2003 Yamaha Road Star Silverado Owner Complaints

PASSING ON A FREEWAY AND LOST 5TH GEAR. COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE AND PROBLEM THAT YAMAHA IS AWARE OF AND THEY LEFT CUSTOMERS OUT TO DRY. OR SHOULD I SAY DIE!! THIS WILL COST US AROUND 4,000 TO FIX. SHAME ON YAMAHA FOR NOT FIXING THIS PROBLEM. EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION, THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE ORIGINAL ISSUE. YAMAHA STATES IF THE RECALL IS DONE, THEN THEY'RE DONE.

NHTSA ID

11115360

Incident

Aug 1, 2018

Mileage

14,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR SILVERADO MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, HE HEARD A CLUNKING SOUND AS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE INDEPENDENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,850. *TR

NHTSA ID

10512790

Incident

May 15, 2013

Mileage

25,850 mi

I OWNED A YAMAHA ROAD STAR SILVERADO 1600 YEAR 2003. I HAVE NOW 52000 KLM ONLY. LAST WEEK WILE A WAS RIDING AT 110KLM PER HOUR ON THE FIFTH GEAR AS USUAL TRANSMISSION CAME ON NEUTRAL STATE, WHEN I RELEASED THE TRANSMISSION WAS BROKEN IN FIFTH GEAR. SO I ENDED MY RIDE IN FOURTH GEAR AS THE RESULT AT LEAST 3000.00 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS, OR MORE AT YAMAHA SHOP. *KB

NHTSA ID

10414036

Incident

Jul 14, 2011

I OWN A 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR AND THE RECALL WAS DONE ON TRANS. BUT 3 WEEKS A GO IT LOCKED UP WHILE I WAS RIDING IT. THE SHOP TELLS ME IT WAS SECOND GEAR THAT BROKE, HE SAID THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHY. IT ONLY HAS 18000 MILES AND ITS IN MINT SHAPE. NEVER BEEN TREATED ROUGH, DON'T THINK I COULD EVER RIDE IT AGAIN AND FEEL SAFE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10331100

Incident

Apr 15, 2010

Mileage

18,000 mi

RE: COMPLAINT # 10290507 TOOK MY 2003 ROADSTAR TO YAMAHA DEALERSHIP FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM (5TH GEAR GONE). WAS TOLD THAT IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE AND YAMAHA WILL REPAIR ON A CASE-BY-CASE SITUATION. ON FRIDAY NOV.6TH I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IF THE RECALL HAS BEEN DONE THAT YAMAHA WILL PAY TO FIX IT.THEN TODAY NOV.10TH,THE DEALER SAID THE DISTRICT REP SAID HE WILL NOT AUTHORIZE THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE BIKE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS MOTORCYCLE ONLY HAS 8,700 EASY MILES ON IT AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A YAMAHA PART DEFECT THAT THEY DO NOT WANT TO FIX. I HAVE BEEN READING ONLINE FORUMS FOR THE ROADSTARS AND HAVE FOUND THAT A LOT OF OWNERS HAVE HAD THE EXACT PROBLEM WITH 5TH GEAR. SOME HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET YAMAHA TO FIX THEIRS AND OTHERS HAVE HAD TO PAY TO FIX IT THEMSELVES. I HAVE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT WHEN 5TH GEAR GOES OUT,THAT IT DAMAGES OTHER TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE PARTS. SOMEBODY IS GOING TO GET KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS A SHAME THAT YAMAHA WON`T BACK UP THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10291639

Incident

Oct 29, 2009

Mileage

8,700 mi

I WAS RIDING MY 2003 YAMAHA ROADSTAR SILVERADO WITH 8,000 MILES ON IT,WHEN I HEARD A CLINK,CLINK AND THEN 5TH GEAR WAS GONE.JUST LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH I FOUND THAT MANY 2003 ROADSTARS HAVE HAD THE EXACT ISSUE EXCEPT I DID NOT CRASH LIKE SOME OTHERS HAVE DONE. I CONTACTED A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO CHECKED THE VIN AND SAID THE RECALL HAD BEEN DONE IN DEC.2004. THERE SHOULD BE A PUNCH MARK AT THE VIN NUMBER.THERE IS NONE ON MY BIKE. YAMAHA SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE 5TH GEAR ISSUE EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE A LOT OF OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR AND YAMAHA SHOULD BE RECALLING AND FIXING THIS PROBLEM AS THE MOTOR HAS TO BE TORN ALL THE WAY DOWN TO FIX IT AND THIS CAN NOT BE DONE BY THE AVERAGE PERSON. MYSELF AND OTHER YAMAHA ROADSTAR OWNERS ARE NOT,AND WILL NOT LET THIS ISSUE GO AS IT IS A COSTLY REPAIR AND A YAMAHA DEFECT. WE HAVE TOO MUCH MONEY INVESTED IN THESE MOTORCYCLES TO LET THIS BLOW OVER. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE SOON BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE IS INJURED OR KILLED. THIS IS AN ISSUE OF LIFE AND DEATH!!! WE ARE COUNTING ON NHTSA TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. PLEASE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10290507

Incident

Oct 29, 2009

Mileage

8,780 mi

RIDING A 2003 YAMAHA ROADSTAR, RIDER AND A PASSENGER, ON 57N (SO. CALIFORNIA), CRUISING AT 70 MPH IN FIFTH GEAR, BEGAN LOSING SPEED AND BIKE STARTED TO REV AS IF IN NEUTRAL. DOWNSHIFTED TO 4TH, NORMAL, UP-SHIFT TO 5TH, NO POWER, BIKE ACTING AS IF IN NEUTRAL. PULLED OFF FREEWAY. EXAMINED FOR ANYTHING OBVIOUSLY BROKEN BUT FOUND NOTHING WRONG. DROVE MOTORCYCLE TO REPAIR SHOP WHEN IT HAS BEEN EVER SINCE. REPAIR SHOP HAS DISMANTLED TRANSMISSION FROM ENGINE. PINION GEAR THAT HOLDS 5TH GEAR IN PLACE HAS SHEARED OFF CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO OTHER ENGINE/TRANNY PARTS. BROKEN PARTS COULD HAVE CAUSED ENGINE TO LOCK-UP CAUSING A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING ACCIDENT. YAMAHA CONTACTED ON TWO OCCASIONS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE MOTORCYCLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED AND THIS WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. MAJOR GEAR THAT FAILED HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED AND REPLACED WITH A NEW PART NUMBER! COST TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE WILL BE IN EXCESS OF $4000.00 ANOTHER LOCAL 2003 ROADSTAR OWNER/RIDER HAD THE SAME EXACT EXPERIENCE ONE WEEK LATER, ALSO AT 70 MPH ALSO ON A LOCAL SOCIAL FREEWAY- NHTSA COMPLAINT FILED AS WELL. ONE INTERNET FORUM INDICATE AT LEAST 7 ADDITIONAL INSTANCES WHERE 5TH GEAR HAS FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10279848

Incident

Jul 11, 2009

Mileage

10,650 mi

FUEL TANK ON A FIVE YEAR OLD MOTORCYCLE HAS RUSTED THROUGH AND MULTIPLE PIN HOLES HAVE FORMED. GAS LEAKED ON HOT MOTOR CREATING SAFETY ISSUE. MANUFACTURER WILL NOT FIX OR REPLACE TANK. PER MANUFACTURER THERE IS NO COATING ON THE INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK TO PROTECT THE BARE METAL FROM RUSTING. MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT SINCE PURCHASED NEW IN 2003. *TR

NHTSA ID

10236371

Incident

Jul 26, 2008

Mileage

16,000 mi

THE FORWARD HORN BRACKET ON MY 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR HAS REGULARLY BROKEN AT 5000 MILE INTERVALS. I TOOK ONE AND BEEFED IT UP WITH WELDED-IN ROD AND ANGLED BRACKETS BUT IT STILL ONLY LASTED 15000 MILES. MY DEALER SAYS THEY HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO YAMAHA, BUT WHEN I CALL THE CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE, THEY CLAIM TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO INSTALLED AN EXTERNAL OIL COOLER ON THE BIKE AND HAD THAT BRACKET BREAK (I FEEL DUE TO THE EXTREME VIBRATIONS INHERENT IN THE BIKE)! NOW, ON THE NEW ROADLINER, THEY HAVE ADDRESSED THESE PROBLEMS, BUT WITHOUT CONFIRMING THAT THEY EXIST. *JB

NHTSA ID

10146667

Incident

Sep 18, 2003

Mileage

5,000 mi

ON JANUARY 22, 2004 CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING TRANSMISSION. DEALERSHIP DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO CONDUCT RECALL REPAIRS. *AK *MR

NHTSA ID

10060919

Incident

Feb 27, 2004

ON JANUARY 5, 2004 CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL (990021) LETTER REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION. DEALERSHIP STILL DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO CONDUCT RECALL REPAIRS. THE DEALER DIDN'T KNOW WHEN THE PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. *AK AS OF APRIL 23, 2004 THE PARTS WERE STILL NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER FEELS THIS TIME FRAME IS UNACCEPTABLE AND UNREASONABLE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10071519

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL FOR MY 2003 YAMAHA ROADSTAR SILVERADO CONCERNING THE TRANSMISSION. AS OF THIS DATE 4/29/2004 I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE DEALER TO OBTAIN THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. I RECEIVED THE NOTICE IN JANUARY AND HAVE NOT USED THE MOTORCYCLE SINCE THEN.

NHTSA ID

10068021

Incident

Jan 9, 2004

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 03V309000 CONCERNING TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON JANUARY 23, 2004. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER TWO MONTHS FOR THE PARTS TO BE AVAILABLE. *AK THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER AND YAMAHA MOTOR CORP DID NOT HAVE AVAILABLE PARTS. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10063141

COMPLAINT REGARDING THE HANDLING OF THE RECALL OF THE TRANSMISSION ON YAMAHA PARTS. *PH RECALL# 03V30900 *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10067431

CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 0-3V309000 CONCERNING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER ON JANUARY 21 2004. DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AGAIN ON MARCH 21, 2004, AND DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10067179

ON JANUARY 7, 2004 CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER REGARDING TRANSMISSION. DEALERSHIP STILL DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO CONDUCT RECALL REPAIRS. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND THE INDICATED THAT THE CONSUMER SHOULD WAIT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10067099

Incident

Apr 13, 2004

Mileage

2,000 mi

CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 03V309000 CONCERNING TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN JANUARY, 2004. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE, AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER TWO MONTHS FOR THE PARTS TO BE AVAILABLE. TWO MONTHS LATER, CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. DEALER DID NOT KNOW WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10066910

THE PARTS TO PERFORM RECALL 03V309000 REPAIRS HAD NOT BEEN AVAILABLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR PAST THREE MONTHS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10066902

Incident

Feb 10, 2004

PART HAS BEEN RECALLED, MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO REPAIR. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR OVER 3 MONTHS FOR YAMAHA TO SHIP REPLACEMENT PARTS. I HAVE EXPLAINED THAT THIS MOTORCYCLE IS MY ONLY SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION. THE RECALL NOTICE STATED THAT OPERATION OF THIS VEHICLE COULD CAUSE "INJURY OR DEATH" I HAVE CALLED CS DEPT AND SPOKE W/ CANDY SEVERAL TIMES AND ASIDE FROM BEING UNCOOPERATIVE AND RUDE, SHE IS EITHER UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO HELP ME. I WONDER IF THEY WILL BE MORE COOPERATIVE WHEN THE PART WEARS OUT AND SOMEONE IS KILLED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10065765

Incident

Jan 1, 2004

NHTSA RECALL 03V309000 CONCERNING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER TWO MONTHS FOR THE PARTS TO BE AVAILABLE.*AK *JB

NHTSA ID

10063403

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE CONCERNING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. HOWEVER, NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. YAMAHA, US 6555, KATELLA, CYPRESS, CA 90630. 714-761-7300. SERVICE MANAGER VICTOR. *AK MOTORCYCLE ONLY HAS 2,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE. OIL LEAKING FROM THE MOTOR BECAUSE MECHANIC USED THE MOTORCYCLE TO TRAIN HIMSELF. *LA

NHTSA ID

10059823

Incident

Feb 25, 2004

THE MOTORCYCLE'S REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP WHEN THE FLYWHEEL DISENGAGED CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO SKID WHILE TURNING THE CORNER. *PH CONSUMER RECEIVED CALL FROM DEALER TO INFORM ABOUT A RECALL ON TRANSMISSION; HOWEVER, PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND ON BACK ORDER. *LA

NHTSA ID

10066607

ON JANUARY 2, 2004 CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER REGARDING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. DEALERSHIP DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO CONDUCT RECALL REPAIRS. CONSUMER CALLED EVERY WEEK AND NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10065350

Incident

Mar 31, 2004

Mileage

7,000 mi

I HAVE A 2003 YAMAHA ROADSTAR..I WAS ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL ON JANUARY 9,2004..YAMAHA HAS NOT FIXED THE BIKE AS OF YET..IT HAS BEEN OVER THE 60 DAY PERIOD AND THEY STILL TELL ME THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL GET IT FIXED..I WANT THEM TO BUY IT BACK OR TAKE IT BACK ON TRADE FOR A 2004 MODEL SO I CAN ENJOY WHAT I AM MAKING PAYMENTS ON..THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS EVER SINCE 2001 BUT YET LET THEIR CUSTOMERS RISK THEIR LIVES ON THESE DEATH TRAPS.. *JB

NHTSA ID

10063846

Incident

Jan 9, 2004

Mileage

2,300 mi

THE YAMAHA DEALER HAD THE RECALL PARTS BUT ONLY HAD ONE TECHNICIAN ON DUTY. THE DEALERSHIP OWNER WAS CONTACTED AND HE INDICATED THAT THE CONSUMER SHOULD WAIT AN ADDITIONAL THREE MONTHS. THE CONSUMER CALLED THREE OTHER DEALERSHIP IN NORTH CAROLINA BUT THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL BECAUSE CONSUMER DIDN'T PURCHASE THE MOTORCYCLE FROM THEM. *NM

NHTSA ID

10064826

Incident

Mar 24, 2004