YAMAHA Complaints

YAMAHA FAILS TO IDENTIFY THE DRIVE SHAFT COUPLING AREA AS REQUIRING MAINTENANCE IN THE USER MANUAL, SHOP MANUAL AND TECH MANUALS. COUPLING AREA REQUIRES LUBRICATION OTHERWISE THE AREA MAY SEIZE AND CAUSE THE REAR WHEEL TO LOCK UP THEREBY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR MAY EVEN RESULT IN DEATH.

AFTER ONLY 12,000 MILES OF RIDING THE VEHICLE, THE SECOND GEAR IN THE TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP OUT. YAMAHA DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS HAPPENING TO ANY OTHER VEHICLE, AND EXPECTS THE OWNER TO COVER THE COST OF PARTS AND LABOR. YAMAHA STATES IT IS THE OWNERS FAULT, BUT EVER OTHER OWNER THAT HAS ABOUT 8,000 MILES ON THEIR VEHICLE EXPERIENCES THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

THE MOTORCYCLE WAS HAVING STARTER PROBLEMS. THE STARTER FRAME WAS STARTING TO TWIST WHICH CAUSED THE CLUTCH BEARING TO FAIL (2002 YAMAHA XVS11AP-R). *AK *NM

THE VEHICLE HAD JUST PASSED THE WARRANTY DATE WHEN THE STARTER FAILED. THE DEALER WAS CONSULTED ALONG WITH THE MANUFACTURER, BUT NEITHER WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM UNLESS THE CONSUMER PAID FOR IT. *AK *SCC *JB

17TH MARCH 2002 JASON SCOTT TABOR ON ACTIVE DUTY WITH US ARMY STATIONED IN GERMANY WHILE RIDING A YAMAHA YZFR1 MOTOR CYCLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. DUE TO HIS BEING LISTED IN VERY CRITICAL CONDITION I FLEW TO GERMANY. I WAS PRESENT SEVERAL DAYS LATER WHEN THE US ARMY SAFETY OFFICER INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT STATED THAT PER HIS INVESTIGATION AND EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS THAT HE HAD PASSED A CAR AND THAT IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING GEARS ( FOOT SHIFT) HIS FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE FOOT REST AND KNOCKED DOWN THE KICK STAND. DUE TO HIS MANEUVERING AROUND THE VEHICLE THE BIKE WAS LEANING OVER AND THE KICK STAND HIT THE ROAD SURFACE PER EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS. HE ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN CONTROL AND WAS TRYING TO HOLD ONTO THE MOTORCYCLE WHICH WAS TRYING TO THROW HIM OFF AS IT PIVOTED ON THE KICK STAND. THE BIKE ACCELERATED AND IT CRASHED INTO A ROAD SIDE POLE. HE INDICATED THE THE ENGINE SHOULD HAVE TURNED OFF ONCE THE KICKSTAND WAS MOVED WHILE THE BIKE WAS IN MOTION. SKID MARKS FROM THE KICKSTAND WERE VISIBLE ON THE ROAD SURFACE WHEN WE VISITED THE CRASH SITE. I WAS PRESENT SEVERAL DAYS LATER WHEN THE SAFETY OFFICER ACCOMPANINED BY A GROUP OF OTHER MILITARY OFFICERS INSPECTED THE MOTORCYCLE. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE KICK STAND KILL SWITCH WAS INOPERATIVE. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS BECAUSE THE SCREWS THAT MOUNT THE SWITCH IN PLACE WAS MISSING. THEY FURTHER FOUND THE BIKE WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL WHICH CAME OUT MARCH 2000. I FOUND THAT ODD AS I HAD RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE AT MY ADDRESS IN SOUTH CAROLINA SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT BEFORE DEPARTING FOR GERMANY. THE MILITARY HAD A SEARCH MADE OF VEHICLE REGISTRATION RECORDS AND A LIKE YAMAHA WAS FOUND IN WURZBURG GERMANY AND THAT OWNER LIKE MY SON WAS THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER AND HE HAD NEVER BEEN INFORMED OF THE REQUIRED SAFETY RECALL. MY SON PASSED AWAY ON 19-MAY-1002 FROM THE INJURIES RECEIVED IN THE INCIDENT. *NLM

