Buell S3 Thunderbolt

Owners filed 13 complaints across 4 model years of the Buell S3 Thunderbolt. The 1998 drew the most (10); the 2000 the fewest (0).

Model years4

Complaints13

Recalls22

Fires0

Deaths0

Every Buell S3 Thunderbolt model year compared

Complaints per year

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Crashes	Most reported	Status
2000	0	2	—	—	—	Routine
1999	1	6	—	1	Vehicle Speed Control	Routine
1998	10	7	—	—	Suspension › Rear	Routine
1997	2	7	—	—	Suspension	Routine

Which Buell S3 Thunderbolt years should you avoid?

On raw complaint volume the 1998 is the weakest year on record, with 10 complaints concentrated in the suspension › rear. It carries 7 recalls.

Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.

Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.