2009 Harley-Davidson Fltr 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 Fltr, 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
- Brakes836.4%
- Driver assistance418.2%
- Fuel system313.6%
- Electrical313.6%
- Engine29.1%
- Other / unspecified14.5%
- Steering14.5%
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
ABS Module failed for rear brake. The rear brake locks up due to failure from the module. Safety of myself and any passenger is at risk by not having any braking ability while riding the motorcycle. I have taken to a dealer where it was checked in the parking lot and i was told of the issue with 2008-2013 Harley touring models. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone recently. The ABS light flashes at startup but goes away indicating there is no problem with the unit.
ABS FAILED WHILE RIDING. I TOOK TO DEALER AND INFORMED ME THAT BRAKE FLUID HAS TO BE CHANGED EVERY 2 YEARS WHICH I HSVE NEVER HEARD BEFORE PLUS MY OWNRRS MSNUSL SAYS INSPECT NOT CHANGE. I ASKED WHY THIS IS NOT INCLUDED IN 5000 MILE INTERVAL SERVICE IF THAT IS THE CASE? WAS ABLE TO BRING BIKE STAVELY TO STOP WORH BACK BRAKES.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
ENGINE LOSES POWER AND GOES INTO AN IDLE MODE. THIS HAS OCCURRED A NUMBER OF TIMES THE LAST BEING ON A FREEWAY WHICH PUT ME IN GRAVE DANGER DO TO THE SUDDEN LOSE OF POWER AND HAVING CAR CLOSE BEHIND AND THIS OCCURS WITHOUT ANY WARNING. EVERYONE THAT DRIVES A MOTOR CYCLE WITH THIS THROTTLE BY WIRES SHOULD BE NOTIFIED BY HD AND HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED BEFORE THEIR LIVES ARE PLACED IN JEOPARDY BY THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES WITH THE THROTTLE BY WIRE WILL GO INTO A LIMP HOME MODE. THIS IS WHERE YOU ARE ACCELERATING AND THE MOTOR BASICALLY SHUTS DOWN AND GOES TO JUST ABOVE AN IDLE SPEED. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE THROTTLE BY WIRE IS FAILING. YOU COULD BE ACCELERATING TO TURN INTO TRAFFIC, ACROSS TRAFFIC OR TO GET ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE THROTTLE FAILS AND GOES INTO LIMP HOME MODE AND SLOWS YOU TO A TOP SPEED OF 15 MPH IN 1ST GEAR. IN 6TH GEAR I COULD ONLY DO 40 MPH. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND HARLEY KNOWS THEY ARE FAILING. THIS IS A RECALL OFFENSE. THEY HAVE A SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH I AM ATTACHING A LINK TO FOR YOU. HTTP://WWW.SCRIBD.COM/DOC/55139820/2008-LATER-TOURING-TT418-1
THE FIRST INSTANCE OF THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN I WAS RIDING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH. WHILE MY MOTORCYCLE WAS TRAVELING AT THAT SPEED I PROCEEDED TO TWIST MY THROTTLE TO ACCELERATE AND MAINTAIN MY SPEED ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT MY THROTTLE DID NOT RESPOND WHEN I TWISTED IT. SINCE THAT FIRST INSTANCE, THE PROBLEM OF MY THROTTLE NOT BEING RESPONSIVE HAS OCCURRED OVER 100 TIMES. I CANNOT PREDICT WHEN THE PROBLEM WILL OCCUR AND IT DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER WHAT SPEED I AM TRAVELING. MY MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN TO HARLEY DEALERSHIPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND MANY SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN TRIED BUT THE PROBLEM KEEPS OCCURRING. I HAVE DISCOVERED GENERALLY WHAT THE CAUSE IS AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ENCOUNTER ED THIS PROBLEM WITH 2008 OR 2009 HARLEY TOURING MODELS. THESE BIKES CAN GO INTO "LIMP MODE" WHICH WILL CAUSE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE NOT TO RESPOND. BESIDES BEING FRUSTRATING, THIS PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FOR ME AFTER CHANGING LANES IN FRONT OF A BIG RIG TRUCK CAUSING ME TO SWERVE OFF THE HIGHWAY TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE TRUCK, FOR EXAMPLE. A SIMPLE ONLINE SEARCH REVEALS MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AS WELL. I HAVE EVEN READ ABOUT WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIMS WHERE THIS PROBLEM DID CAUSE A RIDER AND HIS PASSENGER TO DIE. HTTP://WWW.ABOUTLAWSUITS.COM/WRONGFUL-DEATH-LAWSUIT-HARLEY-DAVIDSON-THROTTLE-DEFECTIVE-9072. HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEMATIC ELECTRONIC THROTTLE OR THE BIKES THAT HAVE THE DEFECTIVE THROTTLE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE SYSTEM, CONSIDERING HOW WIDESPREAD THE PROBLEM IS, HOW COSTLY IT HAS BEEN AND HOW DANGEROUS TO THOSE WITH A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD WITH US.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
