1999 Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad Owner Complaints

I WAS RIDING MY 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD AT 60MPH WHEN WITH NO WARNING THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND DIED OUT, GOOD THING MY HAND WAS COVERING THE CLUTCH. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED IT IN AND COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD IT TOWED TO MY HOUSE. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND THE GEAR FOR THE OIL PUMP WENT OUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE MOTOR. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY KAWASAKI WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, ARE THEY WAITING FOR A HUGE LAW SUIT AFTER SOMEONE LOSES THERE LIFE. GUESS THEY DO NOT HOLD THERE PRODUCT TO THE HIGHEST REGARDS TO QUALITY OR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. SO NOW I AM OUT 3200 DOLLARS FOR A FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER, VERY DIS SATISFIED AND NOW EMBARRASSED TO SAY I OWN ONE. SHAME ON YOU KAWASAKI! *TR

NHTSA ID

10465272

Incident

Jul 7, 2012

Mileage

19,529 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD MOTORCYCLE. THE ONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70-75 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC THAT LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE PLASTIC AND METAL GEAR. THE PLASTIC AND METAL GEAR FAILED AND CAUSED THE OIL PUMP TO FAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR DUE TO VEHICLE AGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,256.

NHTSA ID

10434143

Incident

Nov 11, 2010

Mileage

19,256 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD.(N/A) THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM THE MANUFACTURER PERTAINING TO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT; NHTSA CAMPAIGN RECALL NUMBER 10V507000, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNTIL SPRING OF 2011 DUE TO THE VEHICLE NOT BEING PURCHASED AT THAT SPECIFIC LOCATION. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THERE WERE NO FAILURES AT THIS TIME.

NHTSA ID

10363996

Incident

Oct 22, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE OIL LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE OIL GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 43000.

NHTSA ID

10341275

Incident

Jun 30, 2010

Mileage

43,000 mi

I HAVE A 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD. THE GEAR ON THE OIL PUMP STRIPED AND DID DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. KAWASAKI KNOWS THAT THE GEAR FAILS. IT DID ON MY BIKE AT 57,000 MILES. IT IS IN THE KAWASAKI SHOP NOW AND WILL COST AROUND $2200 TO FIX. KAWASAKI HAS FIXED SOME BIKES BUT I WAS TOLD BY KAWASAKI THAT THEY STOPPED THIS LAST YEAR. I LIVE IN ARKANSAS AND WAS IN FLORIDA ON A TRIP WHEN I HAD THE PROBLEM. I LOADED IT IN A U-HAUL AND BROUGHT IT BACK HOME. KAWASAKI KNOWING THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS AND DOING NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS NO DIFFERENT THAT WHAT TOYOTA HAS DONE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10326733

Incident

Mar 18, 2010

Mileage

57,000 mi

DEFECTIVE OIL GEAR DESTROYED THE ENGINE ON MY 1999 VULCAN NOMAD. KAWASAKI IS WILLING TO COVER ONLY THE PUMP AND GEAR OF THE ENGINE BUT NOT THE REST OF THE DAMAGE. I AM GOING TO BE CHARGED OVER $1,700 FOR THEIR FAULTY GEAR. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO OFFICIAL RECALL, NO INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO DO IF THE GEAR FAILED. I TRIED TO WORK IT OUT WITH KAWASAKI. THE LOCAL DEALER IS EVEN ON MY SIDE AND CALLED KAWASAKI MOTOR CORP TO FAUGHT FOR ME. WHEN I TRIED TO WORK IT OUT WITH KAWASAKI MOTOR CORP TECH DEPART, THE TECHNICIAN STATED TO ME THAT THE ENGINE DAMAGE WAS MY FAULT. I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THE OIL LIGHT WAS ON AND THEIR SHOULD HAVE BEEN A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN I ROAD THE BIKE, THERE WAS NO LIGHT NOR ANY NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE EXCEPT RIGHT BEFORE IT TURNED OFF. ONCE THAT HAPPENED I COASTED OFF THE ROAD AND HAD IT TOWED BACK TO MY HOUSE. THE ONLY ONES TO TOUCH THE AREA LOCATED WITH THE OIL LIGHT WAS CERTIFIED KAWASAKI MECHANICS. THE ONLY TIMES THE AREA WAS TOUCHED WAS WHEN THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE WAS UNDER THE TANK RIGHT BELOW THE LIGHT. THE OTHER TIME WAS WHEN THE OFFICIAL KAWASAKI MECHANICS REBUILT THE IGNITION SWITCH/LIGHT. *NM

NHTSA ID

10144833

Incident

Oct 5, 2005

LODGED ORIGINAL COMPLAINT UNDER SUBCATEGORY 'OTHER'. PLASTIC (NYLON) OIL GEAR FAILURE. MINE FAILED AT 41000 MILES. MOST HAVE FAILED AT EARLIER MILEAGE. FAILURE OCCURRS WITHOUT WARNING, RESULTS IN SUDDEN LOSS OF ALL OIL PRESSURE, CAN LEAD TO ENGINE LOCK-UP, AND LOSS OF CONTROL. NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS YET. KAWASAKI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT ARE WAITING FOR FAILURE BEFORE REPLACEMENT. FAILURE ONLY OCCURRS WHILE RIDING, WHICH ALWAYS LEAVES THE RIDER STRANDED, REQUIRING A TOW. I HOPE DEATH AND INJURY ARE NOT PREREQUISITES TO RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

