NHTSA Complaint #10464242 — 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDC

THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH / BANJO BOLT (PN: 72026-08) FAILED ON MY 2009 HARLEY-DAVIDSON SUPERGLIDE CUSTOM (FXDC) CAUSING THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS TO STAY ON WHICH ENDED UP BURNING AND MELTING THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT LENS COVERS. THE SWITCH ALSO STARTED LEAKING BRAKE FLUID OUT ITS END CAUSING ME TO LOSE REAR BRAKE FUNCTION. AFTER LOOKING ON THE INTERNET FOR A REPLACEMENT, NOT ONLY DID I FIND A RECALL CONCERNING THE SAME PROBLEM (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #11V506000) FOR HARLEY-DAVIDSON TOURING AND TRIKE MODELS; BUT I FOUND SEVERAL FORUM POSTS WHERE HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXD OWNERS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. MY OWN LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED 2 WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. ALTHOUGH THE SWITCH ON THE FXD MODELS HAS A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER, IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONES ON THE TOURING AND TRIKE MODELS. IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS IT IS LOCATED TOO CLOSE TO THE REAR EXHAUST MUFFLERS. BY MY UNDERSTANDING, THE HEAT RADIATING FROM THE MUFFLERS IS HEATING THE SWITCH TO THE POINT THAT THE SWITCH'S INNER PRESSURE DIAPHRAM RUPTURES. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY WOULD HONOR THE RECALL ON MY MODEL, BUT THEY WOULD NOT. HARLEY-DAVIDSON DOES HAVE A NEW VERSION OF THIS SWITCH (72026-08[A]) FOR MY MODEL. BUT DUE TO THE DANGER AND SEVERITY OF THIS PROBLEM, I AM TRYING TO FIND AN AFTERMARKET VERSION THAT WILL BE LESS LIKELY TO FAIL. *TR