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Harley-Davidson FlhtcuModel year report

2009 Harley-Davidson Flhtcu Problems

Compared with other Harley-Davidson Flhtcu years

Typical for this model

58/100 1.2× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2010

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
70filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
26,000miles, 61 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

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

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe brake problems, especially a front or rear lever or pedal that suddenly becomes hard or frozen with little or no warning, which dealers typically attribute to the anti-lock brake module. A second recurring theme is the electronic throttle dropping the engine to idle ('limp mode') or revving unexpectedly while riding. Reports in the sample span roughly 5,000 to 100,000 miles, so these are not only early-mileage complaints.

  1. Brakes

    ABS module failure leaves brake lever/pedal hard or frozen

    • 32 complaints (46%)
    • median 30,450 mi at 7.9 yrs old (28 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2015–2026

    Complaints describe the front brake lever or the rear brake pedal becoming very stiff or completely immovable, in some cases leaving only the other brake working. Many say there was no ABS warning light beforehand, and that the change happened suddenly rather than gradually. Dealers and shops commonly diagnosed a failed ABS module or hydraulic control unit and quoted replacement; several owners report being told the cause was brake fluid that was not flushed on schedule, and some dispute that explanation. Reported across a wide mileage range in the sample, from a few thousand miles up to about 100,000, with many reports in the 15,000-50,000 mile range and no clear seasonal pattern.

    Recall 18V076000

    What to check: Ask whether the ABS module has been replaced and whether the brake fluid has been flushed on schedule; on a test ride, check that both the front lever and rear pedal move smoothly with normal effort. A recall exists for ABS on this model year, so confirm any open campaign was completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When I rode my motorcycle to work in the morning my front brakes worked fine. While riding my motorcycle down the interstate home from work, I went to apply my front brakes and found the brake lever on the handle bar was frozen. The motor cycle is in my garage and I still cannot apply the front brake.”

    NHTSA complaint #10894278, filed 2016-08, 43,000 miles

    “Anti-lock braking system: without any ABS failure indication, front brakes fail to operate. The front brake lever on the motorcycle becomes locked, unmovable, or becomes intermittently difficult to move, with a sudden hard braking action. When I showed it to the dealer, I was shown a cycle awaiting repair with the same symptoms. This is not only a dangerous condition, especially in an emergency, but appears to be a fairly common problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #10850506, filed 2016-03, 39,500 miles
  2. Vehicle speed control

    Throttle-by-wire cutout or 'limp mode' while riding

    • 14 complaints (20%)
    • median 25,267 mi at 3.3 yrs old (13 state mileage)
    • filed 2008–2017

    Owners describe the engine suddenly dropping to idle or a reduced-power mode at highway or city speeds, with the throttle no longer responding. Several mention restarting after a short wait and having normal power return, sometimes for the problem to recur the same ride. Complaints attribute this to throttle-by-wire components, including corroded or unsealed connectors at the throttle body and the twist-grip sensor; dealers reportedly replaced the throttle or sensor, and one owner was told of a service bulletin about electrical connection corrosion. Mostly reported between roughly 7,000 and 46,000 miles, at both highway and lower speeds, without a clear seasonal pattern.

    Recall 11V506000

    What to check: Ask whether the throttle body connector, twist-grip sensor, or throttle assembly has been serviced, and whether any stored codes were cleared. During a test ride, note any hesitation, surging, or momentary loss of throttle response.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Riding down the highway,bike shut down and I had no throttle control.just about got hit from behind, the bike would idle and that's it. Seat on the side of the highway for 15 minutes, started bike back up and went another 100 yards and it did it again. This went on for about 4 hours till I was finally able to get home. This is a very bad situation and very dangerous. What is harley davidson going to do about it. I cant go around the block mush less cross country.”

    NHTSA complaint #10521224, filed 2013-06, 30,000 miles

    “Purchased new 2009 Flhtcu electra glide classic, bike is at dealer for 3rd time, for bucking a surging, engine cuts in and out, while throttle position sensor and RPM do not change, causing bike to just surge out of control. Dealer ocean county harley davidson has replaced every sensor and ECM and bike gets worse. It is unrideable and downright dangerous! I refuse to take my life and put it in the hands of harley davidson who does not seem to give a darn whether I get killed on this thing.”

