2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHTC Recalls, Complaints & Safety

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling all 2008-2011 Touring, CVO Touring and VSRC motorcycles equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS), including Road King (FLHR), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHP), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHPE), Electra Glide Standard Police (EFI) (FLHTP), Electra Glide Classic (EFI) (FLHTC), Electra Glide Ultra Classic (EFI) (FLHTCU) and Street Glide (EFI) (FLHX), 2008 VROD (VRSCAWA), CVO Road King 4 (FLHRSE4), Night Rod (VRSCDA), CVO Ultra Classic 3 (FLHTCUSE3), Night Rod Special (VRSCDXA), 2008-2010 Road King Classic (EFI) (FLHRC), 2008-2009 Road Glide (EFI) (FLTR) and Electra Glide Standard (EFI) (FLHT), 2009-2010 V-Rod (VRSCAW), 2009 CVO Ultra Classic (FLHTCUSE4) and CVO Road Glide 3 (FLTRSE3), 2009-2011 Night Rod Special (VRSCDX) and V-Rod Muscle (VRSCF), 2010 CVO Ultra Classic 5 (FLHTCUSE5) and CVO Street Glide (FLHXSE), 2010-2011 Electra Glide Ultra Limited (FLHTK) and Road Glide Custom (FLTRX), 2011 Road Glide Ultra 103 (FLTRU103), Street Glide 103 (FLHX103), Road King Classic 103 (FLHRC103), CVO Ultra Classic 6 (FLHTCUSE6), CVO Road Glide Ultra (FLTRUSE), Road Glide Custom 103 (FLTRX103), and CVO Street Glide 2 (FLHXSE2) motorcycles. Deposits may form on components within the brake system if the DOT 4 brake fluid is not replaced for a prolonged period of time beyond the 2-year maintenance schedule specified in the Owners Manual.

Remedy: Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will flush the entire brake system with new Platinum Label DOT 4 brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0171.

174,636 vehicles affected

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID

174,636 vehicles affected

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

HARLEY-DAVIDSON IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2012 TOURING, CVO TOURING AND TRIKE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 6, 2008, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 16, 2011. SEE THE ABOVE LIST FOR THE MODELS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY BE EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM.

Remedy: HARLEY-DAVIDSON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL A INSTALL A REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH KIT, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING OCTOBER 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.

250,757 vehicles affected

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING

HARLEY-DAVIDSON IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 TOURING FAMILY MOTORCYCLES, INCLUDING CVO TOURING AND TRIKE PRODUCTS, MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 6, 2008 THROUGH NOVEMBER 19, 2009. THE FRONT FUEL TANK MOUNTS MAY DISTORT IN REACTION TO SEVERE FRAME DAMAGE FROM A FRONTAL COLLISION. THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE A FUEL LEAK AT THE WELD OF THE FRONT BRACKET TO THE TUNNEL.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LEFT AND RIGHT BRACE, WHICH ARE INTENDED TO REDUCE FRONT MOUNT DISTORTION DURING CERTAIN CRASH CONDITIONS. THIS REPAIR WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT 1-414-343-4056.

111,569 vehicles affected

Bought the HD new in 2008 and used all warranty plans for 1st 10 years of ownership. They performed all work per their guidelines. Never once did they flush the system as this recall mentions every 2 years? While riding down my driveway the rear brake failed to engage on a gravel road and I loss control using my front brake to stop before entering a 2 lane road with traffic at 45 MPH. Loss of control caused the bike to crash on the road. 2 months after the crash I get a recall notice on this issue. My ABS failure was directly related to this crash yet HD claims it is not? Really, the ABS freezes due to moisture in the fluid and its my fault that 10 years of preventive MX by my dealership failed to change the fluid? Can someone light the fire under HD and get this recall expanded to cover this part. Maybe use one of the 87,000 IRS agents the Biden Admin is hiring to work on this. I followed the rules and ALL MX required yet only now its an owner issue to replace the ABS module at a cost of $1,000.00. Hold HD accountable for selling an ABS system in 2008 that was not vetted properly on a first year run model.

Crash 1 injured

THE HANDLEBARS BROKE WHIAL DRIVING, THE LEFT SIDE WELD GAVE. RESULTING IN THAT THE BAR DROPED INTO MY LEFT LAP. YES IT IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. HAVE VIDEO.

AFTER STARTING BIKE AND LEAVING DRIVEWAY, BIKE HAS BEEN SITTING FOR THE WINTER, APPROACHED FIRST STOP SIGN NO BRAKES ON REAR. BRAKE PEDAL HARD NO MOVEMENT. LIGHTS COME ON, NO BRAKE RESPONSE..... FRONT BRAKES WORK.... ABS MODULE PROBLEM ACCORDING TO HD FORUMS.

WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON CITY STREETS THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER BECAME VERY HARD A LOSS OF FRONT BRAKES OCCURRED. THANK GOD THE REAR STILL WORKED. THEY KEPT ME FROM CRASHING INTO CAR AHEAD OF ME. NOW THE MOTORCYCLE HAS NO FRONT BRAKES AT ALL. MOTORCYCLE WAS MAINTAINED UNTIL 9/2017 BY A PREPAID MAINTENANCE PROGRAM AND ESP WARRANTY.

I WAS ACCELERATING AND MERGING ONTO THE FREEWAY WHEN I LOST ALL THROTTLE RESPONSE ( THROTTLE BY WIRE - ELECTRICAL). MY MOTORCYCLE IMMEDIATELY LOST SPEED IN FRONT OF VEHICLES COMING UP QUICKLY BEHIND ME. I WAS LUCKILY ABLE TO GET OVER AND OFF THE FREEWAY.

THE OWNER OF 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHTC IN MAY 2017 THE REAR BRAKE FAILED TO OPERATE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE PEDDLE WAS LOCKED AND COULD NOT BE PUSHED DOWN WITH ANY AMOUNT OF FORCE. FORTUNATELY THE FRONT BRAKE WAS STILL FUNCTIONAL AND I WAS ABLE TO SLOW MY SPEED WITH OUT CRASHING. THIS FIRST OCCURRED GOING OUT MY 1/4 MILE GRAVEL DRIVEWAY WITH A 90 DEGREE TURN AT THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY. AFTER THE INCIDENT I WAS ABLE TO GET THE REAR BRAKE PEDDLE TO SLOWLY MOVE DOWNWARD WITH A GREAT AMOUNT OF FORCE AND WITH MULTIPLE PUSHES IT BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY FOR THE REST OF MY 60 MILE RIDE. THE FROZEN REAR BRAKE PEDDLE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR AFTER THE BIKE WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT. BEFORE I WOULD RIDE THE BIKE I WOULD NEED TO PUT GREAT PRESSURE ON THE PEDDLE AND PUMP IT SEVERAL TIMES TO GET IT TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. EVENTUALLY I COULD NOT GET THE PEDDLE TO FUNCTION NORMALLY AND THE BIKE IS IN FOR REPAIRS. THE FRONT BRAKE CONTINUED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY OVER THE ENTIRE TIME PERIOD. THE BIKE HAS ABS BRAKES AND APPARENTLY A CONTROL MODULE HAS FAILED THAT WILL COST $1,100 TO REPLACE. COPY

IN MAY 2017 THE REAR BRAKE FAILED TO OPERATE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE PEDDLE WAS LOCKED AND COULD NOT BE PUSHED DOWN WITH ANY AMOUNT OF FORCE. FORTUNATELY THE FRONT BRAKE WAS STILL FUNCTIONAL AND I WAS ABLE TO SLOW MY SPEED WITH OUT CRASHING. THIS FIRST OCCURRED GOING OUT MY 1/4 MILE GRAVEL DRIVEWAY WITH A 90 DEGREE TURN AT THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY. AFTER THE INCIDENT I WAS ABLE TO GET THE REAR BRAKE PEDDLE TO SLOWLY MOVE DOWNWARD WITH A GREAT AMOUNT OF FORCE AND WITH MULTIPLE PUSHES IT BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY FOR THE REST OF MY 60 MILE RIDE. THE FROZEN REAR BRAKE PEDDLE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR AFTER THE BIKE WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT. BEFORE I WOULD RIDE THE BIKE I WOULD NEED TO PUT GREAT PRESSURE ON THE PEDDLE AND PUMP IT SEVERAL TIMES TO GET IT TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. EVENTUALLY I COULD NOT GET THE PEDDLE TO FUNCTION NORMALLY AND THE BIKE IS IN FOR REPAIRS. THE FRONT BRAKE CONTINUED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY OVER THE ENTIRE TIME PERIOD. THE BIKE HAS ABS BRAKES AND APPARENTLY A CONTROL MODULE HAS FAILED THAT WILL COST $1,100 TO REPLACE.

LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL, ENGINE RUNS AT IDLE ONLY. ONLY WHEN MOVING

HARD BRAKE PEDAL, COULD NOT APPLY REAR BRAKE WHEN TRYING TO STOP AT A INTERSECTION. HAD TO USE FRONT BRAKE TO STOP. HARLEY DEALER SAYS IT'S THE ABS MODULE AND THAT THEY ARE ON BACK ORDER, FOR THERE ARE MANY THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

MY FRONT BRAKE LEVER FROZE NOT ALLOWING APPLICATION OF THE FRONT BRAKE. I WENT INTO MY GARAGE AND DID MY NORMAL PRE RIDE CHECK WHICH INCLUDES TESTING THE BRAKE LEVER/PEDAL FEEL, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I STARTED THE BIKE CHECKED THE LIGHTS AND TURNED IT OFF AFTER I WAS THROUGH. I THEN WENT TO BACK MY MOTORCYCLE OUT OF THE GARAGE WHICH IS ON A SLIGHT DECLINE AND WENT TO APPLY MY FRONT BRAKE LEVER TO STOP THE BIKE...IT WOULD NOT MOVE. THANKFULLY THE REAR BRAKE WAS STILL FUNCTIONAL AND I GOT THE BIKE STOPPED BEFORE ANY DAMAGE COULD BE CAUSED. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE AN ABS HCU FAILURE AND THAT THEY WOULD BE GLAD TO CHECK IT OUT FOR ME. I WENT INTO THE HOUSE AND LOOKED UP HARLEY ABS FAILURE AND FOUND OUT THERE WERE SEVERAL CASES LIKE MINE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHPE ELECTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, RESULTING IN THE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM NOT WORKING. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000. UPDATED 04/18/17 LJ

FRONT HAND BRAKE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHEN EXITING THE FREEWAY ON AN OFF RAMP AND APPROACHING RED LIGHT. STOPPED USING REAR BRAKE. LEVER WAS FROZE IN POSITION WHICH WOULD NOT ALLOW BRAKE TO BE APPLIED. HAD BIKE TRAILERED TO HARLEY DAVIDSON SHOP AND THEY REPORTED A FAILURE OF THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (WHICH THEY STATED ON RECIPT). UNIT WAS REPLACED AT MY COST. I KEPT AND STILL HAVE THE FAILED UNIT.

MY HARLEY COMPENSATOR HAS FAILED TWICE NOW, I REPLACED AT MY OWN COST. NOW THIS ONE IS FAILING. HARLEY KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS PART. I DON'T THINK THE CONSUMER SHOULD BE PAYING FOR THEIR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. IT CLUNKS WHEN IT STARTS, VIBRATES SEVERELY AND I AM AFRAID IT COULD BREAK AND LOCK THE REAR WHEEL CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH.

ABS ELEC CONTROLLER (MODULATOR) FAILED. BIKE STARTED UP AND INDICATOR LIGHT SHOWED ABS WAS WORKING, PULLED OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND LIGHT WENT OUT...(ALL NORMAL). THEN I HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY STOP AND APPLIED BOTH BRAKES AND THE REAR LOCKED UP INSTEAD OF PULSING TO A STOP, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND BROUGHT THE BIKE IN FOR SERVICE AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ABS MOD. HAD FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACING. AT NO TIME DID THE INDICATOR LIGHT EVER COME ON AND STAY ON TO INDICATE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS.

THIS MOTORCYCLE, WITH NO WARNING WILL GO INTO "LIMP MODE". LIMP MODE IS WHEN THE ECM SHUTS THE ENGINE DOWN TO 1000 RPM AND WILL NOT LET IT EXCEED THIS RPM. TWICE THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD WAS I NOT RUN OVER FROM BEHIND. THE BIKE REGISTER THREE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CODES, P1511, P2135 AND U1097. ALL CODES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE THROTTLE BY WIRE SYSTEM LOSING COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONTROL MODULE. TWICE THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY TWO DIFFERENT HD DEALERS AND BOTH DEALERS REPLACED CONNECTORS IN THE WIRING HARNESS. BOTH DEALERS HAVE STATED THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2009 MODELS AND THAT HD OFFERS O PIN UPGRADE KIT TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, BUT THAT THE KIT SELDOM CURES THE PROBLEM. IT CERTAINLY DID NOT FIX MINE. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION HD NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

THE COMPENSATOR SPROCKET HAS GONE OUT TWICE ON THIS BIKE , THIS CAN CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF IT FAILS AT HWY SPEEDS , THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS PART , ITS BEEN REDONE 3 TIMES SINCE 2009 ! THIS IS SERIOUS GUYS! *TR

PREMATURE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE, EXCESSIVE PLAY AND ROUGH MOVEMENT. MANY OTHERS POSTING SAME PROBLEMS ON MOTORCYCLE FORUMS. BIG SAFETY ISSUE!!! *TR

FRONT WHEEL BEARING FAILURE REQUIRING REPLACEMENT AT 22000 MILES. NOTICED CONDITION DURING HIGHWAY SPEED WAS FRONT WHEEL WOBBLE WHEN CROSSING OVER BRIDGE JOINTS. *TR

VEHICLE RANDOMLY GOES INTO "LIMP" MODE UNDER ACCELERATION, HAS RESULTED IN SEVERAL NEAR COLLISIONS. HARLEY DAVIDSON IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE (HARLEY DAVIDSON TT418) BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN MADE. *TR