THE RPM DROPPED TO 1,000. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY BUT IT BEGAN TO DO SO MORE FREQUENTLY. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE THROTTLE CONTROL ACTUATOR FAILED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 23,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP LIGHT, THE SEAT STARTED TO SLIDE OFF THE REAR FENDER. THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT IS HARD PLASTIC SOME HOW IT CRACKED ALL THE WAY AROUND THE SEAT MOUNTING BRACKET SO THE SEAT WILL NOT STAY IN PLACE WHEN YOU DRIVE. THE SEAT RETENTION NUT AND THE SEAT BRACKET AND THE FENDER ARE ALL DAMAGED. FROM NORMAL USE. I TALK TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY SEE THIS ALL THE TIME. IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE HARLEY NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED... *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
AT AROUND 20,000 MILES I TOOK MY MOTORCYCLE IN TO HAVE THE TIRES CHANGED AND THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS WERE BAD AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE REAR WHEEL BEARING. A FEW THOUSAND MILES LATER THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED ON ME IN MONTANA, I AM FROM WASHINGTON STATE, ON THE FREEWAY AND I ALMOST CRASHED, I COULD HAVE DIED RIGHT THERE BUT LUCKILY I WAS NOT IN A TURN AND MANAGED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. A DEALERSHIP IN MONTANA TRAILERED MY MOTORCYCLE IN AND REPLACE THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS. NOW AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE IN TO HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED AGAIN AND THE FRONT AND REAR WHEEL BEARING ARE BAD AGAIN AND BEING REPLACED. MY BROTHER IN LAW HAS A 2004 HARLEY ROAD KING, WITH ALMOST 50,000 MILES, AND HAS NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH WHEEL BEARINGS. MY YEAR, NOT SURE WHEN HARLEY CHANGED WHEEL BEARINGS, HAVE DIFFERENT WHEEL BEARINGS THAN HIS MOTORCYCLE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, I HAVE READ ON SEVERAL ONLINE FORUMS THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THESE PROBLEMS AND THE MECHANIC AT MY DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE WHEEL BEARING PROBLEMS. PLEASE CRACK DOWN ON HARLEY DAVIDSON ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEBODY IS INJURED OR DIES. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY 2009 HARLEY FLHT WAS MAKING A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE AT START-UP. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND MANY OWNERS HAVING A COMPENSATOR BOLT LOOSE FROM FACTORY. I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO BRUCHMHLBACH HARLEY DAVIDSON IN BRUCHMHLBACH GERMANY AND WHEN THEY TOOK THE PRIMARY COVER OFF THEY FOUND THE BOLT TO BE LOOSE FROM THE FACTORY. HAD THE BOLT FALLEN OUT IT WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS IN MOTION IT WOULD HAVE FALLEN INTO THE SPINNING CHAIN BELOW AND LOCKED UP THE BACK WHEEL. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS SINCE FIXED THIS PROBLEM ON THE 2011 MODELS BY INSTALLING THE SCREAMING EAGLE COMPENSATOR ON ALL NEW MODELS BUT THE 2009 IS LEFT UNCHANGED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .