RoadVitals

2014 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero

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.
1
Latest Jul 4, 2016
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.
1
Latest Sep 1, 2015
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 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2014 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero, most frequently naming the brakes, electrical and exterior lighting categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes133.3%
  • Electrical133.3%
  • Exterior lighting133.3%

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

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
15V550000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

Sep 1, 2015
11,836 units potentially affected
The defect: Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (Kawasaki) is recalling certain model year 2009-2015 Vulcan 1700 Voyager and 2011-2015 Vulcan 1700 Vaquero motorcycles manufactured February 2, 2009, to March 20, 2015. In the affected vehicles, an ignition wire may chafe due to contact with the fuel tank, resulting in a short circuit and possible engine stall.
The risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Kawasaki will notify owners, and dealers will install additional shielding and padding to prevent the ignition wire from shorting. Any igniton switch that has damaged wires will be replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2015. Owners may contact Kawasaki customer service at 1-866-802-9381. Kawasaki's number for this recall is MC15-10.
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.Manufacturer number MC15-10View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

BrakesElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jul 4, 2016

I EXPERIENCED A COMMONLY-REPORTED (SEE INTERNET OWNER GROUPS SUCH AS "REDDIT", "WWW.VULCANFORUMS.COM", "THE VULCAN BAGGER ASSOCIATION", ETC.) CRUISE CONTROL AND BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THE SWITCHES LOCATED UNDER THE VARIOUS CONTROLS OF THE MOTORCYCLE (CLUTCH, FRONT BRAKE, REAR BRAKE) ARE NOT SEALED AND IN INCLEMENT WEATHER CAN BECOME CORRODED AND FAIL. WHEN THESE SWITCHES FAIL, A NUMBER OF ISSUES ARE DESCRIBED BY OWNERS; SUCH AS CRUISE CONTROL FAILING TO DISENGAGE, CRUISE CONTROL FAILING TO ENGAGE, AND BRAKE LIGHTS NOT ILLUMINATING. THE LATTER WAS MY ISSUE. TWO SWITCHES HAD FAILED (CLUTCH AND FRONT BRAKE) AND A THIRD HAD BECOME DIRTY (REAR BRAKE) AFTER A RECENT TRIP. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THEY HAD FAILED; I ONLY NOTICED IT DURING A ROUTINE PRE-RIDE SAFETY INSPECTION, IN WHICH I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN I APPLIED THE FRONT BRAKE. IN ADDITION TO ISSUES WITH CRUISE CONTROL FAILING TO DISENGAGE, THE GREATEST SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT DRIVERS BEHIND ME WON'T KNOW I'M APPLYING THE BRAKES. WHEN THESE SWITCHES FAIL, THEY FAIL WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR FEEDBACK TO THE RIDER, UNLESS THE RIDER EXPLICITLY CHECKS THE REAR TAIL-LIGHT FUNCTION AS I DID. I HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED, UNDER WARRANTY, AT JIM TRENARY MOTORSPORTS IN WASHINGTON, MO, WHICH INCLUDED REPLACING PART NUMBER 27010-1232 (FRONT BRAKE LIGHT / CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH), AND REPAIRING TWO OTHER PARTS (CLUTCH AND REAR BRAKE SWITCH). THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM PERSISTED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. AS MENTIONED ABOVE, THIS ISSUE IS COMMONLY REPORTED ON ONLINE COMMUNITIES AND INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS; MOST COMMONLY RELATED TO THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. HOWEVER, AS THE CRUISE AND TAIL-LIGHT SWITCHES SHARE A HOUSING AND ARE A COMMON PART NUMBER; THE ISSUE CAN BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE UNBENKNOWNST TO THE RIDER.

NHTSA ID
10882427
Incident
Jun 20, 2016
Mileage
6,500 mi

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2023000—
2015010—
2014Viewing110—
2013110—
2012010—
2011210—
2009100—

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.