2014 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero 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 2014 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero, 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
- 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.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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 .