2012 Zero Ds 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 2012 Zero Ds, 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
- Electrical250.0%
- Engine250.0%
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
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 ZERO DSZF6. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WAITED APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES, AND THE MOTORCYCLE RESTARTED. A FLASHING QUESTION MARK DISPLAYED ON THE MESSAGE CENTER. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE BIKE HAD A SOFTWARE UPDATE PERFORMED IN 2014 BY AN UNKNOWN DEALER IN FLORIDA. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 917.
A FEW MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE BIKE, I HAD NOTICED A THAT IT WOULD RUN A LITTLE ROUGH FOR A WHILE. THE PROBLEM WOULD AUTO CORRECT AFTER THE NEXT RIDE SO I DIDN'T GET TOO CONCERNED ABOUT IT. HOWEVER AFTER DAYS WOULD GO I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE SYSTEM WOULD KICK BACK TO NORMAL AFTER PHYSICALLY TURNING THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND RESTARTING AFTER A FEW MINUTES . NO WARNING AS TO WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR. UP HILL, DOWN HILL, AT THE START OF MY RIDE OR AT THE END OF IT. FAST OR SLOW. IT DID NOT MATTER. I TOOK IN TO THE DEALER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THEY NEEDED TO DO A SOFTWARE ADJUSTMENT. IT RAN NICELY FOR A WHILE BUT THE SAME PROBLEM CAME BACK. I WENT AGAIN FOR THE REPAIR. ANOTHER SOFTWARE ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE. YET AGAIN THE PROBLEM CAME BACK AFTER A WHILE. THE DEALER HAS THE BIKE NOW FOR YET ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM RIDING THIS BIKE IN THAT CONDITION IS REALLY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY IN THE FREEWAY AND I HAD TOO MANY CLOSE CALLS. THAT IS WHY I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT. SOMEHOW I THINK THAT THE LEMON LAW SHOULD APPLY . AFTER CHECKING MOTORCYCLE FORUMS ONLINE, I CAN SEE THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 ZERO DSZF6. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE MOTORCYCLE STALLED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WAITED APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES, AND THE MOTORCYCLE RESTARTED. A FLASHING QUESTION MARK DISPLAYED ON THE MESSAGE CENTER. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE BIKE HAD A SOFTWARE UPDATE PERFORMED IN 2014 BY AN UNKNOWN DEALER IN FLORIDA. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 917.
A FEW MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE BIKE, I HAD NOTICED A THAT IT WOULD RUN A LITTLE ROUGH FOR A WHILE. THE PROBLEM WOULD AUTO CORRECT AFTER THE NEXT RIDE SO I DIDN'T GET TOO CONCERNED ABOUT IT. HOWEVER AFTER DAYS WOULD GO I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE SYSTEM WOULD KICK BACK TO NORMAL AFTER PHYSICALLY TURNING THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND RESTARTING AFTER A FEW MINUTES . NO WARNING AS TO WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR. UP HILL, DOWN HILL, AT THE START OF MY RIDE OR AT THE END OF IT. FAST OR SLOW. IT DID NOT MATTER. I TOOK IN TO THE DEALER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THEY NEEDED TO DO A SOFTWARE ADJUSTMENT. IT RAN NICELY FOR A WHILE BUT THE SAME PROBLEM CAME BACK. I WENT AGAIN FOR THE REPAIR. ANOTHER SOFTWARE ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE. YET AGAIN THE PROBLEM CAME BACK AFTER A WHILE. THE DEALER HAS THE BIKE NOW FOR YET ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM RIDING THIS BIKE IN THAT CONDITION IS REALLY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY IN THE FREEWAY AND I HAD TOO MANY CLOSE CALLS. THAT IS WHY I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT. SOMEHOW I THINK THAT THE LEMON LAW SHOULD APPLY . AFTER CHECKING MOTORCYCLE FORUMS ONLINE, I CAN SEE THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR
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 .