    NHTSA complaint #10246884, filed 2008-10, 225 miles
  3. Engine

    Engine stalls or revs unexpectedly

    Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints describe the engine quitting suddenly, sometimes with the check engine light on and restarting normally afterwards, and in other cases engine speed rising without throttle input. Dealers reportedly reprogrammed or replaced engine control modules, checked the wiring harness, and in one case found a failed fuel pump. Reported from about 5,300 to 47,500 miles in the sample, at both low and highway speeds.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask about any engine control module reprogramming or fuel pump replacement, and whether the check engine light has come on. Note any rough running or idle irregularities during a test ride.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Fuel pump failure: fuel pump failure while vehicle was idling. Engine immediately stops. If this happens to a vehicle while on the road especially in heavy highway traffic or turning at an intersection it can results in serious accident.”

    NHTSA complaint #11020353, filed 2017-08, 6,138 miles

    “Engine suddenly stalls and quits. No power. Check engine light comes on. After shutting off the ignition and turning it back on, engine is operational again.”

    NHTSA complaint #10445798, filed 2012-01, 16,000 miles

Buying note. Brake and throttle complaints dominate this model year, so a pre-purchase inspection by a shop familiar with these bikes is worthwhile, along with confirmation that the ABS recall campaign was completed and the brake fluid has been flushed. Records of throttle, compensator, and wheel bearing work help show how well the bike has been maintained.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 70 consumer complaints for the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flhtcu. 61 of the complaints include a mileage, and 89% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 26,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 1 a fire, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 14 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 2 Harley-Davidson Flhtcu model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 58 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

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.

Also reported: Steering (1), Suspension (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “My motorcycle is experiencing the exact same issue described in your odi resume invetigation number pe 16-009. The rear brake pedal freezes when the ignition is ingaged. I took it the the harley davidson dealer for repair. They said it is the ABS module and is on back order for 10 days until 3/10/2017. I would like to have my motorcycle included in this investigation and any future recalls for this issue. I have been quoted approximately $760 for this fix.”

NHTSA complaint #10959640, filed 2017-03, 36,000 miles

Electrical system: “Hi gentlemen, I bought a ford stallion trike. It has no running lights in the front? I can't believe they passed your regulations. I contacted them and they are not concerned? Trucks, cars, trailers all have park lights in the front! So how did this pass your inspections???”

NHTSA complaint #10281917, filed 2009-08, 4,580 miles

Vehicle speed control: “While pulling out onto roadway, the throttle quit working and the motor went into limp home mode . Since that time, it's happen several (at least 6) times. The first time, the throttle was replaced and it seemed to fix the problem. Then at about 40,000 miles, the problem came back. If I pull off the road and turn the motor off for a few seconds and restart, it clears the problem. I can't trust the bike not to quit at the worst possible time. The local hd dealer looked at the bike the first time and did not know what the problem was. I replaced the throttle myself.”

NHTSA complaint #10423668, filed 2011-09, 10,500 miles

Engine: “Traveling on major highway and the speed drops to 15 MPH harley davidson calls it limp mode , second time it has happened not fun on the highway. Harley dealer says they cannot find anything wrong.”

NHTSA complaint #10515560, filed 2013-06, 15,245 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

89% of the 61 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 12,545 and 36,000 miles.

20%0–1028%10–2541%25–508%50–752%75–1002%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (61 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 26,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’08’10’12’14’1619’18’22’26
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 Flhtcu → · 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. 14 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 14 bulletins →

Other model years of the Harley-Davidson Flhtcu

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
201664,2101———Not enough data
201496,6505———Not enough data
2013727,0160———Not enough data
201166,4442———Not enough data
20103117,9003——28 · FewerStable
20097026,0003——58 · TypicalFalling
20088125,6062——50 · TypicalFalling
2007487110——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
19955—1———Not enough data

All Harley-Davidson Flhtcu model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flhtcu?

Owners of this model year most often describe brake problems, especially a front or rear lever or pedal that suddenly becomes hard or frozen with little or no warning, which dealers typically attribute to the anti-lock brake module. The issues reported most often: ABS module failure leaves brake lever/pedal hard or frozen; Throttle-by-wire cutout or 'limp mode' while riding; Engine stalls or revs unexpectedly.

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

NHTSA recorded 70 consumer complaints for the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flhtcu as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

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

Brakes is named most often, in 36 complaints (51% of the total), followed by electrical system with 11.

Has the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flhtcu 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 Flhtcu reported?

Among the 61 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 26,000 miles and the middle half falls between 12,545 and 36,000 miles; 89% 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.