RoadVitals

2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 900

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.
2
Latest Nov 27, 2012
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.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 900, most frequently naming the driver assistance, engine and powertrain (other) categories. 1 manufacturer communication is on file.

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

  • Driver assistance133.3%
  • Engine133.3%
  • Powertrain (other)133.3%

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

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

EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Nov 27, 2012
Crash reported1 injury reported

WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE ON THE INTERSTATE THE MOTORCYCLE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN AND LOCKED UP THE REAR WHEEL. I WENT DOWN ON MY LEFT SIDE AND HIT THE JERSEY BARRIERS DIVIDING HE HIGHWAY. ANOTHER RIDER JUST BEHIND ME SAW THE REAR WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCK UP TURN FOR A SECOND AND LOCK UP AGAIN. AS OF THE DATE OF THIS COMPLAINT IT HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED WHAT THE CAUSE WAS. THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT COMMON FOR A MOTORCYCLE THREE YEARS OLD WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I SUSPECT IT MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE ECU UNIT BUT THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS ON MY MOTORCYCLE. THIS IS A POTENTIAL LIFE ENDANGERING ISSUE. IF NOT FOR MY HELMET I WOULDN'T BE HERE TO WRITE THIS. THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED VERY WELL AND THERE ARE NO VISIBLE SIGNS ON THE OUTSIDE COMPONENTS THAT CAN ACCOUNT FOR THE ACCIDENT. NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN MODIFIED ON THE MOTORCYCLE NOT EVEN AN ACCESSORY ADDED. I HAVE HAD MANY CYCLES IN MY LIFE AND I HAVE BEEN RIDING FOR OVER 30 YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10486276
Incident
Aug 14, 2012
Mileage
890 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 30, 2009

AFTER FILLING UP GAS TANK ON MY 2009 KAWASAKI VULCAN 500 IT QUITS RUNNING AFTER 20 TO 60 MILES. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. SINCE THE LAST TIME I HAVE BEEN RUNNING WITH THE FUEL VALVE ON RESERVE AND HAVE NOT HAD ANOTHER PROBLEM. ALSO MY SISTER IN LAW AND A FRIEND HAS HAD THE SAME WITH THEIR 2008 VULCAN 500'S. *TR

NHTSA ID
10282339
Incident
May 22, 2009
Mileage
4,678 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

TSB-MC-08-17

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)

KAWASAKI MOTORCYCLE: CRANKCASE OIL PASSAGE INSPECTION. ON ELIGIBLE UNITS, CRANKCASE OIL PASSAGE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MACHINED CORRECTLY. THIS CAN CAUSE OIL STARVATION RESULTING IN SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE. *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

Kawasaki Vulcan 900 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2023100—
2021100—
2020100—
2017100—
2015100—
2011010—
2010100—
2009Viewing200—
2008300—

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.