Exterior lighting
Filed May 8, 2008
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT REFLECTOR LENS DETERIORATES IN JUST OVER ONE YEAR. NOT THE LENS ITSELF BUT THE REFLECTIVE MATERIAL. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10227073
- Incident
- May 1, 2005
- Mileage
- 20,000 mi
2004 Buell XB12R
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
7
Latest May 8, 2008
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Overview
Our database contains 7 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2004 Buell XB12R, most frequently naming the exterior lighting category. 3 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Exterior lighting7100.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Exterior lighting
Filed May 29, 2007
HEADLIGHTS REFLECTIVE COATING FAILING. LIGHTS BECOMING TOO WEAK TO SEE AT NIGHT. PLEASE NOTE- MODEL IS XB12R, NOT AVAILABLE ON YOUR LIST, CLOSEST AVAILABLE WAS XB12S, HEADLIGHTS NOT THE SAME ON THESE TWO MODELS. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10191976
- Incident
- May 29, 2007
- Mileage
- 7,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 23, 2007
INADEQUATE/UNSAFE LIGHTING. *NM
- NHTSA ID
- 10183368
- Incident
- Feb 1, 2007
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 23, 2007
THE REFLECTIVE SURFACE ON THE HEAD LAMPS ON MY 2004 BUELL XB12R FIREBOLT HAVE DEGRADED TO THE POINT THAT THE LAMPS HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NM
- NHTSA ID
- 10183366
- Incident
- Feb 23, 2007
- Mileage
- 25,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 23, 2007
THE HEAD LAMPS ON MY 2004 BUELL XB12R ARE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT DUE TO DEGRADATION OF THE REFLECTIVE COATING ON THE LAMP REFLECTOR. THE REFLECTOR IS ACTUALLY RUBBING OFF, REDUCING THE OUTPUT OF THE LIGHT TO A POINT DANGEROUSLY INEFFECTIVE FOR NIGHT DRIVING. THIS AFFECTS BOTH THE LOW AND HIGH BEAM ASSEMBLIES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, LEADING TO A POTENTIALITY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHILE RIDING AT NIGHT. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10183309
- Incident
- Feb 23, 2007
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 22, 2007
ON THE BUELL MOTORCYCLE XB9R AND XB12R THE HEADLIGHTS BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL AFTER ABOUT 1 YR OF USAGE. THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING REFLECTIVE MATERIAL TURNS TO POWDER DUE TO THE NATURAL HEAT FROM THE HEADLIGHT. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10183298
- Incident
- Apr 10, 2006
- Mileage
- 5,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 8, 2007
THE HEAD LAMPS ON MY 2004 BUELL XB12R HAVE NEEDED REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THE REFLECTIVE COATING ON THE LAMP REFLECTOR, DEGRADE TO THE POINT THAT LIGHT OUTPUT BECOME DANGEROUSLY LOW FOR NIGHT DRIVING. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS A TWO HEADLIGHT SYSTEM. ONE LAMP IS USED FOR LOW BEAM THE OTHER FOR HIGH BEAM. THE LOW BEAM LAMP HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE SINCE THE BIKE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN AUG 2004. THE HIGH BEAM LAMP HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE IN THE SAME TIME FRAME. I EXPECTED TO HAVE TO CONTINUE ANNUAL REPLACEMENT OF THE LAMP ASSEMBLIES BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND TO MAINTAIN SAFE NIGHT DRIVING. *NM
- NHTSA ID
- 10181965
- Incident
- Feb 8, 2007
- Mileage
- 25,000 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
B-087
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
BUELL MOTORCYCLE: THE ENGINE OIL DRAIN PLUG TORQUE HAS CHANGED TO 26-29 FT LBS (35.3-39.3NM) FOR ALL MODELS LISTED. *PE
SB-076A
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
BUELL MOTORCYCLES: HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES ON SOME MODELS HAVE A REFLECTIVE MATERIAL WHICH CAN POTENTIALLY DEGRADE AND REDUCE LIGHT OUTPUT. MODELS XB9R AND XB12R. MODEL YEARS 2003-2006. *PE
TSB-B-076A
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
BUELL MOTORCYCLE: THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES ON SOME 2003-2006 FIREBOLT MODELS HAVE A REFLECTIVE MATERIAL WHICH CAN POTENTIALLY DEGRADE AND REDUCE LIGHT OUTPUT. *PE
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.