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2009 Harley-Davidson Soft TailProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 23 owner complaints about the 2009 Harley-Davidson Soft Tail, most often about the electrical system. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls0None on recordOwner complaints231 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage2kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 7, 2014. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Harley-Davidson Soft Tail has problems

23 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system60
Fuel system, gasoline40
Power train30
Exterior lighting20
Service brakes, hydraulic21
Seats20
Tires20
Engine and engine cooling20
Vehicle speed control10
2 other systems20

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

0 recalls

2009 Harley-Davidson Soft Tail recalls and how many were fixed

No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.

Best & worst years

2009 vs. every other Soft Tail year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Soft Tail median. How we score

'09
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What Soft Tail owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE < THAN 8000 MILES (NO BRAKE LIGHTS) HARLEY DAVIDSON KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT FIX. *TR
Complaint 10356997 · Sep 22, 2010 · 8,000 miles
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…
Complaint 10351105 · Aug 22, 2010 · 1,100 miles
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…
Complaint 10346011 · Jul 28, 2010

Own a 2009 Soft Tail?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.