2005 Suzuki VL1500 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 2005 Suzuki VL1500, 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
- Electrical426.7%
- Fuel system426.7%
- Body & structure213.3%
- Driver assistance16.7%
- Brakes16.7%
- Other / unspecified16.7%
- Steering16.7%
- Suspension16.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
CHARGING SYSTEM STATOR RECTIFIER. *TR
I WAS RIDING ALONG AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY MOTORCYCLE LOST POWER AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER AND THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WOULD BARELY RUN. SUBSEQUENT TROUBLESHOOTING REVEALED THAT THE GENERATOR STATOR HAD SHORTED AND WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING CAUSING THE BATTERY TO BECOME DEPLETED. REPLACEMENT OF THE STATOR, REGULATOR/RECTIFIER AND THE BATTERY WAS REQUIRED. I WOULD EXPECT THESE COMPONENTS TO LAST LONGER THAN 18,000 MILES BUT AFTER DOING MY RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM FOR THIS MOTORCYCLE, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
2005 SUZUKI VL 1500 WITH SAFETY RECALL FOR THE FUEL PAD. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT ORDER THE PART AND LET HIM REPAIR THE PROBLEM HIMSELF. THEY ARE SAYING HE HAS TO HAVE A DEALER DO IT. HE STATES HE DOESN'T TRUST THE DEALERS. *KB THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE BATTERY DIED.
I RECEIVED A RECALL ON MY 2005 SUZUKI C90 RELATED TO THE GAS TANK. THE RECALL STATES NOT TO OPERATE THE MOTORCYCLE. THE DEALER REFUSES TO PICK THE BIKE UP AND TELLS ME TO RIDE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. IF IT IS TOO DANGEROUS TO RIDE, WHY AREN'T THE DEALERS RESPONSIBLE FOR TOWING THE BIKE? *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
2005 VL1500 BOULEVARD HAS FALLEN FROM THE KICK STAND. CONSUMER STATES THAT HE WAS INFORMED BY A MECHANIC THAT THE KICK STAND DOES NOT GO FORWARD ENOUGH TO HOLD THE BIKE ON AN INCLINE. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE MOTORCYCLE HAS FALLEN THREE TIMES THIS YEAR, IN WHICH HE SUFFERED A MINOR MUSCLE PULL. *JB
DT: SUZUKI 2005 BLVD. C90T -TOURING MOTORCYCLE. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE KICK STAND. WHEN THE CONSUMER PUT THE KICK STAND DOWN IT WILL NOT LOCK AND THE BIKE WILL FALL OVER. *JB
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
NOTE: VEHICLE IS NOT A VL1500, IT IS A SUZUKI BURGMAN 650 MOTORSCOOTER WHICH WAS NOT A CHOICE ON YOUR DROPDOWN MODELS. SPEEDOMETER IS COMPLETELY INACCURATE ON MY BRAND NEW 2005 SUZUKI BURGMAN 650 MOTORSCOOTER. WHILE DRIVING MY MOTORSCOOTER, I CANNOT GET AN ACCURATE READING ON WHETHER I'M GOING TOO FAST OR TOO SLOW. SOMETIMES THIS SPEEDOMETER IS AT LEAST 20 MPH FASTER THAN WHAT I AM TRAVELING. I HAVE TAKEN THE BIKE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I AM BEING TOLD BY BOTH THE DEALER AND SUZUKI THAT A 10% MARGIN OF ERROR IS ACCEPTIBLE BY SUZUKI AS BEING ACCURATE ENOUGH TO DRIVE ON THE AMERICAN HIGHWAYS. I CHECKED WITH THE LOCAL POLICE AND HIGHWAY PATROLS AND WAS INFORMED THAT WHEN A SPEED LIMIT IS POSTED THAT IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DRIVING - NOT 10% PLUS OR MINUS. I AM ALSO BEING INSTRUCTED BY SUZUKI THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO MENTALLY CALCULATE THE MAXIMUM 10% DIFFERENCE ON THE SPEEDOMETER WHILE DRIVING IN MOUNTAIN CONDITIONS AND CROWDED HIGHWAYS CREATING A SERIOUS SAFETY FACTOR. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS FIXED. THERE ARE 2 SUZUKI BRUGMAN 650'S THAT WERE PURCHASED FROM THE SAME DEALERSHIP WITHIN THE SAME WEEK, BOTH ARE NOW IN THE SHOP FOR THE SAME REPAIRS. BOTH OWNERS HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED THAT THEY WILL NOT BE FIXED AND THEY MUST BE RIDDEN IN THIS UNSAFE CONDITION. I WOULD APPRECIATE NHTSA HELP IN RESOLVING THIS SERIOUS SAFETY VIOLATION.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRONT BRAKE FAILS TO STOP VEHICLE. FRONT BRAKE LEVER TRAVEL IS EXCESSIVE AND OFTEN TOUCHES THE THROTTLE GRIP WITHOUT PROVIDING ANY SIGNIFICANT DECELERATION. DEALER RECENTLY BLED BRAKES AT THE 4000 MILE SERVICE. ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT ON OCT 1, 2005 WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. HAD TO CHANGE LANES TO AVIOD A REAR END COLLISION. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WITH OTHER VS1400 SUZUKI INTRUDERS. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT: A 2005 SUZUKI VL800. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE REAR WHEEL HAS SPOKES, AND WHERE THE SPOKES TIE INTO THE METAL OF THE WHEELS IT IS CRACKING. THE DEALERSHIP HAS CONFLICTING RESPONSES, ONE SAYS IT IS DANGEROUS, AND ANOTHER SAYS IT IS NOT A PROBLEM. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS ONLY 823 MILES ON IT.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE MOTORCYCLE (SUZUKI C 90 BOULEVARD) WOBBLES UNCONTROLLABLY ON DECELERATION, THAT CAN CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL, THIS STARTED WHEN IT HAD ONLY 1500 MILES ON IT. DEALER WOULD DO NOTHING. IT HAS ALSO HAD ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS THE RECTIFIER SHORTS OUT. SUZUKI REPLACED THE RECTIFIER AND STATOR. THESE PROBLEMS ARE INHERENT IN 2005 AND 2006 SUZUKI C90 BOULEVARD. IN 2007 SUZUKI REVAMPED THE STATOR AND RECTIFIER. *TR
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
DT: OWNER HAS A MOTORCYLCE. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH THE BALL BEARNINGS FELL OUT OF THE FRONT WHEEL. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT TO HAVE ANY FRONT BRAKES. THEN, THE OWNER LEANED TO THE RIGHT AND LET THE MOTORCYCLE ROLL TO A STOP. THE FRONT WHEEL WAS WOBBLING. THERE WAS A FRONT WHEEL BEARING PROBLEM ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. IT WAS MAKING A CLICKING NOISE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 9,000 MILES. THE FRONT WHEEL BEARNINGS FELL OFF LAST WEDNESDAY. THE MOTORCYLE WAS TOWED. THE OWNER TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPAIRED IT. THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED THE OWNER THAT THE WHEEL BEARNINGS WERE DERVIED FROM THREE DIFFERENT SOURCES. THEY INDICATED THE BEARNING THAT FAILED WAS CALLED A KACHI BEARING. THE OWNER CALLED SUZUKI AND MADE A COMPLAINT WITH THEM. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE BEARING WITH A KOYO. THE OWNER HAD TO REPLACE THE KACHI BEARNIGS TWICE WITHIN 15000 MILES. THE OWNER WAS CONCERNED THIS PRODUCT COULD CAUSE DEATH OR INJURY TO RIDER OR OTHER MOTORISTS. *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 .