What breaks most · 1990 to 2013 model years
Harley-Davidson FLHTC problems by year
Owners have filed 102 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Harley-Davidson FLHTC across model years 1990 to 2013. Three years stand out: 2009 for brakes complaints, 2008 for brakes complaints and 2007 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 1997, 2000 and 2003.
- Years to check closely: 2009, 2008, 2007
- Fewest complaints: 1997, 2000, 2003
- Complaints on file
- 1021990 to 2013, all trims
- Worst year
- 200916 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 50 fires · 4 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 24kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 22Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (1) | |
| 8 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (8) | |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | Electrical system (6) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Suspension (1) | |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | Engine and cooling (3) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Equipment and infotainment (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Body and structure (2) | |
| 14 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (6) | |
| 15 | 0 | 2 | Brakes (5) | |
| 16 | 0 | 3 | Brakes (8) | |
| 5 | 1 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Steering (1) |
What fails on the 2009 Harley-Davidson FLHTC
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 50% |
8 | 0 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 19% |
3 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wheels | 13% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 6% |
1 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 6% |
1 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
1 | 0 | — |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 6% |
1 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Hard brake pedal, could not apply rear brake when trying to stop at a intersection. Had to use front brake to stop. Harley dealer says it's the ABS module and that they are on back order, for there are many that have the same problem.
-
Front brakes failed completely. Brake lever became rock hard & would not activate the front brakes at all. This occurred when attempting to use vehicle after it had benefitting a few days. Very shocked when i went to use the front brakes & they would not work, almost causing an accident.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Harley-Davidson FLHTC years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2009, 2008, 2007 carry the most filings on the Harley-Davidson FLHTC. The 2009 alone has 16 complaints, led by brakes.
What is the most common Harley-Davidson FLHTC problem?
On the 2009 model year, the most-reported component is brakes with 8 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Harley-Davidson FLHTC problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Harley-Davidson FLHTC complaints that include mileage is about 24,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.