2009 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 2009 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
- Powertrain (other)266.7%
- Driver assistance133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
MAKING A DOWNSHIFT FROM 3RD TO 2ND AROUND A CORNER I APPLIED THROTTLE THEN A BIG CLUNK OCCURRED AND I LOST POWER TO MY REAR DRIVE. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, ELUDING TRAFFIC TO MOVE TO THE RIGHT LANE. UPON INVESTIGATION I'VE FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM TO BE THE FINAL DRIVE PROPELLER GEAR AND THE COUPLING WERE RUSTED AND TOTALLY WORN OUT. THIS JOINT HAD NEVER BEEN LUBED DURING ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING ASSEMBLY. THIS LACK OF LUBE HAS CAUSED THE SHAFT TO RUST CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE GREASE CANNOT BE APPLIED UNLESS THE FINAL DRIVE IS TOTALLY REMOVED. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 05-09 MODEL YEARS AS EVIDENCE BY A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED YET. THE COST OF THE CHANGE IS AROUND $600 - $800 DOLLARS BUT THIS DEFFECT CAN CERTAINLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT FOR THE LOSS OF POWER WHILE OPERATING THE MOTORCYCLE ON THE HIGHWAY.
COMING AROUND A CORNER UP A HILL I APPLIED THROTTLE TO GO UP HILL. A LARGE CLUNK OCCURRED AND I LOST ALL FORWARD ABILITY. NOT HAVING POWER I BARELY MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ALMOST GETTING HIT. I SWERVED TO AVOID A CAR AND WENT DOWN. NOTHING OTHER THAN MINOR SCRAPES AS A RESULT. UPON DETERMINING THE PROBLEM TO BE THE FINAL DRIVE I REMOVED THE PART AND FOUND IT WAS NEVER LUBED DURING ASSEMBLY. THIS CAUSED THE SHAFT TO RUST CAUSING THE FAILURE. THERE IS NO WAY TO APPLY GREASE TO THE PART WITHOUT ENTERING THE NON MAINTENANCE AREA OF THE FINAL DRIVE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 05-09 MODEL YEARS AS EVIDENCE BY A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED YET. I WAS LUCKY AND MADE IT OUT OF TRAFFIC, OTHERS MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY. *TR
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
2009 SUZUKI VL800TK9. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO REPAIR REIMBURSEMENT AND RECALL *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED SHE RETURNED THE BIKE TO THE DEALER, BECAUSE THE SPEEDOMETER WAS OFF BY 9 MPH. THE DEALER REPLACED THE COMPONENT, BUT IT DIDN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THERE WASN'T ANYTHING ELSE THAT COULD BE DONE AND IT WAS PROBABLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *JB
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 .