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2009 Harley-Davidson VrscfProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 11 owner complaints about the 2009 Harley-Davidson Vrscf, most often about the service brakes. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 18V-076 the manufacturer reports only 49% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 49%Owner complaints111 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage19kService brakes, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 19, 2021. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Harley-Davidson Vrscf has problems

11 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
Service brakes51
Fuel/propulsion system30
Electrical system10
Fuel system, gasoline10
Power train10

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

1 recall

2009 Harley-Davidson Vrscf recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

49%repaired · 2019 Q4

Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip

Recall 18V-076 · Jan 29, 2018 · 174,636 vehicles · 86,160 repaired

Risk. These deposits may cause a valve within the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit to stick, reducing braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Harley-Davidson.

Best & worst years

2009 vs. every other Vrscf 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 Vrscf median. How we score

'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2009 Harley-Davidson Vrscf, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Sudden Brake Failure - MotorcyclePE16009 · closed Apr 23, 2018
    Led to recall 18V-076
In owners' words

What Vrscf owners report

Recent service brakes complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2009 Harley-Davidson VRSCF. The contact stated while riding approximately 20 MPH and attempting to stop the motorcycle, the contact stated that the front brakes were functional however, the rear brakes failed to operate as designed. The contact stated no warning light was…
Complaint 11429734 · Aug 19, 2021 · 19,000 miles
MY ABS BRAKES QUIT WORKING. I COULD SKID THE TIRES. ALSO, FRONT BRAKE LEVER INTERMITANTLY FREEZES. CONCURRENTLY, I RECEIVED NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 18V-076 FOR BRAKE SYSTEM FLUSHING. 4-13-2018, I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO SOUTHEAST HARLEY-DAVIDSON FOR H-D RECALL NO. 0171. AFTER THE H-D FLUSH, I WAS TOLD…
Complaint 11092660 · May 9, 2018 · 20,603 miles
WHILE ON A RIDE MY REAR BRAKES PEDAL JUST LOCKED UP THEREFORE I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE STOPPING POWER OF MY REAR BRAKE. AFTER SOME RESEARCH IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON HARLEY AND THAT ABS MODULE FREQUENTLY FAILS. THIS WAS VERY SCARY MOMENT FOR ME ON A MOTORCYCLE.
Complaint 10994988 · Jun 13, 2017 · 9,000 miles

Own a 2009 Vrscf?

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