17TH MARCH 2002 JASON SCOTT TABOR ON ACTIVE DUTY WITH US ARMY STATIONED IN GERMANY WHILE RIDING A YAMAHA YZFR1 MOTOR CYCLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. DUE TO HIS BEING LISTED IN VERY CRITICAL CONDITION I FLEW TO GERMANY. I WAS PRESENT SEVERAL DAYS LATER WHEN THE US ARMY SAFETY OFFICER INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT STATED THAT PER HIS INVESTIGATION AND EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS THAT HE HAD PASSED A CAR AND THAT IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING GEARS ( FOOT SHIFT) HIS FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE FOOT REST AND KNOCKED DOWN THE KICK STAND. DUE TO HIS MANEUVERING AROUND THE VEHICLE THE BIKE WAS LEANING OVER AND THE KICK STAND HIT THE ROAD SURFACE PER EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS. HE ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN CONTROL AND WAS TRYING TO HOLD ONTO THE MOTORCYCLE WHICH WAS TRYING TO THROW HIM OFF AS IT PIVOTED ON THE KICK STAND. THE BIKE ACCELERATED AND IT CRASHED INTO A ROAD SIDE POLE. HE INDICATED THE THE ENGINE SHOULD HAVE TURNED OFF ONCE THE KICKSTAND WAS MOVED WHILE THE BIKE WAS IN MOTION. SKID MARKS FROM THE KICKSTAND WERE VISIBLE ON THE ROAD SURFACE WHEN WE VISITED THE CRASH SITE. I WAS PRESENT SEVERAL DAYS LATER WHEN THE SAFETY OFFICER ACCOMPANINED BY A GROUP OF OTHER MILITARY OFFICERS INSPECTED THE MOTORCYCLE. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE KICK STAND KILL SWITCH WAS INOPERATIVE. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS BECAUSE THE SCREWS THAT MOUNT THE SWITCH IN PLACE WAS MISSING. THEY FURTHER FOUND THE BIKE WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL WHICH CAME OUT MARCH 2000. I FOUND THAT ODD AS I HAD RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE AT MY ADDRESS IN SOUTH CAROLINA SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT BEFORE DEPARTING FOR GERMANY. THE MILITARY HAD A SEARCH MADE OF VEHICLE REGISTRATION RECORDS AND A LIKE YAMAHA WAS FOUND IN WURZBURG GERMANY AND THAT OWNER LIKE MY SON WAS THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER AND HE HAD NEVER BEEN INFORMED OF THE REQUIRED SAFETY RECALL. MY SON PASSED AWAY ON 19-MAY-1002 FROM THE INJURIES RECEIVED IN THE INCIDENT. *NLM

