2005 Suzuki VL800 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 VL800, 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
- Electrical545.5%
- Tires & wheels218.2%
- Body & structure19.1%
- Engine19.1%
- Exterior lighting19.1%
- Suspension19.1%
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
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
BIKE LOST ALL POWER, NO LIGHTS NOTHING AND WON'T START.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUZUKI VL800. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE WIRING HARNESS MELTED AND WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER AT THE COST OF $800. ONE YEAR PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, HE RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V566000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH) AND IMMEDIATELY SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS REPEATEDLY INFORMED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 11,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY 2005 SUZUKI C50 MOTORCYCLE HAS DEVELOPED CRACKS IN THE FRONT AND REAR HUBS OF THE WHEELS. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS LESS THAN 2000 MILES ON IT. I FOUND THE CRACKS AFTER LEARNING ABOUT THEM ON THE INTERNET. THESE CRACKS APPEAR TO BE VERY COMMON WITH THIS BIKE. SUZUKI SHOULD INVESTIGATE AND EITHER REPLACE THE RIMS OR NOTIFY THE OWNERS IF THIS IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE CONCERNED WITH. I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE RIDING MY BIKE WITHOUT FEAR OF A WHEEL BREAKING APART. *JB
MY 2005 SUZUKI C50 MOTORCYCLE HAS DEVELOPED CRACKS IN THE FRONT AND REAR HUBS OF THE WHEELS. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS LESS THAN 500 MILES ON IT AND IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. IN NOTIFYING SUZUKI OF THE PROBLEMS THEY CONVEYED TO ME THAT THIS IS NOT A DEFECT AND WHERE NOT LIABLE. BUT MY NEIGHBOR'S WIFE HAS THE SAME STYLE BIKE AND HERS HAS THE SAME CRACKS ON BOTH HUBS. I HAVE NOT WRECKED THE BIKE ,I'VE BARELY RIDDEN IT IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS. I'VE HEARD FROM A DIFFERENT BIKE DEALER THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS AND SUZUKI KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND IS DOING NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION. THIS PROBLEM CAN LEAD TO THE AFFECTED WHEELS COMING APART WHEN RIDDEN. NOW I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU,BUT HAVING MY WHEELS FALL APART GOING SAY 55 MPH IS NOT A FUN TIME TO ME. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT SUZUKI IS WAITING FOR...MAYBE THEY ARE HOPING THIS GOES AWAY OR MAYBE IT WILL TAKE SOMEONE GETTING KILLED OR MAIMED BEFORE THEY ISSUE A MUCH NEEDED RECALL. ALL I WANT IS MY BIKE FIXED OR THEM GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK. RIGHT NOW I HAVE A VERY EXPENSIVE LAWN ORNAMENT. *NM
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
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH MAKING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER PEG DETACHED RELEASING THE PASSENGER; A 12 YEAR OLD CHILD. THE PASSENGER WAS SECURED BY THE CONTACT WHILE TRAVELING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERS WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FRAME AND BRAKE LINE WAS RUSTED DUE TO EXPOSURE TO AIR. THE DEALER ALSO EXPRESSED THAT THE BROKEN FRAME COULD HAVE BEEN PART OF A MANUFACTURER RECALL AND NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER SCHEDULED A INVESTIGATOR TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE.
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
BIKE LOST ALL POWER, NO LIGHTS NOTHING AND WON'T START.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
BIKE LOST ALL POWER, NO LIGHTS NOTHING AND WON'T START.
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
THE REAR HUB ON THE SUZUKI C50 WAS FULL OF CRACKS,ESPECIALLY AROUND THE SPOKE HOLES. THEY WERE GETTING WORSE. IF THE HUB DISINTEGRATED IT WOULD KILL ME AND MY WIFE. THIS WAS NOT A ISOLATED INCIDENT,THE WEB WAS FULL OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. I HOPE SOMEONE DID NOT HAVE TO GET KILLED FROM THIS DEFECT TO HAVE THEM RECALL IT. THE MOTORCYCLE HAD ONLY 1500 MILES ON IT , AND WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I COUNTED 30 SEVERE CRACKS IN THE LEFT SIDE HUB AROUND THE SPOKE HOLES. SO NOW WE COULD NOT RIDE IT BECAUSE THE HUB WILL COME APART ON US . IT WAS A DANGEROUS DEFECT. *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 .