1999 Suzuki Intruder 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 1999 Suzuki Intruder, 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
- Brakes642.9%
- Transmission535.7%
- Driver assistance17.1%
- Engine17.1%
- Suspension17.1%
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
1999 SUZUKI VL 1500LC MOTORCYCLE HAS TERRIBLE FRONT BRAKES. THEY FADE REAL BAD AFTER ONE MODERATE STOP FROM NORMAL FREEWAY SPEEDS. MANY OWNERS ARE HAVING TO DO AFTER MARKET MODIFICATIONS TO BRING FUNCTIONALITY TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL. SUZUKI MUST HAVE KNOWN THIS AS THEY THOROUGHLY REDESIGNED THE SYSTEM FROM YEAR MODEL 2002 TO PRESENT. I HAVE COME CLOSE TO HAVING SEVERAL ACCIDENTS DUE TO BRAKE FADE DURING A HARD PANIC STOP. *NLM
BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING, THEY WEAR OUT PREMATURALLY, 5500 MILES OF PADS ON REAR DISK (DISK SCORED) AND ONLY 11000 OFF FRONT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
1999 SUZUKI INTRUDER 1500 TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF 4TH GEAR REGULARLY UNDER NORMAL RIDING SUZUKI SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEMS. *AK
1999 SUZUKI VL-1500LC. HAS HAD SHIFTING ISSUES SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED WITH FALSE NEUTRAL BETWEEN 4TH ADN 5TH GEARS. JULY 23, 2003 THE MAIN TRANSMISSION DRIVE SHAFT FAILED/BROKE WHILE DRIVING DOWN I-90 LEAVING SEATTLE. *LA
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE IDLING, REAR BRAKE LINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. MANUFACTURER WARRANTY REP CLAIMED THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR THIS BIKE TO OVERHEAT IF LEFT IDLING TOO LONG. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AFTER IDLING FOR 15 MINUTES IN 30 DEGREE WEATHER.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS A FLAW IN THE CASTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS GOING TO REPLACE THE CRANKCASE WHEN AN OIL LEAK DEVELOPED FROM THIS PROBLEM. TO DO THE REPAIRS, THEY WOULD HAVE TO CRACK THE MOTOR OPEN, AND IT WOULD NEVER SEAL THE WAY IT DID FROM THE FACTORY. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30-35 MPH REAR BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED TO OPERATE. FRONT BRAKE SLOWED IT DOWN UNTIL THE MOTORCYCLE CAME TO A STOP. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
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 .