2009 Harley-Davidson Flstc Owner Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFT TAIL HERITAGE CLASSIC (FLSTC) MOTORCYCLE. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, AN ABNORMAL RUMBLING NOISE WAS DETECTED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. PIG TRAIL HARLEY-DAVIDSON (409 W HUDSON RD, ROGERS, AR 72756, (479) 636-9797) WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE COMPENSATOR SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

NHTSA ID

11269920

Incident

Aug 22, 2019

Mileage

38,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTC. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE PASSENGER SEAT BECAME DETACHED FROM THE MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BOLTS AND RIVOTS FRACTURED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PLASTIC WAS NOT DURABLE ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND CONSTANT WEAR AND TEAR. COLONIAL HARLEY DAVIDSON OF PETERSBURG, VA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE SEAT WAS DESIGNED AS SUCH AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11002348

Incident

Jun 22, 2017

Mileage

20,000 mi

WHEEL BEARING ON RIGHT SIDE (BRAKE SIDE) OF REAR WHEEL CAME APART WHILE OPERATING THE MOTORCYCLE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE MOTORCYCLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIR. MY MECHANIC HAS INFORMED ME THAT HE HAS SEEN AN UNUSUAL NUMBER OF PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE WITH THIS MODEL MOTORCYCLE.

NHTSA ID

10852251

Incident

Mar 26, 2016

Mileage

56,000 mi

RIDER BEHIND ME NOTICED THAT WHILE STOPPING THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING. SOMETHING IN THE FOOT PEDAL NOT LETTING THE REAR BREAK LIGHTS WORK. BULBS ARE GOOD AND FRONT WORKS GREAT AND ALSO ALLOWS THE LIGHTS TO WORK , JUST NOT THE FOOT PEDAL.

NHTSA ID

10723179

Incident

May 31, 2015

Mileage

27,000 mi

I REMOVED THE SEAT TO DO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE MOTORCYCLE AND FOUND THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT HAD CRACKED DOWN THE CENTER OF THE SEAT FRAME WHICH COULD CAUSE THE SEAT TO SEPARATE INTO TWO PIECES, THIS COULD CAUSE THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE BIKE IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN. I HAVE PICTURES I CAN SEND IF I CAN GET AN E-MAIL ADDRESS TO SEND THEM TO. *TR

NHTSA ID

10588622

Incident

May 14, 2014

Mileage

31,875 mi

WHILE DESCENDING A STEEP INCLINE AND ABOUT TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN IN LESS THAN 100 YARDS THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN APPLIED, WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN RENDERING THE REAR BRAKE USELESS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS BROUGHT TO A SAFE STOP BY USING THE FRONT BRAKE AND DOWNSHIFTING AND WAS ABLE TO BE SAFELY RIDDEN TO A LOCAL H-D DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE REAR STOP LIGHT SWITCH HAD FAILED RESULTING IN A MAJOR BRAKE FLUID RELEASE, THE SWITCH APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST. INTERESTING ENOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED BY H-D IN OCTOBER OF 2011 WHICH AFFECTED OVER 300,000 BIKES OF THE TOURING, CVO TOURING AND TRIKE MODELS FROM THE 2009 THROUGH 2012 MODEL YEARS. OF COURSE THE SOFTTAIL MODELS WERE LEFT OFF THIS RECALL BUT IN MY ESTIMATION THIS APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO THE 2011 RECALL AND SHOULD BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA AND H-D. *TR

NHTSA ID

10549005

Incident

Oct 22, 2013

Mileage

12,750 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLSTC. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE HORN AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WERE INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE. THERE WAS A MANUFACTURERS RECALL FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,300. *TR

