AI Damage2009 Harley-Davidson Flhtc: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flhtc filed 19 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 19
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 53% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 4 Wheels 11% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 5% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 10 complaints (53% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (16% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Wheels: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (5% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 19 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
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.
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.
Loss of throttle control, engine runs at idle only. Only when moving
It clunks when it starts, vibrates severely and I am afraid it could break and lock the rear wheel causing injury or death.
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.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,437 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Flhtc has 5 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 19, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flhtc?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 19. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (26%), warning lights, check engine (11%), knocking, grinding or other noise (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flhtc?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2009 Harley-Davidson Flhtc from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2009 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.