RoadVitals

1999 Kawasaki Vulcan

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.
8
Latest Nov 6, 2019
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.
2

Overview

Our database contains 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 Kawasaki Vulcan, most frequently naming the engine and fuel system categories.

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

  • Engine583.3%
  • Fuel system116.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

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

Engine
Filed Nov 6, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN 1500 NOMAD. WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH, THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO BIG ST. CHARLES MOTORSPORTS (LOCATED AT 3830 WEST CLAY STREET, ST. CHARLES, MO 63301) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A PLASTIC GEAR IN THE OIL PUMP THAT CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL OVERRIDE IN THE MOTORCYCLE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
11278406
Incident
Jun 15, 2019
Mileage
30,000 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 16, 2001
Crash reported

WAS DRIVING MOTORCYCLE AT 70MPH WHEN IT SUDDENLY STALLED OUT FOR NO REASON. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE SO FAR. MOTORCYCLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
883305
Incident
Feb 25, 2001
Filed Nov 5, 2000
Crash reported

THE KAWASAKI DRIFTER HAS NO LOCKING MECHANISM ON KICKSTAND AND WILL ROLL OF ON SLIGHT INCLINE. *AK

NHTSA ID
735800
Incident
Nov 4, 2000
Filed Nov 5, 2000

KICK STAND FAILED TO KEEP MOTORCYCLE UPRIGHT WHILE IDLING. *AK

NHTSA ID
735798
Incident
Nov 5, 2000
Engine
Filed May 31, 2000

THE PLASTIC OIL PUMP GEAR HAS A HISTORY OF FAILURES IN THE 1999 MODEL KAWASAKI VULCAN MOTORCYCLES. THE RESULT AT HIWAY SPEEDS COULD BE FATAL. MANY REPORTS FROM HTTP://WWW.VROC.ORG MEMBERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED FAILURES SAY THEY ARE LUCKY THEY WERE NOT IN THE FAST LANE WHEN THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. KAWASAKI REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL EVEN THOUGH THAT HAVE STOPPED USING THE PLASTIC GEAR IN NEWER MODELS. *AK

NHTSA ID
723417
Engine
Filed Apr 19, 2000

THE PLASTIC GEAR THAT EXTENDS TO THE OIL PUMP COULD STRIP OR MALFUNCTION, WHICH COULD EVENTUALLY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
860591
Fuel system
Filed Nov 3, 1999

THE FUEL PUMP IS LEAKING FROM THE SEAM, AND THE FUEL LEAKS ONTO THE MOTOR WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE. MANUFACTURER/DEALER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE FUEL PUMP IS BEING REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

NHTSA ID
852505
Incident
Nov 2, 1999
Engine
Filed Jun 15, 1999

ONCE THE MOTORCYCLE IS DRIVEN AND GETS UP TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE, THE MOTORCYLCE WILL NOT RUN AFTER IT IS SHUT OFF FOR ABOUT ONE HOUR. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID
839792
Incident
May 23, 1999

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Kawasaki Vulcan by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2010010—
2009510—
2006300—
2005600—
2004110—
2003810—
2002300—
2001300—
2000500—
1999Viewing800—
1998200—
1997710—
1996900—
1995210—

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.