1997 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 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 1997 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500, 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
- Engine350.0%
- Transmission233.3%
- Suspension116.7%
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
HTTPS://SEARCH.YAHOO.COM/YHS/SEARCH?P=KAWASAKI+VULCAN+PLASTIC+OIL+PUMP+GEAR&FR=YHS-ATT-ATT_001&TYPE=ATT_PC_HOMERUN_PORTAL_BUCKET_ANIM_NOGL&HSIMP=YHS-ATT_001&HSPART=ATT&EI=UTF-8 KAWASKI MOTORCYCLES HAVE A PLASTIC OIL PUMP DRIVE GEAR THAT STRIPS AND CAUSES THE MOTOR TO SEIZE WHIL DRIVING. NO RECALL. REPORTING THIS FOR SAFETY OF OTHERS
OIL LIGHT CAME ON WHILE WARMING MOTORCYCKLE UP, CONTACTED DEALER BY PHONE. DEALER ASKED TYPE MOTORCYCLE YEAR AND MILAGE AFTER BEING TOLD THE INFORMATION I WAS INFORMED KAWASAKI USED A PLASTIC GEAR IN OIL PUMP AND FAILURE HAPPEN AROUND THAT MILEAGE. DEALER CHARGED ME $384 AND TOOK 9WEEKS TO REPAIR. FOUND FOR OWNERS THEY HAD PAYED NO NOTHING FOR REPAIRS. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 KAWASKI VULCAN 1500 MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER HE SHIFTED INTO SECOND GEAR, THE VEHICLE WOULD SLIP OUT OF GEAR. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO STATED THERE WAS A RECALL UNDDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 97V233000 (POWER TRAIN: MANUAL TRANSMISSION) BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO CONFIRMED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED AND OFFERED NO OTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.
DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 KAWASAKI VULCAN. HE STATES THAT NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 97V233000 CONCERNING MANUAL TRANSMISSION WAS ISSUED. THE CONSUMER CALLED KAWASAKI AND THEY STATED HIS MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN THE RECALL. *AK THE GEAR LOCKED UP. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
LOUD NOISE, MISSING NUT BOLT ON THE LEFT FRONT SPINDLE/AXLE *AK
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 .