2008 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 2008 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
- Electrical337.5%
- Steering337.5%
- Engine112.5%
- Suspension112.5%
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
THE STATOR HAS FAILED THREE TIMES IN THE LAST 5000 MILES LEAVING MY STRANDED TWO TIMES AND THE REGULATOR/RECTIFIER HAS FAILED TWICE THE THE CURRENT FAILURE RESULTED IN A FIRE UNDER THE SEAT!!!! I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES...I HAVE SPENT $1500 IN REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR THIS MOTORCYCLE AND AM VERY LUCKY TO HAVE ESCAPED MAJOR DISASTER OR INJURY. THIS PROBLEM MUST BE ADDRESSED! WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE FIRE BURNED INTO THE GAS TANK??? NOT SOMETHING I WANT TO THING ABOUT. SUZUKI MUST BE MADE TO FIX THE CHARGING SYSTEM OF THE C90 PRODUCT LINE!!
I BOUGHT A '08 C90 BOULEVARD FROM A SUZUKI DEALER BRAND NEW IN 2009 AND FROM THE FIRST RIDE THERE WAS A HORRIBLE WOBBLE UPON DECELERATION STARTING AT APPROXIMATELY AT 30 MPH. I TOOK THE BIKE BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM LOOKED AT AND THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE BIKE AND HE INSISTED THIS PROBLEM WAS DUE TO MY WEIGHT (350LBS) AND HE STATE HE FELT NO WOBBLE. THIS WENT ON FOR TWO YEARS. AFTER JOINING THE DELFI C90 FORUM I WAS ALERTED TO THE FACT THAT MY SHB'S WERE BAD AND THIS WAS HAPPENING TO HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WITH THE C90 FROM YEARS '04 TO PRESENT AND ON BRAND NEW BIKES AS WELL. THIS WILL COST ME $500 TO REPAIR. I WAS ALSO ALERTED TO ANOTHER PROBLEM CURRENTLY OCCURRING, WHICH IS A RR PROBLEM STEMMING FROM A BAD DESIGN IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (SHUNT DESIGN). THIS PROBLEM IS ALSO OCCURRING TO HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF VL1500'S AND C90'S. THIS PROBLEM WILL COST ABOUT ANOTHER $400 TO REPAIR. BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE EXTREME SAFETY HAZARDS!!!!.
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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUZUKI C90T. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DECIDED TO REPLACE THE WHEEL BEARINGS. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT NOT TO TAKE HIS HANDS OFF THE HANDLE BARS SINCE IT WOULD PREVENT HIM FROM NOTICING THE VIBRATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,500.
I BOUGHT A '08 C90 BOULEVARD FROM A SUZUKI DEALER BRAND NEW IN 2009 AND FROM THE FIRST RIDE THERE WAS A HORRIBLE WOBBLE UPON DECELERATION STARTING AT APPROXIMATELY AT 30 MPH. I TOOK THE BIKE BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM LOOKED AT AND THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE BIKE AND HE INSISTED THIS PROBLEM WAS DUE TO MY WEIGHT (350LBS) AND HE STATE HE FELT NO WOBBLE. THIS WENT ON FOR TWO YEARS. AFTER JOINING THE DELFI C90 FORUM I WAS ALERTED TO THE FACT THAT MY SHB'S WERE BAD AND THIS WAS HAPPENING TO HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WITH THE C90 FROM YEARS '04 TO PRESENT AND ON BRAND NEW BIKES AS WELL. THIS WILL COST ME $500 TO REPAIR. I WAS ALSO ALERTED TO ANOTHER PROBLEM CURRENTLY OCCURRING, WHICH IS A RR PROBLEM STEMMING FROM A BAD DESIGN IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (SHUNT DESIGN). THIS PROBLEM IS ALSO OCCURRING TO HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF VL1500'S AND C90'S. THIS PROBLEM WILL COST ABOUT ANOTHER $400 TO REPAIR. BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE EXTREME SAFETY HAZARDS!!!!.
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
ENGINE FAILURE IN TRAFFIC DUE TO FAULTY STATOR/REGULATOR/RECTIFIER - BASED ON INTERNET FORUMS, THIS APPEARS TO BE SYSTEMIC FOR THIS MODEL OF MOTORCYCLE. POSES DANGER AS ENGINE FAILURE IN TRAFFIC COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE RECALLS FOR SEVERAL SUZUKI MOTORCYCLES THAT USE THE SAME STATOR/REGULATOR/RECTIFIER. THIS MODEL SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED TO PREVENT ANY FUTURE ACCIDENTS. *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
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V108000 COMPONENT: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR THE REGULATOR / RECTIFIER ASSEMBLIES WITH THE FOLLOWING SUZUKI PART NUMBERS ARE BEING RECALLED ON THE MOTORCYCLES MENTIONED: 32800-41F11, 32800-15H10, 32800-05H11, 32800-41G10, 32800-15H00, 32800-18H00, 32800-05G10, 32800-10G10, 32800-05H20, OR 32800-06G01. I RECENTLY HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH MY 2008 C90T SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE. MY BIKE HAS THE SAME COMPONANTS THAT RECENTLY FAILED. HOW COME THE C90 IS NOT ON THE LIST OF MOTORCYCLES. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE STEERING HEAD BEARINGS. ANY OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT YOU HAVE HAD FROM C90 OWNERS, THEY WILL ALSO TELL YOU ABOUT "STEERING WOBBLE" IT HAS HAPPENED TO NEW AND USED BIKES WITH VERY LOW MILEAGE. THE BEARINGS ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THIS BIKE. A PERSON ON THE C90 FORUM OF WHICH I SUBSCRIBE HAS MADE TMK BEARINGS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. THEY ARE THE ROLLER TYPE AND NOT THE NORMAL ROUND TYPE AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. SO, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REPORT THIS SAFETY ISSUE AS YOU CAN WELL IMAGINE THE "LOW AND HIGH SPEED WOBBLE ISSUE BEING A SAFETY ISSUE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
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 .