BIKE WOULD GO INTO LIMP MODE. WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE BIKE WILL SHUT DOWN THE GAS GOING TO THE CARBURATOR.ONLY LETS YOU DRIVE ABOUT 5 MPH. ALMOST COMING TO A SUDDEN STOP WHEN THIS HAPPENS. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN PASSING A VEHICLE OR ON THE FREEWAY WITH A LOT OF TRAFFIC TRYING TO CHANGE LANES TO GET TO AN OFFRAMP OR SAFETY. *TR
THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS OPERATING MY HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE ON A HIGHWAY TRAVELING APPROX. 65 MPH. THE THROTTLE BY WIRE SUDDENLY WENT INTO A LIMP HOME MODE WHILE I WAS ACCELERATING. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AND ALL LIGHTS AND GAUGES SEEMED TO BE FUNCTIONING HOWEVER THE MOTORCYCLE CEASED TO RESPOND TO ANY DEGREE OF TWIST OF THE THROTTLE. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER MOTORCYCLISTS BEHIND ME WHO HAD TO BREAK ABRUPTLY TO AVOID REAR-ENDING ME. I HAD TO CROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC TO PULL TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. THE SITUATION WAS VERY DANGEROUS TO MYSELF AND OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. AFTER SHUTTING THE MOTORCYCLE OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES, I WAS ABLE TO START THE BIKE WITH THROTTLE RESPONSE RESTORED. THIS SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED OVER 20 MORE TIMES. MY BIKE HAS BEEN TO SEVERAL HARLEY DEALERSHIPS SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT ONLY TO FAIL AGAIN SOON AFTER. UNBEKNOWNST TO ME AT THE TIME I PURCHASED THIS MOTORCYCLE (END OF 2008), MANY OTHER BIKE OWNERS OF THE SAME MODEL OR OTHER SIMILAR TOURING MODEL FROM 2008 TO 2011 HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. HARLEY IS AWARE OF THIS HIGHLY DANGEROUS DEFECT. (REFER TO THE FOLLOWING LINK TO A HARLEY DAVIDSON SERVICE BULLETIN: HTTP://WWW.SCRIBD.COM/DOC/55139820/2008-LATER-TOURING-TT418-1.) ALSO, REFER TO THE FOLLOWING LINK TO AN ARTICLE ABOUT A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT THAT WAS FILED IN TEXAS ALLEGING THAT A MALFUNCTIONING ELECTRONIC THROTTLE ON A HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE CAUSED A FATAL ACCIDENT IN 2008: HTTP://WWW.ABOUTLAWSUITS.COM/WRONGFUL-DEATH-LAWSUIT-HARLEY-DAVIDSON-THROTTLE-DEFECTIVE-9072/. HARLEY HAS ISSUED TT 418 NOV 3, 2009, TO ADDRESS THIS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM ON THROTTLE BY WIRE BIKES 2008 - 2011. DEALER COMPLIANCE ON TT 418 IS WEAK. THIS ISSUE OF THE BIKE CUTTING OFF SUDDENLY IN TRAFFIC POSES AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO REPLACE THE POORLY DESIGNED ELECTRONIC THROTTLE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE FIRST INSTANCE OF THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN I WAS RIDING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH. WHILE MY MOTORCYCLE WAS TRAVELING AT THAT SPEED I PROCEEDED TO TWIST MY THROTTLE TO ACCELERATE AND MAINTAIN MY SPEED ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT MY THROTTLE DID NOT RESPOND WHEN I TWISTED IT. SINCE THAT FIRST INSTANCE, THE PROBLEM OF MY THROTTLE NOT BEING RESPONSIVE HAS OCCURRED OVER 100 TIMES. I CANNOT PREDICT WHEN THE PROBLEM WILL OCCUR AND IT DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER WHAT SPEED I AM TRAVELING. MY MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN TO HARLEY DEALERSHIPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND MANY SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN TRIED BUT THE PROBLEM KEEPS OCCURRING. I HAVE DISCOVERED GENERALLY WHAT THE CAUSE IS AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ENCOUNTER ED THIS PROBLEM WITH 2008 OR 2009 HARLEY TOURING MODELS. THESE BIKES CAN GO INTO "LIMP MODE" WHICH WILL CAUSE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE NOT TO RESPOND. BESIDES BEING FRUSTRATING, THIS PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FOR ME AFTER CHANGING LANES IN FRONT OF A BIG RIG TRUCK CAUSING ME TO SWERVE OFF THE HIGHWAY TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE TRUCK, FOR EXAMPLE. A SIMPLE ONLINE SEARCH REVEALS MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AS WELL. I HAVE EVEN READ ABOUT WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIMS WHERE THIS PROBLEM DID CAUSE A RIDER AND HIS PASSENGER TO DIE. HTTP://WWW.ABOUTLAWSUITS.COM/WRONGFUL-DEATH-LAWSUIT-HARLEY-DAVIDSON-THROTTLE-DEFECTIVE-9072. HARLEY DAVIDSON HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEMATIC ELECTRONIC THROTTLE OR THE BIKES THAT HAVE THE DEFECTIVE THROTTLE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE SYSTEM, CONSIDERING HOW WIDESPREAD THE PROBLEM IS, HOW COSTLY IT HAS BEEN AND HOW DANGEROUS TO THOSE WITH A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD WITH US.
BIKE WOULD GO INTO LIMP MODE. WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE BIKE WILL SHUT DOWN THE GAS GOING TO THE CARBURATOR.ONLY LETS YOU DRIVE ABOUT 5 MPH. ALMOST COMING TO A SUDDEN STOP WHEN THIS HAPPENS. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN PASSING A VEHICLE OR ON THE FREEWAY WITH A LOT OF TRAFFIC TRYING TO CHANGE LANES TO GET TO AN OFFRAMP OR SAFETY. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 (NA) HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD GLIDE (FLTR). WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT, SMOKE, AND A KNOCKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SIMI VALLEY HARLEY-DAVIDSON (6190 CONDOR DR, MOORPARK, CA 93021, (805) 552-9555) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE OIL PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE WARRANTY WAS CANCELED AND DID NOT OFFER FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.
MOTORCYCLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN I PULLED OUT ONTO A MAJOR HIGHWAY WITH FAST ONCOMING TRAFFIC. VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO TWIST GRIP THROTTLE. *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
HARLEY DAVIDSON FLTR 2009 (HD DID NOT MAKE AN FLTRU (ULTIMATE) IN 2009) NO LUBRICATION IN SEALED HD FACTORY WHEEL BEARING... I HAD 26121 MILES ON MY 09 ROADGLIDE WHEN I DID THE CHROME EXCHANGE FOR THE SAME FACTORY 28 SPOKE WHEELS AND FRONT FORKS AS STOCK. I WAS DUE FOR ALL THE MAINTENANCE ANYWAY TO INCLUDE NEW TIRES SO IT MADE SENSE TO MAKE THE UPGRADES AT THAT TIME. I HAD ALL THE BEARINGS REPLACED. I HAVE ABS SO THE FRONT BEARINGS WERE HDS FROM THE LOCAL DEALER. AFTER ONLY 3500 MILES THE RIGHT FRONT BEARING EXPLODED. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO LUBE IN THE "SEALED BEARING". SINCE I HAD THE CHROME EXCHANGE DONE AT A LOCAL SHOP AND NOT AN HD DEALER HD REFUSED TO EVEN JUST REPLACE THE BEARING. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A KNOW AND COMMON PROBLEM WITH HD MOTORCYCLES. PICTURES OF THE EXPLODED BEARING ARE AVAILABLE. IN ONE OF THE PICTURES THE BROWN SEEN IS NOT LUBE BUT RUST. THE BEARING EXPLODED ON A THURSDAY AND I DIDN'T TAKE A PICTURE OF IT UNTIL THAT FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY. HOW CAN HD GET AWAY WITH SELLING SUCH DEFECTIVE PARTS AND NOT EVEN THINK THEY NEED TO REPLACE IT. LET ALONE HOW INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS THIS IS. THIS HAS RUINED MY CONFIDENCE IN WHAT WAS MY DREAM BIKE. ANY IDEAS ON GETTING HD TO DO THE RIGHT THING OR HOW TO FIX THIS USING REQUIRED HD PARTS WITH THE CONFIDENCE THAT JUST ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART IS NOT BEING USED? *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE HANDLE BARS GO INTO A TERRIBLE WOBBLE. I HAVE A BAD WOBBLE AT 40- 45 MPH AND HARLEY KNOWS ABOUT THIS AS THEY PUT A BULLETIN OUT TO SERVICE DEPARTMENTS # M-1246. BUT THINK THE CONSUMER NEEDS TO JUST SUCK IT UP . *JB
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 .