RoadVitals

2018 Zero Dsr

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

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.
2
Latest Jun 4, 2022
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 Nov 28, 2017
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 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Zero Dsr, most frequently naming the electrical, brakes and engine 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

  • Electrical233.3%
  • Brakes116.7%
  • Engine116.7%
  • Fuel system116.7%
  • Exterior lighting116.7%

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

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
17V762000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Nov 28, 2017
36 units potentially affected
The defect: Zero Motorcycles Inc. (Zero) is recalling certain 2018 S ZF13.0, S ZF7.2, SR ZF14.4, DS ZF13.0, DSR ZF14.4, FX ZF7.2, and FXS ZF7.2 motorcycles. The information on the Vehicle Emission Control Information (VECI) Label may indicate the wrong model year. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
The risk: If the affected 2018 motorcycles are ever subject to a recall, the owner may not realize the safety risk because of the misstated model year.
The remedy: Zero will notify owners, and dealers will replace the incorrect label with a corrected label, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in December 2017. Owners may contact Zero customer service at 1-888-841-8085. Zero's number for this recall is SV-ZMC-017-380.
Zero Motorcycles Inc.Manufacturer number SV-ZMC-017-380View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

BrakesElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jun 4, 2022

The Sevcon DC to DC converter failed causing a total loss of all 12 volt power. This occurred for the second time on the expressway at 70 mph at night. It led to loss of any lighting on the vehicle, headlight, tail light, brake light, turn signals, horn and emergency flashers and ABS sensors all stopped working. It is a very serious safety concern and obviously creating a very dangerous situation. It is a know issue with the manufactured with many documented incidents and a recall for the same problem for another model year.

NHTSA ID
11467485
Incident
May 30, 2022
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Jun 19, 2019

AFTER ABOUT 30KM RIDE FROM MY WORKPLACE TO HOME, WHILE I'M ALREADY IN THE PARKING LOT AND GOING LOW SPEED (ABOUT 10KM/H) I STARTED TO HEAR UNUSUAL KNOCKING SOUND FROM THE ELECTRIC MOTOR AREA. THEN , WHEN I TRIED TO WALK THE MOTORCYCLE REVERSE INTO MY PARKING LOT (AS I USUALLY DO ),THE REAR WHEEL GOT STUCK. BY VISUAL INSPECTION I FOUND THAT SCREW THAT HOLDS THE MOTOR PULLEY IS UNSCREWED AND PUSHING AGAINST CHASSIS , CAUSING DRIVETRAIN TO STUCK. AFTER THAT I MANUALLY PUSHED THE MOTORCYCLE FORWARD AND THE SEIZING RELEASED. BUT , AFTER ALL THE MOTOR DOESN'T SPINNING NOW AT ALL , JUST MAKING WEIRD SOUND . NOW MY MOTORCYCLE IS COMPLETELY OUT OF ORDER AND NO DRIVABLE. AND THE ABSOLUTELY WORST THING , THAT I BOUGHT THIS MOTORCYCLE IN ISRAEL, WHERE I AM LIVING . AND THERE IS NO ONE IN ISRAEL WHO CAN HELP WITH MY PROBLEM , BECAUSE ZERO MOTORCYCLES CALLED BACK THEIR LICENSE FROM ONLY DEALER IN ISRAEL AND DIDN'T STARTED WORKING WITH ANYONE ELSE. IT SEEMS THAT ZERO MOTORCYCLES COMPANY FAILED TO COMPLY GUARANTEE AGREEMENTS WITH CUSTOMERS IN ISRAEL, THEREFORE I'M ASKING FOR YOUR HELP. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ID
11221117
Incident
Jun 18, 2019
Mileage
10,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

ZMDN-052026

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

New diagnostic tool Tuner is available for 2017 and newer model.s On May 15th, a new firmware will be released for our FST / Cypher III models, primarily focused on improving cybersecurity.

Chain Kit Recall

EQUIPMENT

Dealer notification of Chain Kit Recall (23E074).

Dealer News

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Zero Motorcycles Dealer News 11.22.22 - New Firmware, Diag4Zero, Holiday Hours

ZMDN 83022

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Cypher II Firmware Update Notice

CypherIIFirmware

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

A firmware update will be released tomorrow June 29 at 7am PT for MY17-MY23 Zero Motorcycles that operate on the Cypher II platform.

SV-ZMC-020-423

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Long-Term Storage Mode Firmware Update Service Campaign - Zero Motorcycles has determined that the battery management system (BMS) may not hibernate in model year 2017 and newer Zero SDS and Zero XMX platform motorcycles when they are stored at states of charge (SOC) less than 30%. Because the BMS does not hibernate, the power pack's SOC may drop more rapidly than desired and may reach an irrecoverable level within a 30-day period. This Long-Term Storage Mode Firmware issue has been corrected in Version 30 of the Main Brain Board (MBB) firmware and Version 37 of the BMS firmware for these motorcycles. Owners should either use the Zero Motorcycles Mobile Application to update the firmware of their motorcycles to the newest version, or they should take their motorcycles to their dealer to have them updated.

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

Zero Dsr by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000—
2025010—
2024030—
2023000—
2021010—
2020000—
2019000—
2018Viewing210—
2017000—
2016000—

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.