RoadVitals

2002 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.
3
Latest May 17, 2018
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.
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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.
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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.
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Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan, most frequently naming the powertrain (other) and transmission 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

  • Powertrain (other)266.7%
  • Transmission133.3%

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

Powertrain (other)
Filed May 17, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR; HOWEVER, THE TRANSMISSION SWITCHED BACK INTO NEUTRAL AND THE MOTORCYCLE LOST ACCELERATION. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH INTO FIRST GEAR, BUT THE MOTORCYCLE SWITCHED INTO NEUTRAL AGAIN. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO DRIVE THE MOTORCYCLE HOME. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

NHTSA ID
11096561
Incident
May 17, 2018
Mileage
79,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Nov 25, 2002

NO PARTS AVAILABLE THE CONSUMER RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE TRANSMISSION SHAFT. THE BUSINESS NAME IS FLORIDA SPORTS 772 286 1850 [XXX] TS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
8023295
Incident
Oct 5, 2002
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 30, 2002

WHILE DRIVING HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE.*AK

NHTSA ID
8017712
Incident
Jul 1, 2002

Manufacturer communications

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

0305

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

RADIATOR FAN FUSE REPLACEMENT. *TT

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 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2010010—
2009510—
2006300—
2005600—
2004110—
2003810—
2002Viewing300—
2001300—
2000500—
1999800—
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.