NHTSA ID

10525555

Incident

Jul 11, 2013

Mileage

10,300 mi

DURING INCREASING AND DECREASING SPEED FUEL WOULD RUN DOWN THE TANK ONTO THE HOT ENGINE. IT DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE THE CORRECT POWER AT TIMES. THE AREA AROUND THE FUEL TANK CAP AND FILLER NECK BECAME INCREASING YELLOW WITH ONE AREA MARKING THE TANK WITH A YELLOW TRIANGLE LIKE GAS FUMES PUSHING OUT UNDER PRESSURE. 6/22/12, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER (RED ROCK) AND THEY DID NOTHING AND LET ME LEAVE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AND GOT WORSE DAMAGING THE PAINT AND THE BIKE STARTED TO STALL WHILE I WAS GETTING ON THE FREEWAY AND AT SIGNALS WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS. SEPT. 7, 2012, THE BIKE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER. THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME MY BIKE WAS READY AND THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE MY VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR BUT KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE FUEL TAKE LEAKING. I TOLD THEM AGAIN AND THAT THEY DID NOT FIX IT THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT IT IN AND THAT IT IS A FIRE DANGER. THEY CALLED ME LATER AND SAID THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FUEL FILLER NECK WHICH THEY NOW FIXED. THE FUEL NO LONGER LEAKS, HOWEVER, MY FUEL TANK PAINT IS DAMAGED. THE CLEAR COAT HAS BUBBLED, PEALING AND IS YELLOW. I CONTACTED BOTH THE SERVICE MANAGER, THE GENERAL MANAGER AND HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THEY SAID THE RECALL WAS ONLY FOR A VAPOR LEAK AND NOT FUEL. I EXPLAINED IF VAPOR CAN ESCAPE SO CAN GAS AND THE DAMAGE CLEARLY SHOWS THE LOCATION OF THE VAPOR LEAK (YELLOW TRIANGLE) ON MY WHITE TANK. HARLEY DAVIDSON REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WOULD REPAINT 1/2 THE TANK AT THEIR COST OF $350 WHICH I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO PAY FOR. I FEEL IF A RECALL FACTORY DEFECT CLEARLY CAUSES DAMAGE WHERE IT WAS LOCATED THEY SHOULD ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE DAMAGE. I WAS ALSO REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE SENSOR WHICH PROBABLY ALSO WAS CAUSED BY THIS VAPOR LEAK. CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE OR GUIDANCE TO FIX MY TANK? I ALSO HAVE PICTURES I CAN SEND YOU IF NEEDED. THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ID

10485160

Incident

Jun 22, 2012

Mileage

5,838 mi

DRIVING ALONG WHEN I NOTICED A VIBRATION, KEPT RIDING AND THEN IT BECAME A LOUD SQUEAKING INTERMITTENT SOUND. PARKED AT HOME AND NOTICED IT WAS THE REAR BEARING AS IT CAME APART INSIDE THE REAR WHEEL. IT IS A CHEAP CHINESE CRAP BEARING THAT HARLEY IS USING IN THEIR BIKES. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE.... WE HAVE TO STOP THE USE OF CHEAP OUTSOURCED PRODUCTS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. WE ARE IN DEBT TO A COMMUNIST COUNTRY AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IT....... *TR

NHTSA ID

10474395

Incident

Aug 25, 2012

Mileage

14,987 mi

I HAVE FOUND THAT THE SWITCH FOR THE REAR BRAKE WILL NOT LIGHT THE BRAKE LIGHT AFTER THE BIKE WARMS UP, IF THE BIKE IS ALLOWED TO COOL BACK DOWN THE LIGHT STARTS TO FUNCTION AGAIN. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT IS CAUSING THE CURRENT RECALL ON OTHER MODEL HARLEYS IN THE 2009 MODEL YEAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10434889

Incident

Nov 7, 2011

Mileage

17,000 mi

A FRIEND WAS FOLLOWING ME AND TOLD ME MY BRAKE LIGHT WAS STAYING ON. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND RELEASED IT, BUT THE LIGHT STAYED ON. I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO HARLEY DAVIDSON WORLD IN OKLAHOMA CITY FOR REPAIR. THEY REPAIRED IT BY REPLACING THE REAR BRAKE SWITCH. SINCE THEN HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS RECALLED ALL TOURING MODEL BIKES FROM 09 AND UP, BUT EXCLUDED SOFTTAIL MODELS LIKE MINE FOR A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. ACCORDING TO THE RECALL, HEAT CAUSES THE CONTACTS ON THE SWITCH TO MELT CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHT TO EITHER STAY ON OR NOT COME ON AT ALL OR ALLOW BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT. I'VE CONTACTED HARLEY DAVIDSON TO SEE IF THE SWITCH ON MY SOFTTAIL SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED DUE TO THE SIMILARITIES OF THE COMPLAINTS. HARLEY CUSTOMER CARE INDICATED THERE WAS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN MY SWITCH GOING OUT AND THE RECALL ON TOURING MODELS. THE CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVE SAID MY FAILURE WAS A ONE IN A MILLION CHANCE. I DOUBT HIS ASSUMPTION AND BELIEVE THERE IS A CONNECTION AND AM CONCERNED THAT THE SWITCH THAT REPLACED MY FAULTY SWITCH MAY ALSO MALFUNCTION CAUSING AN ACCIDENT BY MY EITHER LOSING BRAKE FLUID AND THE RESULTING LOSS OF BRAKES OR BY MY GETTING REAR ENDED BY A MOTORIST NOT REALIZING THAT I WAS STOPPING DUE TO NO BRAKE LIGHTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10433863

Incident

Oct 4, 2010

Mileage

13,000 mi