2009 Harley-Davidson Fxdb: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2009 Harley-Davidson Fxdb
On the 2009 Harley-Davidson Fxdb, the failure owners report most often is other engine problem, with 3 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 5,000 miles. Overall it scores 84 out of 100, severe risk for a 2009.
Severe risk for a 2009 — 3rd riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. 18 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 13 named failure modes on the 2009 Harley-Davidson Fxdb, and the three most-reported carry 44% of everything filed.
Other engine problem leads with 3 reports and about 4.6 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other wheel or tire problem follows with 3 reports, median 5,000 miles.
Other brake problem follows with 2 reports, median 5,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (3), wheels (3) and brakes (3).
When these failures get reported
16 of the reports on the 2009 Harley-Davidson Fxdb came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 5,000 miles.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 75% of the dated reports.
100% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 13. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 2 mention a crash and 2 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.83, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other engine problem at $300–$4,000, other wheel or tire problem at $200–$1,500, other brake problem at $300–$1,800 and fuel gauge or level sensor failure at $300–$1,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
17% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other engine problem | engine | 3 | 3 | — | 3k | — | 4.6 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 3 | 2 | — | 6k | — | 4.6 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 6k | — | 3.0 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Fuel gauge or level sensor failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1.5 | $300–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 20 | — | 1.5 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 1k | — | 1.5 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Alignment fault and uneven tire wear | suspension | 1 | 1 | — | 7k | — | 1.5 | $150–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin | emissions | 1 | 1 | — | 12k | — | 1.5 | $250–$2,000 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 6k | — | 1.5 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 22k | — | 1.5 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.5 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 15k | — | 1.5 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 1 | 1 | — | 14k | — | 1.5 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2009 Harley-Davidson Fxdb draws about 27 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 95th percentile of complaint rates among 2009 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 657 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2009 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other engine problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 harley davidson screaming eagle road glide fltrse3. He attempting to make a turn after exiting a parking space, but the engine misfired. He lost vehicle control, and then crashed onto the roadway. There were personal injuries including fractures to the left ankle and ribs. The failure was contributed to the heat management system. The vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction. The failure mileage was 2,800. The current mileage was 3,000.
Excessive engine heat on the 2009 harley-davidson ultra tri-glide motor cycle, model flhtcutg! Engine oil temperatures run around 300 degrees and infrared temperature readings on rider's jean pant leg are 140 degrees! Harley says this is normal! I have burn scare on my leg that says this should not be normal! *tr
Other wheel or tire problem
Dunlop d407 tire (front) for the harley davidson 2009 fl touring models installed on my2009 screaming egale fltrse3 the bold angled lateral grooves exhibit abnormal wear and uneven tire tread cupping. Vibration during cornering and lane changes, the unevenly worn areas are nearly worn to the bottom of the lateral groves on the leading edge and the other side is cupped. The center of the tread appears to be normal. This was first noticed and reported to a harley davidson california dealer twice once at 3000 miles and 4100 miles of wear. Now at 5000 miles the vibrations present while changing directions or cornering is unsafe. *tr
Message: to who it may concern, has anyone every mentioned the problem with harley davidson model fat bob 2008 and on, the problem with the front tire dunlap 427 made especially for fat bob cupping (lumping of tread) causing vibrations bad uneven wear can cause front tire not flush to pavement in cornering. Every hd fat bob bikes I have come across has this same problem. My own guess it is caused by front fork suspension/springs not correct.my tire pressures are always checked at least 2 times per week ...so it is not caused by under or over inflation. *tr
Other brake problem
While riding my 2009 harley davidson streetglide my ABS braking system appeared to fail. I was at a stop waiting for traffic to clear so that I could safely pull out. When I started to pull out a car "from nowhere" appeared. I had to brake. When I did, the ABS braking system activated and caused the motorcycle to "freewheel" .in other words my brakes did not work. I had to stop the bike by putting my feet down. The pavement was dry and clean and I was going less than 5 MPH...no reason for the ABS brakes to activate. When I attempted to stop I had the rear brake pedal depressed to it's fullest extent but no braking occurred. It's my understanding similar incidents have occurred with other people. The ABS is a factory installed option and no modifications have been made to it. The motorcycle had approx. 5200 miles on it when this occurred. I strongly suggest your organization look into this matter. The motorcycle is presently in storage at my local harley davidson dealer and I have voiced my complaint to them. I had another problem with my front tire and harley seems slow to respond to theses types of complaints. Although after a…
Recalls on the 2009 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2009 Harley-Davidson Fxdb, affecting an estimated 744 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover structure:motorcycle:kickstand/center stand and fuel system, gasoline:storage. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
STRUCTURE:MOTORCYCLE:KICKSTAND/CENTER STAND
3,285 vehicles 2008-12-15- Defect
- Harley-davidson is recalling 3,285 my 2009 fxd, fxdf, fxdc, fxdl, and fxdb motorcycles. The jiffy stand spring anchor may have been built with a defective weld that may allow the jiffy stand assembly to not retract as intended.
- Consequence
- This condition could lead to a crash which could cause injury or death to the rider.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove the original jiffy stand spring anchor and replace it with a new spring anchor free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or about december 22, 2008. Owners may contact harley-davidson at 1-414-342-4680.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
349 vehicles 2008-11-26- Defect
- Harley-davidson is recalling 349 my 2009 fxdb, fxdc, fxdf, and fxdl motorcycles. These motorcycles have a fuel tank vent tube assembly, part no. 27389-04a, which may have been produced with a defective ultrasonic weld on the anti-slosh valve.
- Consequence
- If the valve separates and the bike is tipped over, it may leak fuel. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the fuel vent tube assembly and, if necessary, replace it. The recall is expected to begin on or about december 8, 2008. Owners may contact harley-davidson at 1-414-343-4056.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2009 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2009 compares with the other years
Severe risk for a 2009 — 3rd riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
What this page cannot tell you
18 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 18 reports, 16 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 89% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Harley-Davidson Fxdb?
The most-reported failures are other engine problem (3 reports, median 5,000 miles), other wheel or tire problem (3 reports, median 5,000 miles) and other brake problem (2 reports, median 5,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2009 Harley-Davidson Fxdb reliable?
It scores 84 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 3rd riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2009 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed