RoadVitals

2012 Victory Vision

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
4
Latest Sep 3, 2014
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Sep 18, 2012
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Victory Vision, most frequently naming the steering, body & structure and other / unspecified categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 4 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Steering350.0%
  • Body & structure233.3%
  • Other / unspecified116.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
12V457000

EQUIPMENT

Sep 18, 2012
6,618 units potentially affected
The defect: Polaris is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Victory motorcycles manufactured from January 3, 2012, through August 15, 2012. A torqueing procedure may have been missed on some throttle cable retention nuts. On certain motorcycles, the throttle cable retention nuts for either the pull or push throttle cable may have not been torqued correctly.
The risk: If the torqueing is missed and the retention nuts are loose, the retention nuts closest to the throttle body can become dislodged and interfere with the throttle function, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Victory will notify owners and dealers will correctly torque the fasteners free of charge. The safety recall began on October 4, 2012. Owners may contact Victory consumer service department by calling 1-888-704-5290.
POLARIS INDUSTRIES, INC.Manufacturer number V-12-01View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE14006ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

Motorcycle steering lockup

Opened Mar 10, 2014
Closed May 22, 2015

This Preliminary Evaluation (PE14006) was opened after NHTSA became aware of alleged steering lockup involving Victory Vision motorcycles built by Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris).This issue has been the subject of numerous online forum posts by the filer of VOQ 10534733.Both the VOQs and forum posts (from all sources) formed the foundation of our investigation. The subject motorcycles are equipped with a two-piece, plastic, front fender.The back half (the all-black portion in the photo below) is secured to the fork with a single fastener on each side.It is secured to the front half of the fender with two plastic pushpins.The back half of the subject 2-piece fender is alleged to cause steering lockup when it partially separates and becomes wedged in the lower faring.We have expanded the PE's original scope to include the MY2014 and 2015 Visions because (1) these bikes came on-line after we opened this investigation and (2) the subject fender remains unchanged.Since its introduction in May, 2007, Polaris has produced 7,337 Visions (and trim derivatives).In the 8 years since, we are aware of 35 incidents of partial fender separation wherein the fender wedged in the lower fairing opening.None of the incidents involved a crash.During testing, with the fender both wedged in the lower fairing and with it pinned in the seam joining the right and left lower fairing halves, we noted a ?notchy? steering feel but no steering lock-up.At no time was steering control lost in either circumstance (wedged and/or pinned).When the front forks were rotated at angles greater than 10 degrees, and vehicle speed was, by necessity, below 10mph we noted an increase in steering effort that was easily manageable.This is consistent with the results of Polaris? testing where steering effort increased at steering angles beyond ten degrees.Such steering angles were only reasonably obtainable at speeds below ten mph.Polaris concluded that a fender separation of the type owners allege, does not represent an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety, but does compromise owner satisfaction.Consequently, on April 28, 2015, Polaris advised the agency that it decided to undertake a consumer satisfaction campaign to improve fender durability on all MY 2008-15 Victory Vision motorcycles regardless of mileage, time in service, or ownership status.Owners will receive notification of this campaign by June 20, 2015.A copy of Polaris' April 28, 2015 letter to us about this program is in the public file for this PE.In light of the low risk to motor vehicle safety as a result of displaced fenders, and Polaris?s actions to reduce the likelihood of fender interference through a consumer satisfaction campaign, further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For additional detailed information on this investigation, see the attached closing report.The ODI complaints cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following (ODI) numbers: 10534913, 10535066, 10430546, 10469285, 10468997, 10592181, 10585428, 10534743, 10597031, 10535938, 10594160, 10594161, 10606364

STRUCTURE

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Body & structure
Filed Sep 3, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VICTORY VISION TOUR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE FENDER HAD DETACHED, THE BOLT FELL OUT AND THE PLASTIC ON THE MUD FLAPS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

NHTSA ID
10630492
Incident
Sep 3, 2014
Mileage
42,000 mi
Other / unspecifiedSteering
Filed Sep 14, 2013

THE REAR HALF OF THE VICTORY VISION FENDER IS PLASTIC. THE MOUNTING POINTS ON MY FENDER CRACKED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE FENDER BLOWS UP INTO THE FAIRING PREVENTING THE RIDER FROM STEERING OR CONTROLLING THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO A NUMBER OF VISION RIDERS ALREADY AND VICTORY IS AWARE THIS HAZARD EXISTS. LUCKILY NO ONE HAS BEEN KILLED. THANKFULLY THE CRACKS IN MY FENDER WERE DISCOVERED DURING SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. MY DEALER, JPM PERFORMANCE POWERSPORTS HAS THE DEFECTIVE FENDER AND HAS A NEW FENDER ON ORDER. HAD I BEEN ON THE ROAD AND THE FENDER CAME APART IT COULD HAVE PLACED MY LIFE, THE LIFE OF MY PASSENGER OR ANY INNOCENT BYSTANDERS IN GRAVE DANGER AND COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. PLEASE MAKE VICTORY FIX THIS VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10543623
Incident
Sep 14, 2013
Mileage
13,361 mi
Body & structureSteering
Filed Sep 1, 2013

BOLT HOLES ATTACHING REAR SECTION OF FRONT FENDER CRACKED. *JS

NHTSA ID
10538271
Incident
Jul 15, 2013
Mileage
8,500 mi
Steering
Filed Aug 11, 2013

I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHEN THE FENDER BROKE BUT I FOUND IT GIVING THE BIKE A FULL ONCE OVER JUST BEFORE A 2500 MILE ROAD TRIP. IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE ONLY TWO BOLTS THAT HOLD THE BACK HALF OF THE FENDER SECURE TO THE FORKS. THEY CRACK OUT THE CHEAP COMPOSITE PLASTIC THAT THE FENDER IS CONSTRUCTED OF. THE MATERIAL IS TOTALLY INFERIOR AND BRITTLE AND SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH BREAKING AND CAN POTENTIALLY CAUSE THE STEERING TO LOCKUP AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE... A DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ID
10534783
Incident
Jul 14, 2013
Mileage
8,563 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

V-15-04

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

Victory has determined that some 2011-2014 Victory Vision motorcycles, designated for sale in EU and non-EU countries outside of the United States and Canada, may not meet emission standards set forth by the Conformity of Production (COP). Victory has released an ECM software update to bring the CO levels into compliance with COP standards.

V-15-07-02

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

The Victory Motorcycle Division of Polaris Industries Inc. has determined that certain California Air Resource Board (CARB) certified Victory Vision models, equipped with approved Stage 1 accessory exhaust, must have the Stage 1 Certification decal updated. The new decal will ensure that the emission certification information displayed on the decal aligns with CARB requirements for Stage 1 equipped motorcycles.

TSB-V-15-02AB

STRUCTURE:BODY

VICTORY MC: TSB HAS AN OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER. SELECT DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON BELOW. AT MOUNTING HOLES ON FRONT FENDER HALVES, CRACKS WILL DEVELOP AND EITHER HAVE BOTH OR ONE REPLACED. MODEL 2008-15 VISION. *PE

V-15-02

STRUCTURE

Victory Motorcycles has determined that 2008-2015 Victory Vision front fenders may not meet internal durability standards. Certain operating conditions may cause the fender halves to crack at the mounting holes. A fender bracket kit has been developed to address this concern.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Victory Vision by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2015000—
2014311—
2013911—
2012Viewing411—
2011120132.6
2010601—
2009100131.2
2008303144.9

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.