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Harley-Davidson FlhtModel year report

2009 Harley-Davidson Flht Problems

Complaints
8filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
22,000miles, 8 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flht (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 8 consumer complaints for the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flht. The part named most often is brakes, with 4 complaints (50% of the total), followed by seats (1) and transmission and drivetrain (1). 8 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 22,000 miles. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 12 technical service bulletins for this model year. Brakes complaints overlap with 2 recall campaigns covering the switch filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Brakes: “Anti-lock brakes, motorcycle purchased in 2009, at appr. 12000 miles, front brake rotors warped and had to be replaced. This is an issue that has to be addressed around every 12000 miles since new and I have 90,000 miles on it now. At appr. 40,000 miles, the hole front brake system had to be replaced, rotors, calipers, lines, master cylinder. The brakes would automatically apply themselves until I would have to pull over. They would lock down. They would work properly after I sat on side of road for around 30 minutes. I took it to harley the next day. …”

NHTSA complaint #10883517, filed 2016-07, 12,000 miles

Seats: “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...”

NHTSA complaint #10477353, filed 2012-09, 25,928 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “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. …”

NHTSA complaint #10392310, filed 2011-03, 3,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “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.”

NHTSA complaint #10482185, filed 2012-10, 18,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

100% of the 8 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 18,000 and 25,928 miles.

13%0–1050%10–2538%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (8 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 22,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

201120123201632018
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flht → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 12 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 12 bulletins →

Other model years of the Harley-Davidson Flht

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2009822,0003———Not enough data
2002631,5001———Not enough data
200166,5001———Not enough data
1999849,3241———Not enough data
19977—1———Not enough data
19967—1———Not enough data

All Harley-Davidson Flht model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flht have?

NHTSA recorded 8 consumer complaints for the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flht as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flht is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 4 complaints (50% of the total), followed by seats with 1.

Has the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flht been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flht reported?

Among the 8 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 22,000 miles and the middle half falls between 18,000 and 25,928 miles; 100% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.