2003 Yamaha Road Star Limited Edition 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 2003 Yamaha Road Star Limited Edition, 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
- Transmission1386.7%
- Brakes16.7%
- Powertrain (other)16.7%
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
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS RIDING SOUTH BOUND INTERSTATE 95 ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY YAMAHA SILVERADO LOST SPEED AND STARTED JERKING. I PULLED THE CLUTCH IN AND LET THE BIKE SLOW DOWN. I THEN TRIED TO DOWNSHIFT BUT THE SHIFTER WAS FROZEN, FINALLY I GOT IT TO GO INTO GEAR. AS I STARTED TO PICK UP SPEED IT DIDN'T WANT TO GO INTO 4TH GEAR. I CRAWLED HOME ABOUT 2 MILES AND ATTEMPTED TO HIT ALL GEARS AFTER I WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY, IT WOULD NOT MOVE. I THANK GOD IT DIDN'T LOCK UP THE WHEEL ON I95 AT 65 MPH. I HAVE OWNED YAMAHA BIKES FOR 30 YEARS AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN. IF I HAD KNOWN YAMAHA HAD THIS PROBLEM I WOULD NEVER HAD BOUGHT THE BIKE. IS YAMAHA DOING ANYTHING TO CORRECT THIS? WHOM DO WE TURN TO IN THIS MATTER? IF SOMEONE HAS ANY IDEA ABOUT ANY OF THIS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU. *TR
I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE FREEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY 5TH GEAR WAS GONE CAUSING ME TO SUDDENLY LOOSE SPEED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO DOWNSHIFT INTO 4TH GEAR AND CONTINUE MOVING AT A SLOWER SPEED, BUT 5TH GEAR IS COMPLETELY GONE. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME IT HAS OCCURRED TO ME, BUT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO 5TH GEAR. APPARENTLY IT HAS HAPPENED TO NUMBERS OF OTHER YAMAHA ROAD STAR OWNERS. THIS TRANSMISSION HAD A RECALL ISSUED ON IT A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WAS DIFFERENT THAN THIS ISSUE, SO THIS IS A SECOND PROBLEM WITH THE SAME TRANSMISSION. *TR
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE A 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR LIMITED SILVER EDITION MOTORCYCLE, WHICH I PURCHASED FROM MALCOLM SMITH MOTORSPORTS, RIVERSIDE. IN JANUARY 2004, WITH 2,500 MILES ON THE MOTORCYCLE, I HAD A VERY DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION WITH THE REAR BRAKE, CAUSING THE REAR BRAKE TO BE APPLIED WITHOUT APPLYING FORCE TO THE PEDAL. DURING THAT SAME WEEK, I RECEIVED A NOTICE BY MAIL OF A RECALL ON THE MOTORCYCLE INVOLVING THE TRANSMITION (UNRELATED TO THE BRAKE). UPON CALLING THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THE BRAKE WOULD NOT BE LOOKED AT UNTIL THE RECALL WORK WAS ALSO PERFORMED. I WAS NOT GIVEN A DATE. AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR FOUR MONTHS, I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TIRED OF HAVING A $15,000 GARAGE ORNAMENT, AND ASKED THEM TO FIX THE BRAKE DEFECT. I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN THE FOLLOWING WEEK. I DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AS THE BRAKE MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN, AND BURNED BEYOND REPAIR. THE DEALER REFUSED TO PICK UP THE MOTORCYCLE FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TOLD ME TO GET IT HOME, AND THEY WOULD NOT LOOK AT IT NOW UNTIL THE RECALL PARTS ARRIVED. I CALLED YAMAHA AND ATTEMPTED TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES WITH NO SATISFACTION. ON 05-07-04, I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE DEALER THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE MOTORCYCLE, AND PERFORM THE RECALL WORK ON 6-9-04. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE FIVE MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE RECALL NOTICE. I AM ASKING YAMAHA TO IMMEDIATELY REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM, PERFORM ALL RECALL WORK, AND OFFER ME THE YAMAHA EXTENDED SERVICE (Y.E.S.) PROGRAM AT NO COST TO ME, WITH A BEGINNING DATE RETRO TO THE DATE OF PURCHASE.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE A YAMAHA ROAD STAR THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED. I HAVE GOTTEN HORRIBLE SERVIE AND THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THREE MONTHS AND SCHEDULED TO BE THERE ANOTHER TWO. YAMAHA IS PROVIDING NO SERVICE AND NO COMPENSATION. THE BIKE WILL BE IN THE SHOP FOR FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AND YAMAHA DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE. IS THERE ANYTHING ESLE I CAN DO??*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 .