2016 Yamaha XVS950 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 2016 Yamaha XVS950, 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
- Steering2100.0%
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
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE OWNED THE MOTORCYCLE FOR ONE YEAR EXACTLY, AND IT HAS 6500 MILES ON IT NOW. IT HAS DEVELOPED A SEVERE WOBBLE AT 45 MPH THAT GOES AWAY AT AROUND 53 MPH. THE HANDLEBARS ALMOST SHAKE OUT OF MY HANDS AND I HAVE TO SPEED UP OR SLOW DOWN TO STOP THE WOBBLE. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND IT SEEMS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BOLT OWNERS AND HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. THE BEARINGS IN THE TRIPLE TREE ARE SUB STANDARD AND THAT IS WHERE THE WOBBLE COMES FROM. THE FIX IS TO INSTALL TAPERED BALL BEARINGS BUT YAMAHA WON'T RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM AND EVERYONE IS FIXING THE BIKE THEMSELVES OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS. I FEEL THE MOTORCYCLE IS UNSAFE TO RIDE AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM TO SEE IF THEY CAN FIX IT. THANK GOODNESS WE HAVE THE "LEMON LAW" HERE IN AZ.
SEVERE "DEATH WOBBLE" AT 45 MPH. VERY DANGEROUS AND AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, NEARLY EVERY BOLT OWNER IS REPORTING SAME PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM STEMS FROM THE SUB-STANDARD BEARING USED IN THE TRIPLE TREE, REMEDY IS INSTALLING NEW HIGHER QUALITY TAPERED BEARINGS. YAMAHA HAS REFUSED TO ADDRESS THIS SITUATION AND RESPONDED BY TELLING RIDERS TO ALWAYS HAVE TWO HANDS ON HANDLEBARS.
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 .