10078680

Incident

Jun 8, 2004

Mileage

41,000 mi

PLASTIC OIL GEAR FAILURE RESULTS IN TOTAL LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, WHICH COULD LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL. MINE STARTED AND WARMED NORMALLY, BUT THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON LESS THAN FIVE MILES DOWN THE ROAD. I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND COASTED ONTO A SIDE ROAD, WHERE A CHECK OF MY OIL LEVEL SHOWED IT WAS FULL BUT NO PRESSURE. SEEMS TO ONLY INVOLVE 1999 AND EARLY 2000 MODEL VULCANS. WELL DOCUMENTED DESIGN FLAW THAT KAWASAKI IS AWARE OF. KAWASAKI IS REPAIRING THIS AFTER IT FAILS, WHICH CAN ONLY HAPPEN WHILE RIDING, RESULTING IN MANDATORY STRANDING OF THE RIDER. MINE FAILED WHILE ON VACATION IN MICHIGAN. MY CHOICE WAS TO HAVE THE BIKE TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND GET A MOTEL ROOM UNTIL REPAIRED ($225/TOW, $50-60/NIGHT IN A MOTEL, (MINIMUM 3 NIGHTS ,IF THEY CAN FIT YOU INTO THEIR SHOP SCHEDULE; OTHERWISE, WHO KNOWS) OR RENT A TRUCK, $564 (800 MILES FROM HOME), FUEL FOR 10MPG TRUCK, $150, MISSING TWO DAYS OF VACATION, PRICELESS. RATHER THAN BE A STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND, I ELECTED TO RENT THE TRUCK. AT LEAST I WOULD BE HOME, AND THE WORK DONE BY MY LOCAL SHOP. KAWASAKI IS ELECTING TO LET THEIR CUSTOMERS SUFFER, RIDING POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MOTORCYCLES, IN THE HOPE OF NOT HAVING TO FIX SOME OF THE BIKES. MY BIKE IS NOT YET REPAIRED, SO I CAN NOT COMMENT ON THE SUCCESS OF THE FIX (STEEL GEAR). THE REPAIR REQUIRES TH EREMOVAL AND DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE (MIN 16 HRS.). I AM DISAPPOINTED IN KAWASAKI, AND CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THE NHTSA HAS NOT RECEIVED A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF REPORTS TO FORCE A RECALL. AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FORCED AS KAWASAKI HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY CAN NOT BE TRUSTED TO RECALL THE BIKES ON THEIR OWN. *AK

NHTSA ID

10075114

Incident

Jun 8, 2004

Mileage

41,000 mi

1999 KAWASAKI NOMAD MOTORCYCLE LOST POWER.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE'S OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE MOTORCYCLE LOST ALL POWER. THE BIKE WAS TOWED TO THE CONSUMER'S HOME. THE CONSUMER REMOVED THE OIL FILTER AND FOUND DEPOSITS OF NYLON MATERIAL. THE CONSUMER WENT ONTO A KAWASAKI CLUB WEBSITE AND SAW INFORMATION THAT A NYLON OIL PUMP GEAR WAS USED IN THAT SERIES BIKE AND THAT IT WOULD FAIL BELOW 30K MILES. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THIS WAS A FACTORY ISSUE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10054163

Incident

Sep 13, 2003

DEALER MADE REPAIRS ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITHIN A MONTH, BUT SPEEDOMETER IS STILL INOPERATIVE. CONSUMER UNABLE TO DETERMINE PROPER SPEED. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NO SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

8011883

Incident

Jun 14, 2002

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMERS MOTORCYCLE OIL PUMP GEAR FAILED, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN REGARDING THIS DEFECT, CONSUMER IS WONDERING WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED, CONSUMER FOUND OUT THAT PARTS WERE BACKORDERED AND IS REQUESTING THAT THE REPLACEMENT GEAR GET EXPEDITED QUICKLY. *SLC

NHTSA ID

562644

Incident

Jul 27, 2001

MOTORCYCLE HAS A PLASTIC GEAR MESHED INTO A METAL GEAR. PLASTIC GEAR IS SUBJECT TO BREAKING, AND WILL STOP LUBRICATING THE ENGINE, CAUSING ENGINE TO FAIL. DEALER IS AWAREOF PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

861313

FREL ENGINE OIL PUMP HAS SUSPECTED HIGH INCIDENT FAILURE, CAUSING POSSIBLE INJURY OR DEATH. ALSO, REAR WHEEL LOSES TRACTION BECAUSE OF POWER FAILURE. DEALER IS LOOKING INTO PROBLEM. SUDDEN LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, CAUSING ENGINE VALVE LIFTERS TO MALFUNCTION (GO FLAT). ENGINE WILL NOT OPERATE PROPERLY, AND LOSE POWER SUDDENLY. THE INHERENT DESIGN OF THIS MOTORCYCLE IS FOR OPEN HIGHWAY INTERSTATE TYPES OF USAGE. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER FROM THE ENGINE AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 75MPH COULD END IN SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, RESULTING IN A FATALITY OR INJURY. ESPECIALLY, WITH SUSPECTED FREQUENCY HIGHER THAN USUAL. *AK

NHTSA ID

857716

Incident

Feb 25, 2000