AI Damage2009 Harley-Davidson Flhx: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flhx filed 29 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 29
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 34% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 28% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel/propulsion system 21% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 21% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 7% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 7% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 7% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 10 complaints (34% of all).
- Service brakes: 8 complaints (28% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 6 complaints (21% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 6 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 29 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 harley davidson street motorcycle. The contact came to a stop at an intersection, the rear wheel sped off and the contact was ejected from the vehicle. The contact flipped off the motorcycle and onto the concrete. The motor malfunctioned due to a failed "fly by wire throttle system".
Shortly after leaving the dealer the ABS light came on again intermittently. It is now back at the dealer for the same problem they said they had fixed last year. Now they're telling me that the ABS module needs to be replaced. There have been numerous complaints about the ABS system on these motorcycles.
The contact continued riding; the failure occurred again while attempting to merge onto a highway. The contact pulled off to the shoulder and had the motorcycle towed to the residence. The dealer where the tire was purchased was notified of the failure but offered no assistance.
I took my bike in to Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson for the repair as described in the recall. My bike had no issues with brakes or ABS light. The service department hooked it up to their computer and the ABS light was triggered. The service caused the ABS Module to fail. They refuse to repair the damage they caused.
The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. There was no crash. The contact stated he researched the failure online and found a failure related to the ABS module. The contact stated that he contacted the dealer and was awaiting appointment.
Also, changing the programming so that the bike can go above 15mph if "limp mode" is required for some reason would likely prevent someone from being killed. It was terrifying to have an 18-wheeler barreling down on my from behind because the bike went from 75mph to 40mph in less than 2 seconds.
Transmission is poorly manufactured. Motorcycle has 40k miles and when ring on shifter gets hot, it becomes brittle causing it to break off 1/4" causing bike to loose power and gear while traveling at highway speeds. When taken to repair shop, piece had damaged other 5 gears can provide pictures if needed
When driving the bike goes in to what they call limo mode , I have no throttle and won't go , it happened many times passing on hi way speeds , local hd dealer don't seem to have a fix , I feel this is a danger and after doing some looking I see thousands of cases like mine , it should be a recall before someone dies…
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 6,958 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Flhx has 9 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 29, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
- Flhx 200720 sources
- Flhx 200830 sources
- Flhx 201024 sources
- Flhx 201118 sources
- Flhx 201216 sources
- Flhx 20136 sources
- Flhx 20148 sources
- Flhx 20153 sources
- Flhx 201651 sources
- Flhx 201779 sources
- Flhx 201876 sources
- Flhx 201966 sources
- Flhx 202079 sources
- Flhx 202164 sources
- Flhx 202256 sources
- Flhx 202351 sources
- Flhx 202489 sources
- Flhx 202538 sources
- Flhx 202619 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flhx?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, service brakes, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 29. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: loss of power / limp mode (21%), warning lights, check engine (14%), rust, corrosion (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Harley-Davidson Flhx?
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 Flhx 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.