2009 Harley-Davidson Vrscf
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Harley-Davidson › Vrscf › 2009
These records cover every 2009 Harley-Davidson Vrscf. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 2009 Harley-Davidson Vrscf. Newest first.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling all 2008-2011 Touring, CVO Touring and VSRC motorcycles equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS), including Road King (FLHR), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHP), Road King Police (EFI) (FLHPE), Electra Glide Standard Police (EFI) (FLHTP), Electra Glide Classic (EFI) (FLHTC), Electra Glide Ultra Classic…
Risk and remedy
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.
Remedy
Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will flush the entire brake system with new Platinum Label DOT 4 brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0171.
Owner complaints
11 complaints1 involved a crash
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Service brakes
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…
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 illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
- Service brakes
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…
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 ABS braking still not working and a paid diagnostics would be required to determine the problem. harley-davidson claims that the brake system should have been flushed and fluid changed every two years! What other vehicles brake system requires that much attention? should H-D be responsible to diagnose this problem further at their expense? 5-9-2018, the brakes are still intermittent and disfunctional. this IS a very serious safety issue!
- Service brakes
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.
- Fuel/propulsion system
The fuel sensor has failed twice, the first time causing me to run out of gas while on a desert highway (over 100F outside). fortunately there was no-one behind me that might have hit me from sudden deceleration. After the first incident, I replaced the sensor with the same part number from harley…
The fuel sensor has failed twice, the first time causing me to run out of gas while on a desert highway (over 100F outside). fortunately there was no-one behind me that might have hit me from sudden deceleration. After the first incident, I replaced the sensor with the same part number from harley davidson. oddly, the same part number IS a different configuration that the original (indicative of a design issue being corrected on-the-sly). the second fuel sensor worked well for about 1 year, then it too failed. because I was aware of the problem (many, many similar stories on the v-rod on-line forum) I did not run out of fuel. running out of fuel on a fuel injected vehicle can cause engine damage. it IS also dangerous because of the rapid deceleration that occurs on motorcycles (engine braking) without the warning drivers expect of a brake light.
- Unknown or other
The bolt that holds the shifter and left foot pedal breaks, allowing the foot pedal to rotate down and become unusable and also allows it to come out and become fod on the roadway. when this happens, the riders left foot falls to the pavement. mine has broken twice, both times at highway speeds.…
The bolt that holds the shifter and left foot pedal breaks, allowing the foot pedal to rotate down and become unusable and also allows it to come out and become fod on the roadway. when this happens, the riders left foot falls to the pavement. mine has broken twice, both times at highway speeds. after the first incident, I repaired using the same design except with a stronger bolt. the second time, I altered the design as can be seen on this youtube video I made to help others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6sddfqilg8. if you watch through the first 1:20 you will see exactly what the problem IS and the result. there IS a harley vrod forum on-line that documents many similar instances. this IS just a poor design and there IS an easy fix. shifting to the next higher gear seems to be what forces the issue as a rider will pull up with the toe and that action IS reacted by the heal.
- Service brakes
While exiting my driveway and attempting to use the rear brake pedal, I found that I could not press it and had only the front brakes. I found that while the motorcycle was stationary if I forced the pedal all the way down, it would work normally, but would seize up again without warning while…
While exiting my driveway and attempting to use the rear brake pedal, I found that I could not press it and had only the front brakes. I found that while the motorcycle was stationary if I forced the pedal all the way down, it would work normally, but would seize up again without warning while riding. I took the motorcycle to a dealership for service, and they recommended changing the rear brake pads, which I did. They then called back later stating that the "ABS module" needed to be replaced, which I could not afford at the time. currently the rear brake pedal can be depressed, but it has no effect whatsoever. This IS apparently because the ABS system IS integral to the braking system, without the ABS module working, rather than having brakes with no ABS, there are simply no brakes at all.
- Service brakes
While driving on a surface street approximately 40mph I was cut off. applied both front and rear brakes. ABS engaged normally. Without incident but after that the front brake lever became extremely stiff. And only got stiffer until it was impossible to get any stopping action on the front wheel.…
While driving on a surface street approximately 40mph I was cut off. applied both front and rear brakes. ABS engaged normally. Without incident but after that the front brake lever became extremely stiff. And only got stiffer until it was impossible to get any stopping action on the front wheel. ..Updated 02/10/17 *bf the ABS actuator was replaced, normal braking returned. approximately a year later again on surface street at approximately 10 mph the car in front of me began to pull away then panic stopped. I applied both brakes, the ABS engaged. Until there was a small bump in the asphalt. Then the brakes released then rengauged.....the increased stopping distance caused me to rearend the car in front of me. I can find exact days both incidents occurred if necessary. For now I'm using an approximate date for the first incident. *tr
- Power train
I noticed the engine oil light flickering after the engine IS warmed up. I decided to talk to my locl harley dealership and they informed me that it was a known issue and could cause me to wreck if the engine seized. As a quality engineer by trade, I investigated the issue and found similar…
I noticed the engine oil light flickering after the engine IS warmed up. I decided to talk to my locl harley dealership and they informed me that it was a known issue and could cause me to wreck if the engine seized. As a quality engineer by trade, I investigated the issue and found similar complaints from others on various harley forums. The issue IS the triple sprocket bolt backs out due to poor design and causes low oil pressure condition and overheating. if the engine seized on one of these bikes while riding, this could cause the rear tire to skid resulting in a fatal crash. If there was no crash and you were able to save yourself from falling, you would have over a $6000 repair to replace the engine. I have found multiple claims online for this issue and would venture to say, harley davidson IS allowing a dangerous known issue happen.
