TURN SIGNALS FAIL TO FLASH AFTER THE APPLICATION OF THE SERVICE BRAKES ON HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE. *TR
2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON Soft Tail
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
21 reports with mileage · 2 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
6 reportsREAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE < THAN 8000 MILES (NO BRAKE LIGHTS) HARLEY DAVIDSON KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT FIX. *TR
2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON VRSC V-ROD MUSCLE. HAVE BEEN READING OF NUMEROUS MUSCLES GOING DEAD FROM AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE TO INCLUDE ISSUES WITH GAS GAUGE FAILING. I RECENTLY PURCHASED NEW 2009 MUSCLE APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS AGO, AND JUST HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME TONIGHT. BIKE STARTED AND THEN IMMEDIATELY WENT DEAD AS I STARTED TO PULL A…
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2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON VRSC V-ROD MUSCLE. HAVE BEEN READING OF NUMEROUS MUSCLES GOING DEAD FROM AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE TO INCLUDE ISSUES WITH GAS GAUGE FAILING. I RECENTLY PURCHASED NEW 2009 MUSCLE APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS AGO, AND JUST HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME TONIGHT. BIKE STARTED AND THEN IMMEDIATELY WENT DEAD AS I STARTED TO PULL AWAY. BIKE HAD TO BE TOWED TO MY HOME AND IS AWAITING DEALERSHIP PICK-UP. THIS CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE AND CAUSE A CRASH, AND AT VERY LEAST LEAVE ONE STRANDED IN A VERY UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT. *TR
I HAVE A 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE,BACKED OUT OF GARAGE STARTED ENGINE, AND THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND HAD NO THROTTLE, BUT IDLES, FLY-BY-WIRE THROTTLE,SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED A COUPLE TIMES IT STARTED WORKING PROPERLY, STARTED OUT ON TWO DAY TRIP, ABOUT 30 MILES ON FOUR LANE UP HILL CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AN…
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I HAVE A 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON STREET GLIDE,BACKED OUT OF GARAGE STARTED ENGINE, AND THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND HAD NO THROTTLE, BUT IDLES, FLY-BY-WIRE THROTTLE,SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED A COUPLE TIMES IT STARTED WORKING PROPERLY, STARTED OUT ON TWO DAY TRIP, ABOUT 30 MILES ON FOUR LANE UP HILL CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND NO THROTTLE BUT HAD IDLE, HAD TO COAST OFF ROAD, UNPLUGGED COMPUTER AND PLUGGED BACK IN AND WENT ON OUR TRIP, RAN OK TO DESTINATION, AFTER STOP AT MOTEL AND EAT SUPPER IT HAPPENED AGAIN,CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND NO THROTTLE BUT HAD IDLE,TURNED OFF AND ON A COUPLE OF TIMES AND WE WENT TO THE MOTEL, NEXT DAY RAN OK UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON WHEN WE WERE COMING OUT OF A CITY AND IT HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC, YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN COULD BE IN TRAFFIC AND IF IT HAPPENS YOU COULD GET HIT IN THE REAR OR WORSE. WHEN WE GOT HOME WE TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO A DEALERSHIP THEY RECORDED THE CODES THEN ERASED THEM WORKED OK FOR 3 WEEKS AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN GOING UP A HILL IN TRAFFIC, HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT WITH DEALERSHIP TO CHECK AGAIN. *TR
BATTERY COVER DOES NOT STAY CLOSED DURING THE OPERATION OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE COVER WILL FALL OPEN WHILE RIDING CAUSING IT TO HIT THE RIDERS LEG. ALTHOUGH THE COVER IT'S SELF DOES NOT WEIGH ENOUGH TO CAUSE INJURY, IT IS A SIGNIFCANT DISTRACTION WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL. BOTH BIKES HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER SEV…
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BATTERY COVER DOES NOT STAY CLOSED DURING THE OPERATION OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE COVER WILL FALL OPEN WHILE RIDING CAUSING IT TO HIT THE RIDERS LEG. ALTHOUGH THE COVER IT'S SELF DOES NOT WEIGH ENOUGH TO CAUSE INJURY, IT IS A SIGNIFCANT DISTRACTION WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL. BOTH BIKES HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR REPAIRS, UNFORTINATLY THE REPAIR PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER. CONTINUED DIFFICULTY IN GETTING THE COVER TO STAY CLOSED ON THE 08 BIKE CAUSED THE DEALER TO REMOVE THE COVER AS A TEMPORARY FIX UNTIL THE REPAIR PARTS CAN BE HAD. THIS MODIFICATION HAS RESULTED IN THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS BEING EXPOSED. THE 09 BIKE IS NOW GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE THE COVER WON'T STAY CLOSED FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES AT A TIME. *TR
BATTERY COVER DOES NOT STAY CLOSED DURING THE OPERATION OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE COVER WILL FALL OPEN WHILE RIDING CAUSING IT TO HIT THE RIDERS LEG. ALTHOUGH THE COVER IT'S SELF DOES NOT WEIGH ENOUGH TO CAUSE INJURY, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT DISTRACTION WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL. BOTH BIKES HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER SE…
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BATTERY COVER DOES NOT STAY CLOSED DURING THE OPERATION OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE COVER WILL FALL OPEN WHILE RIDING CAUSING IT TO HIT THE RIDERS LEG. ALTHOUGH THE COVER IT'S SELF DOES NOT WEIGH ENOUGH TO CAUSE INJURY, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT DISTRACTION WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL. BOTH BIKES HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR REPAIRS, UNFORTUNATELY THE REPAIR PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER. CONTINUED DIFFICULTY IN GETTING THE COVER TO STAY CLOSED ON THE 08 BIKE CAUSED THE DEALER TO REMOVE THE COVER AS A TEMPORARY FIX UNTIL THE REPAIR PARTS CAN BE HAD. THIS MODIFICATION HAS RESULTED IN THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS BEING EXPOSED. THE 09 BIKE IS NOW GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE THE COVER WON'T STAY CLOSED FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES AT A TIME. *TR
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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