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Harley-Davidson Flhtcu abs comes on

62 of the 276 owner complaints about the Harley-Davidson Flhtcu describe aBS light or ABS activating, most of them for the 2009 model year.

owner complaints
62
worst model year
2009
typical repair cost reported
$1,000
typical mileage
29,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

Often reported together

Brake failure 21

What owners say

Filed Mar 17, 2026 · Brakes · FL

While riding my 2009 ultra classic cvc Harley davidson motorcycle the front brake level became stiff and eventually did not compress, no front brakes, while attempting to stop. The rear brake still operated normally. In an emergency, this could cause serious injury or death with front brake failing and possible rear brake failure at same time. a local repair shop inspected the brakes and attempted to bleed system and determined the ABS mudule failed. there were no warning lamp indications of ABS failure. When ABS module fails on HD motorcycles, brakes can also fail. This is a major safety issue with the braking system that shoud still operate to stop motorcycle when ABS module fails.

Filed Jun 5, 2025 · Brakes · ID

ABS Module failure. Brake pedal solid when depressed with no brakes available. I will request the bad module from the dealer. No brakes is an extremely dangerous condition. The motorcycle is in a Harley Davidson getting the module replaced. This catastrophic failure happened with no warnings or symptoms.

Filed Apr 28, 2025 · Driver assistance · SC

the recall remedy to flush the system does not address the concern that the ABS unit still has the potential for failure. Millions of ABS systems in cars do not have such issues that require a hydraulic flush every 2 years. Failure is the ABS control module; it should not be due to moisture in a sealed hydraulic system. Failure of the ABS control module can cause complete loss of braking function or a complete lockup of the brake with resultant severe injury. A one-time system flush does not address the primary fault - replacement of the ABS module. I had front brake system completely fail within 1 minute following a harley dealer brake flush. As the motorcycle was on a hill, the front brake was to hold the bike from rolling backwards. It did roll backwards before I could rebalance an use rear brake. The motorcycle fell over - no injury of damage.

Filed Apr 27, 2023 · Brakes · NY

I purchased a 2010 harley davidson ultra classic last june. I was riding home last week and went to use the rear break pedal and the brake was rock hard. I scheduled a service to diagnois the issue and found that the ABS module can cause the issue. I was notified today that the ABS module needs to be replaced and is not covered under the recall for the fluid change. This issue seems to be ongoing with numerous harleys from the year 2009-2014. This issue of a hard petal while riding home could have resulted in my death as they did function correct on the way to harley dealer and failed on my ride home. This part should be covered by harley as this could result in death.

Filed Nov 19, 2022 · Brakes · LA

ABS module failure resulting in front brake locking up. ABS module failed resulting in brake failure. While I was not involved in any incident the failed part showed no signs of beginning to fail. One day I I got onto the motorcycle and when I went to squeeze the front brake it was hard as a rock and it locked up my front wheel. This particular failure happened in my driveway so nobody was in danger but it also had no warning lights on or gave any signs of failure prior to this incident. If this were to happen while riding the motorcycle it could potentially be deadly for the rider and passenger depending on riding conditions. The part failure has been verified by a Harley Davidson dealership. Parts to correct this are currently back ordered over a month. I do not have the part in my possession as the bike is at a local dealership. I do plan on asking for the failed part once it is repaired. I did have brake work done on this bike in June of 2022, (pad replacement and system flush), and rode this bike on several occasions since the service but prior to failure. The bike had sat for about a month with no activity (covered) prior to this failure. The service was not preformed at a Harley Davidson dealership. There was a prior recall on this system for earlier model bikes for this same type of failure. But my specific year/model was not included. I have read several complaints from other owners in the same date range as mine having the same failure. This is a potentially deadly situation that needs to be corrected as Harley Davidson simply wants to replace the parts and make money off of their poorly engineered design. This type of failure does not occur in a passenger vehicle ABS system.

Filed Mar 30, 2022 · Brakes, Electrical · FL · 1 injury

ABS System failure causing brakes to fail

Filed Nov 21, 2021 · Brakes · VA

When approaching an intersection I went to apply brakes and could not because lever was frozen this resulted in my bike to coast into the intersection I was fortunate the vehicle coming was able to stop.I was told my abs system had failed and would need replaced! The issue was blamed on fluid and lack of flushing and replacement it.The fluid was replaced by dealer 5 months earlier so I’m not buying the fluid is the culprit.Bike has 12,000 miles on it.

