YAMAHA Complaints

WHILE RIDING, I BEGAN TO HEAR A WHINING OR SIREN LIKE NOISE WHILE DECELERATING. WHEN I GOT HOME I EXPLORED WHERE THE NOISE SEEMED TO COME FROM AND FOUND WHEN LOOKING THROUGH THE PASSAGE WHERE THE SPEED SENSOR IS MOUNTED THAT THE NUT HAD COME OFF OF THE MIDDLE GEAR BECAUSE IT HAD NOT BEEN STAKED PROPERLY AND WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED. FURTHERMORE IT HAS NO SAFETY, KEY, RETAINER, COTTER PIN, OR ANY OTHER DEVICE DESIGNED TO RETAIN IT SHOULD SOMETHING GO WRONG, AS IT DID IN MY CASE, AND SO SEEMS TO BE IMPROPERLY ENGINEERED OR AT THE VERY LEAST INCOMPETENTLY INSTALLED FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

SPOKES IN THE REAR WHEEL CONTINUOUSLY GETTING LOOSE TO THE POINT THE SPOKE NIPPLE FALLS OUT AND THE SPOKE IS SENT FLAPPING AGAINST THE SWINGARM OR COMPLETELY OUT OF THE WHEEL. I HAD THIS ISSUE FOR THE ENTIRE FIRST 14 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. MANY TIMES A SPOKE WAS LOOSE AFTER A SHORT PERIOD. THE MOST RECENT CHECK REVEALED 10 SPOKES LOOSE AT ONE TIME RENDERING THE WHEEL UN-TRUE. I HAD TO REMOVE THE WHEEL AND CARRY TO A WHEEL SPECIALIST TO GET THE WHEEL BACK TRUE. YAMAHA WAS NO HELP WHAT SO EVER. THE MOTORCYCLE IS OUT OF THE 12 MONTH WARRANTY. I KNOW OF AT LEAST 10 OTHER CASES ON A INTERNET FORUM(WWW.YAMAHASUPERTENERE.COM) WHERE THESE SPOKES WHEELS ARE GIVING PROBLEMS. OF COURSE YAMAHA SAYS THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM. THERE IS A BRIEF MENTION IN THE OWNERS MANUAL ABOUT SPOKE MAINTENANCE. YES I AM AWARE OF THAT SINCE I HAVE OWNED OFF ROAD MOTORCYCLES FOR MANY YEARS WHICH HAVE SPOKE TYPE WHEELS. THOSE OFF ROAD MOTORCYCLES RARELY EVER NEEDED A SPOKE TIGHTENED. THIS YAMAHA XT12 SEEMS TO HAVE IT'S REAR WHEEL SPOKES LOOKED AT BEFORE AND AFTER EVERY STREET RIDE. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. YAMAHA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS REAR WHEEL SPOKE ISSUE ON THIS MODEL. IMO THE WHEEL IS UNDER DESIGNED FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE MOTORCYCLE IT'S DESIGNED TO TOTE. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 YAMAHA GRIZZLY 660 ATV. WHILE ON A TRAIL RIDE IN AUGUST 2012, I OPENED THE FUEL CAP AND NOTICED THE FUEL WAS BOILING IN THE FUEL TANK. AT THE TIME, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS HOT FROM NORMAL OPERATION. SUBSEQUENTLY, I CALLED THE PEORIA YAMAHA DEALER, THEY REFERENCED MY VIN NUMBER, AND SAID THERE WAS NO SAFETY RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE. HOWEVER, I HAVE A FRIEND WHO SHOWED ME HIS RECALL LETTER FOR THE SAME MAKE MODEL AND YEAR ATV. THE LETTER INDICATED A "HEAT KIT" HAD BEEN DESIGNED BY YAMAHA FOR THE 2002 AND 2003 GRIZZLY 660 AND WILL BE INSTALLED BY THE DEALER. I NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THIS PROBLEM EXISTED AND THERE WAS REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT FUEL BOILING IN THE GAS TANK OF MY ATV! *TR

THE FUEL TANK HAS IMPLODED A TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES IN THE PAST MONTH. THE FIRST TWO OCCURRED WHEN THE BIKE WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE. THE LAST 3 HAVE HAPPENED WHILE RIDING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 50-60 MPH. WHEN THE TANK IS OPENED FOR FUELING THE IMPLOSION SOMEWHAT CORRECTS ITSELF ALTHOUGH I HAD TO USE COMPRESSED AIR ONCE TO POP THE TANK BACK OUT. I HAVE HAD IT BACK TO DEALER TWICE FOR FIXES BUT IT IS STILL DOING IT AS OF 10/25/2012. THE TANK IS RUINED. IT IS VERY DISCONCERTING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED TO ME WHILE MOVING THE CLANG SCARED THE DICKENS OUT OF ME AND I ALMOST WRECKED THE BIKE. THE PROBLEM, ACCORDING TO VARIOUS FORUMS, IS APPARENTLY RELATED TO THE TANK ROLL-OVER VALVE VENT MALFUNCTIONING, CREATING A VACUUM AND SUCKING IN THE TANK. THIS LOOKS LIKE IT HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH VARIOUS YAMAHA STAR CYCLES SINCE THE MID 1990'S. THE VACUUM CREATED CAN ALSO CAUSE THE FUEL PUMP TO STARVE FOR FUEL CAUSING THE BIKE TO QUIT RUNNING WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS TO SAY THE LEAST. I BOUGHT THE BIKE NEW IN THE SPRING OF 2010. OPENING THE FUEL CAP ON THE TANK HAD ALWAYS BEEN A LITTLE DIFFICULT DUE TO A SLIGHT (SOMETIMES MORE THAN SLIGHT) VACUUM WITHIN THE TANK. I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS NORMAL AND NEVER THOUGHT ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

2007 YAMAHA FZ1, BUILD DATE 12/2006, EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT WELD FAILURE IN THE FRAME. RIGHT SIDE OF FRAME, ON THE WELD SEAM BELOW THE FUEL TANK. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN AND ESTABLISHED ISSUE FOR THE FIRST YEAR AND EARLY PRODUCTION OF THE SECOND YEAR FOR THIS GENERATION OF THIS MOTORCYCLE. *TR

GAS BOILS AND BUILDS UP PRESSURE IN GAS TANK AFTER RIDING. I AM IN MY LATE FORTIES THE AVT IS USED TO CHECK MY PROPERTY ONLY. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD CORRECT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOME EXPLOSION, INJURIES OR DEATH(S). *TR

CRUISING AT ABOUT 50MPH, HEARD WHINNING SOUND WHEN DECELERATING. NUT BROKE OFF WITH SHAFT STILL IN IT FROM MIDDLE DRIVE SHAFT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 YAMAHA RHINO YXR660F. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE ENGINE WAS FRACTURED INTERNALLY. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO ADVISED THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

2009 YAMAHA STAR MOTORCYCLE XVS950. CONSUMER STATES MOTORCYCLE STARTED TO LUG AND WOBBLE WHILE RIDING. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE MANAGED TO STOP,, THERE WAS GREASE ALL OVER THE REAR OF THE MOTORCYCLE AROUND THE REAR AXLE. THE CONSUMER'S HUSBAND NOTICE THE AXLE WAS BROKEN AND ON ONE SIDE HAD FALLEN OUT. IT LOOKED AS IF THE AXLE HAD BEEN CUT IN HALF AND THEN BROKE. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 YAMAHA ZUMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSE THAT AN ELECTRIC PLUG HAD BECOME LOOSE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT 1,700 MILES LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 358 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.