DESPITE COUNTLESS CALLS TO CUSTOMER RELATIONS, YAMAHA CONTINUES TO DENY KNOWLEDGE OF THE BATTERY LEAK PROBLEM THAT HAS PLAGUED R6 MOTORCYCLE OWNERS AROUND THE COUNTRY. INSTEAD, THEY ACCUSE OWNERS OF USING THIRD PARTY . *AK BATTERY CHARGERS AND LEAVE THEM WITH OVER $1700 WORTH OF DAMAGE. OWNERS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE WITHIN THE 1 YEAR WARRANTY WILL HAVE THE PARTS REPLACED AT YAMAHA'S EXPENSE. THEN LATER EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM AFTER THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. IN WHICH CASE, THEY ARE LEFT WITH THE BILL. MY ACID LEAK WAS EXTENSIVE COVERING THE BACK HALF OF THE BIKE. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE LEAK, BECAUSE I WAS NOT AWARE TO WHAT BATTERY ACID LOOKED LIKE; I ASSUMED IT WAS DIRT OFF THE ROAD. I WAS INFORMED OF IT BY A MECHANIC WHO WAS CHANGING MY OIL. THE DAMAGES WERE TALLIED BY MY LOCAL YAHAMA DEALER (MOTOFIXX) AT AROUND $2200, WHICH YAMAHA REFUSED TO PAY SINCE THE BIKE IS OVER THE 1 YEAR WARRANTY. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, AS TOLD TO ME BY THE MECHANIC, THE YAMAHA DEALERSHIP, AND MANY MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET. THE BATTERY IN QUESTION IS PRODUCED BY GS BATTERY 1999 - 2000 PART # GT12B-4 2001 - 2001 PART # GT9B-4 NEW BATTERY PART # GT9B-4-C I AM NOW TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIGHT BACK AND MAKE YAMAHA PAY FOR THE DAMAGES THEY HAVE INFLICTED UPON MY BIKE DUE TO THEIR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS.

2003 YAMAHA YZF-R6C. IGNITION COIL FAILURE. FELT A LOSS OF POWER AND LACK IN THROTTLE RESPONSE WHILE RIDING THE VEHICLE ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2003, 12,755 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. LEAVE MOTORCYCLE AT PACIFIC YAMAHA ON OCTOBER 2, 2003 - THEY RETURN THE MOTORCYCLE AFTER TESTING SAYING IT IS OPERATING NORMALLY. OCTOBER 28, 2003 - ONE OF THE FOUR CYLINDERS FAILS TO IGNITE. OCTOBER 31, 2003, ODOMETER READS 14,414 MILES, LA YAMAHA/APRILIA REPLACES AN IGNITION COIL AND RETURNS THE MOTORCYCLE TO ME. IGNITION COIL REPLACED WITH STOCK DENSO BRAND COIL.

I HAVE A 2001 ROAD STAR SILVERALDO WITH 28000 MILES. I CHANGED MY OWN OIL AT LEAST EVERY 3000 MILES, ALONG WITH FILTER. EVERY TIME I DRAIN THE IOL I FIND BRASS AND ALUMINUM IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DRAIN PAN. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A KNOCK WHEN I FIRST START THE BIKE, AND OCCASIONALLY DURING A LONG RUN. DURING THE FIRST SEASON I TOOK THE BIKE BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO THE KNOCK AND TAPPING. THE FIRST WINTER YAMAHA REPLACED 2 HYDRAULIC LIFTERS BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. THIS DID NOT CURE THE METAL IN THE OIL. THE NEXT WINTER YAMAHA SENT A REP. TO SEE FOR HIMSELF THE METAL IN THE OIL. THEY TOOK AN OIL SAMPLE AND SENT IT TO YAMAHA. YAMAHA CAME BACK TO THE DEALER (HITCHINGPOST HOPKINS MN.) STATING THEY WOULD TEAR THE MOTOR DOWN, IF EVERYTHING WAS WITHIN WEAR SPECIFICATIONS I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TEAR DOWN AND REBUILD. I ELECTED NOT TO TRUST YAMAHA AND THEIR SPECS. I DID PURCHASE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY SO PLAN TO RIDE UNTIL IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS ABOUT TO COME APART, THEN I KNOW SOMETHING WILL BE OUT OF SPECS. THIS IS NOT RIGHT FOR YAMAHA NOT TO STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT. THERE IS NO KNOWN REASON FOR A MOTOR WITH 28000 MILES TO HAVE METAL IN THE OIL SINCE IT WAS NEW. I HOPE I CATCH THE MOTOR BEFORE IT LOCKS UP, I WOULD NOT LIKE TO HAVE IT LOCK UP DURING A RIDE.*AK

REAR AXLE HUB BROKE OFF WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MPH, CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE TO HIT THE REAR END OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK