RoadVitals

2018 Yamaha Star Venture

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

NHTSA has issued a “do not drive” advisory affecting this model year.

Campaign 20V814000. Confirm whether your specific vehicle is covered using its VIN before acting on this.

Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov
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.
5
Latest May 30, 2025
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 Dec 28, 2020
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.
0
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 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Yamaha Star Venture, most frequently naming the brakes, exterior lighting and driver assistance categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 6 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

  • Brakes342.9%
  • Exterior lighting228.6%
  • Driver assistance114.3%
  • Visibility114.3%

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

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
20V814000NHTSA advisory: do not drive

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

Dec 28, 2020
18,203 units potentially affected
The defect: Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (Yamaha) is recalling certain 2018-2020 MTT9GT (Tracer GT), 2019 MXTGTKL (NIKEN GT), 2017-2020 MT10, 2018-2020 XTZ12 (Super Ténéré), 2013-2020 FJR13, 2018 XV19B (Star Eluder), and 2018-2021 XV19 (Star Venture) motorcycles. The front brake switch can fail due to increased resistance from silicon oxide.
The risk: Failure of the front brake switch can cause the brake light to stay on constantly and/or the cruise control system to shutoff unexpectedly. Both situations increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Yamaha will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front brake switch, free of charge. The recall began January 20, 2021. Owners may contact Yamaha customer service at 1-800-962-7926. Yamaha's number for this recall is 990140. Note: Owners are advised not to operate their motorcycle until the repairs have been performed.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USAManufacturer number 990140View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Brakes
Filed May 30, 2025

Sudden loss of rear brakes, no pedal at all. No light on . no ABS warning light or loss of brake pressure light , this is scary and dangerous. After replacing the rear master cylinder for loss of pressure, the repair has not fixed the issue, and remains to do the same thing. The bike has been in the shop to have the ABS and Unified brake system serviced and bled, the issue still remains. after bleeding the brakes 20 times there is air getting into the system every time. Note there is no loss of fluid or leaks, but air keeps getting into the system and causing loss of brakes. This is so terrifying to lose the rear brakes on this big bike. I called the dealership again today as I only put 50 miles on the bike since paying them to fix it, I was reassured they fixed it, in the beginning the owner Tom told me there was a connector issue or a sensor, when I picked it up , he said all was well and they just bled it again.

NHTSA ID
11663899
Incident
Apr 12, 2025
Visibility
Filed Apr 19, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Yamaha Star Venture Motorcycle. The contact stated that while riding at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the sideview mirrors failed to adequately provide sideview visibility. The motorcycle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the mirror stims were too short, resulting in the rider obstructing the sideview coverage area. The motorcycle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,000.

NHTSA ID
11584039
Incident
Apr 19, 2024
Mileage
7,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Jul 23, 2020

CODE 90 COMES UP ON THE DASH WHICH IS THE FRONT BRAKE SWITCH MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO STAY ON ALL THE TIME.

NHTSA ID
11341048
Incident
Jul 2, 2019
Mileage
7,321 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jul 23, 2020

CODE 90 CAME UP THE DASH WHICH IS THE FRONT BRAKE SWITCH MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO STAY ON ALL THE TIME AND DISABLE THE CRUISE CONTROL.

NHTSA ID
11341043
Incident
Jul 2, 2019
Mileage
7,321 mi
BrakesDriver assistanceExterior lighting
Filed Apr 15, 2020

FRONT BRAKE SWITCH ASSY FAILURE. CAN CAUSE BRAKE LIGHT TO STAY ON OR NOT COME ON. FAILURE FOR ABS TO WORK PROPERLY. THIS IS COMMON ON ALL VENTURES AND ELUDERS MADE BY YAMAHA.

NHTSA ID
11321269
Incident
Mar 1, 2020
Mileage
13,600 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

M2021-015

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Motorcycle and scooter models equipped with a smart key system are supplied with one smart key (also called a “key fob”) and a card containing the “smart key emergency code.” It’s extremely important to record the vehicle’s unique emergency code properly on the Predelivery Inspection (PDI) sheet as well as in the Owner’s Manual. Supply the smart key emergency code card to the customer during unit delivery. In the event both the smart key and emergency code have been misplaced, the only way to remedy the situation is to replace the entire smart key system – a costly solution.

M2018-007

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)

USB Flash Drive Card / Navigation Not Ready Restoration Procedure

M2018-006

TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

Tire Pressure Monitor System Sensor Programming

M2018-005

EQUIPMENT

New Process for Ordering Certain Audio Components

M2018003

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

Star Venture & Star Eluder Infotainment System Software Updating

M2018001

EQUIPMENT

Saddlebag Cleaning at PDI

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

Yamaha Star Venture by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2020010—
2019010—
2018Viewing510—

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.