Filed Aug 8, 2021 · Brakes, Electrical · SC · crash · 2 injuries

I was riding my motorcycle with a group of bikes and had to make an emergency stop. When the brakes were applied, as directed in the owners manual, the ABS failed and caused the rear tire to lock and skid. The resulting skid caused a loss of control of the motorcycle and ultimately laying the bike down on the asphalt highway. This resulted in the rider and passenger sustaining injuries. The passenger received a Tramatic Brain Injury which a month and a half later she is still in recovery. The motorcycle has not yet been repaired or looked at by any Police or Technical personnel. There were no warnings or lights prior to the accident.

Filed Mar 8, 2021 · Brakes · 56,000 miles · FL

Cannot pull the front brake lever. Hard as a rock, the front brake is innoperative. Abs module failure. Happend at my house.

Filed Apr 25, 2020 · Brakes · 51,080 miles · MD

I was traveling about 35mph and approaching an intersection near my home. I had to stop quickly as a car turned into my lane just a head of me. I applied the front and rear brakes of my motorcycle but the front brake lever did not move at all. It was as if it was frozen in place. I had no control of the front brakes. I was able to slow using the rear brake and avoided a collision by steering out of the way. After arriving home and investigating, I found the ABS module had failed. I also found this is an issue known by harley davidson of their 2008-2014 motorcycles with ABS. Their solution, is to bleed the brake fluid every two years no matter what. I do that myself every two years. There is no guarantee that if I replace the ABS module, at significant cost, that a failure won't happen again.

Related recalls

Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slipReported January 29, 2018 · 174,636 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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 (EFI) (FLHTCU) and Street Glide (EFI) (FLHX), 2008 VROD (VRSCAWA), CVO Road King 4 (FLHRSE4), Night Rod (VRSCDA), CVO Ultra Classic 3 (FLHTCUSE3), Night Rod Special (VRSCDXA), 2008-2010 Road King Classic (EFI) (FLHRC), 2008-2009 Road Glide (EFI) (FLTR) and Electra Glide Standard (EFI) (FLHT), 2009-2010 V-Rod (VRSCAW), 2009 CVO Ultra Classic (FLHTCUSE4) and CVO Road Glide 3 (FLTRSE3), 2009-2011 Night Rod Special (VRSCDX) and V-Rod Muscle (VRSCF), 2010 CVO Ultra Classic 5 (FLHTCUSE5) and CVO Street Glide (FLHXSE), 2010-2011 Electra Glide Ultra Limited (FLHTK) and Road Glide Custom (FLTRX), 2011 Road Glide Ultra 103 (FLTRU103), Street Glide 103 (FLHX103), Road King Classic 103 (FLHRC103), CVO Ultra Classic 6 (FLHTCUSE6), CVO Road Glide Ultra (FLTRUSE), Road Glide Custom 103 (FLTRX103), and CVO Street Glide 2 (FLHXSE2) motorcycles. Deposits may form on components within the brake system if the DOT 4 brake fluid is not replaced for a prolonged period of time beyond the 2-year maintenance schedule specified in the Owner’s Manual.
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.

Recall number 18V076000 · Recall details

Service brakes, hydraulicReported June 12, 2014 · 66,421 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain model year 2014 ABS-equipped Touring and CVO Touring motorcycles, models FLHTK, FLHTKSE, FLHTKSHRINE, FLHTCU, FLHTCUTC, FLHTP, FLHX, FLHXS, FLHXSHRINE, FLHR, FLHRC, FLHP, and FLHRSE, manufactured July 1, 2013, through May 7, 2014. The affected motorcycles may have been assembled with the front brake line positioned so that it can be pinched between the fuel tank and frame causing the front brake fluid pressure to increase.
Risk
A pinched brake line will increase the front brake fluid pressure, possibly resulting in a front wheel lock-up, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the motorcycles for brake line damage and replace the damaged lines as necessary. Dealers will also install one or two cable straps to properly prevent the line from being pinched in the future, free of charge. The recall began on June 25, 2014. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1‑800‑258‑2464.

Recall number 14V319000 · Recall details

Questions about the Harley-Davidson Flhtcu abs

Why does the abs come on in the Harley-Davidson Flhtcu?

Owners who report it most often also describe brake failure and engine failure.

Which Harley-Davidson Flhtcu years have aBS light or ABS activating problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2009 (26 complaints), 2008 (22 complaints) and 2010 (7 complaints).

How much does it cost to fix ABS light or ABS activating on the Harley-Davidson Flhtcu?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,000 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

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