- Fuel/propulsion system
The fuel gauge provided on my motorcycle does not operate correctly. It IS intermittent and can drop from 3/4 tank to e without any warning.this seems to be a on going problem on almost all the vrod from harley davidson. *tr
- Electrical system · Fuel/propulsion system
Fuel gauge does not work correctly. it will go from full to empty to half a tank and everywhere in between no matter how much fuel IS actually in the tank. the only way to know if I am getting close to empty IS to watch my odometer. *tr
- Fuel system, gasoline · Unknown or other
Fuel gauge reads anywhere from empty to full at random times - regardless of what the actual fuel level in the tank IS. example: #1. I filled the fuel tank, as I drive away from the gas station, the gauge suddenly goes to "e", and low fuel indicator comes on; #2. The gauge fluctuated from full…
Fuel gauge reads anywhere from empty to full at random times - regardless of what the actual fuel level in the tank IS. example: #1. I filled the fuel tank, as I drive away from the gas station, the gauge suddenly goes to "e", and low fuel indicator comes on; #2. The gauge fluctuated from full to empty within 4 miles of filling up. #3. After filling the tank, I drive down the road, and the gauge reads "e" and the low fuel indicator comes on, I stop to fill, and only 1 gallon goes in before it IS at the top; as I drive away the gauge reads "e", and 118 miles down the road it changes to "f", on the same tank of gas. all of this occurs regardless of elevation, speed, or angle of the bike. *tr
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Sudden Brake Failure - Motorcycle
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation in July 2016 based on forty-three (43) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ).During the course of this investigation ODI received a total of 145 VOQs related to the alleged defect on the subject motorcycles.Owners allege they experience a sudden and…
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation in July 2016 based on forty-three (43) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ).During the course of this investigation ODI received a total of 145 VOQs related to the alleged defect on the subject motorcycles.Owners allege they experience a sudden and complete loss of brakes on one or both wheels.To better understand the cause of the braking issue on the subject motorcycles, ODI requested NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) conduct inspections and testing of affected vehicle braking systems.Through its work, VRTC determined that deposits were forming on the valves in the Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) of the Antilock Braking System (ABS). These deposits could prevent the proper function of the HCU and render the brakes ineffective.To understand why deposits were forming in the HCU, Harley Davidson completed an analysis of the Dow 460 brake fluid used as original equipment on the subject motorcycles and determined that it had stability issues if left in the brake system for an extended period of time.Harley Davidson found that if a brake fluid flush was not conducted as outlined in the owner?s manual for the motorcycles, and was left in the system for a period of time beyond their recommendation; deposits could form in the HCU.Through further testing, Harley Davidson identified an alternate, commercially available, brake fluid that did not have the same stability issues as the original fluid and could stop the proliferation of any current brake system deposits.ODI sent Information Request (IR) letters to Harley Davidson and Dow Chemical (the supplier of the brake fluid on the subject motorcycles) to collect information about the subject bikes and the alleged defect.Harley Davidson responded in full on Sept 30, 2016 and Dow responded with a confidential submission on October 25, 2017.ODI analyzed the information contained in both IR responses and concluded that motorcycles manufactured during Model Years (MY) 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 were failing at a rate greater than their peers.Based on this analysis and the brake fluid study conducted by Harley Davidson, a group of motorcycles was identified that were potentially affected by the instability of the original brake fluid.2008 marked the introduction of ABS on Harley Davidson motorcycles and a change in the Dow 460 brake fluid used in the 2012 MY vehicles provided the bases for the scope of the affected population.With recall action 18V-076 taken by Harley Davidson this investigation is closed as further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: https://www.nhtsa.gov/ using the complaint identification numbers attached to this resume.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11007544SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.8.8): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.8.8. Release Date: Week of August 5, 2024. New Features for Harley-Davidson vehicles: Advanced Module Replace for 2021 and later Revolution Max; 2023 and later CVO Touring; and 2024 Street Glide (FLHX), Road Glide (FLTRX). New Features for LiveWire vehicles: Updated calibrations for 2024 S2DM EV1/ EV6; 2024 S2MH EV1; and 2024 S2DM, S2MH. Changes: Added Hand Control Module (HCM) (Part No. 71500522A and 71500536A) for reflash support.
- 11001293SERVICE BULLETIN M1490 (V 24.6.4): DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II - UPDATES AND RELEASE NOTES. PURPOSE: Revision. This bulletin informs dealers that Harley-Davidson has made a software update to Digital Technician II (DT II). DIGITAL TECHNICIAN II (PART NUMBER: HD-48650). Version 24.6.4. Release Date: Week of May 1, 2024. New Features for LiveWire S2DM and S2MH, 2024 Revolution Max, and 2024 Touring.
- 10248397SERVICE BULLETIN M1612: MILWAUKEE-EIGHT AND TWIN CAM TRANSMISSION GEAR PACKS. Purpose: This bulletin informs dealers that all: Twin Cam gear packs on CVO, Dyna, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models and Milwaukee-Eight gear packs on CVO, Police, Softail, Touring & Trike models ordered after December 04, 2023 will not come with the shift drum, forks, shafts and related hardware.
Every Harley-Davidson Vrscf model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.