2004 Kawasaki VN1500-E7L Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2004 Kawasaki VN1500-E7L, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine1100.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE MOTORCYCLE HAD SEVERAL DEFECTS SINCE THE DAY IT WAS PURCHASED. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A HIGHWAY WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC WHEN THE GEAR WOULD NOT BECOME ENGAGED, THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE MOVED TO THE SHOULDER FROM THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPAIRED THE DEFECT AFTER 26 DAYS. THE SECOND MAJOR PROBLEM WAS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE OBSERVED IN THE ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP NOTICED THE NOISE BUT HAS NOT SUCCEEDED IN REPAIRING THE PROBLEM WITH FOUR ATTEMPTS. AN APPOINTMENT HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 FOR THE SAME DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO DECLARED THE REPAIRS WOULD CONTINUE AS LONG AS THE VEHICLE WAS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY BUT REFUSED REPLACE THE ENGINE OR THE MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE NOISE BECAUSE THE NOISE MEANT THE ENGINE COULD STOP RUNNING AND COULD RESULT IN A FATAL ACCIDENT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .