1998 Buell S3t

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the suspension › front. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails

Component	Reports		Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Suspension › Front	1		0	0	0
Structure › Frame and Members › Underbody Shields	1		0	0	0

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports

Exterior Lighting › Turn Signal98V036000

Filed Feb 23, 19984,724 vehiclesBuell Motorcycle Co.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. FAILURE OF ONE OR MORE TURN SIGNAL LAMPS WOULD NOT BE INDICATED TO THE OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE (NO NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN THE FLASHING RATE OF THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR LIGHT). THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

Risk. AN OPERATOR WOULD NOT BE AWARE THAT THE TURN SIGNAL LAMPS WERE NOT WORKING.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TURN SIGNAL LAMPS ON THESE MOTORCYCLES.

What owners reported

Newest filings

Structure › Frame and Members › Underbody Shields

Filed May 12, 200419,091 milesWA

MOTORCYCLE HANDLING SUDDENLY DETERIORATED, BECAME UNSTABLE. UPON STOPPING TO INVESTIGATE COULD NOT DETERMINE CAUSE. WENT IMMEDIATELY TO BUELL DEALERSHIP WHERE CERTIFIED BUELL TECHNICIAN ADJUSTED REAR SHOCK PRELOAD. THIS IMPROVED THE HANDLING SOMEWHAT BUT DID NOT CORRECT IT. ANOTHER BUELL TECHNICIAN AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP SUSPECTED FRAME DEFECT AND UPON DISASSEMBLY DETERMINED FRAME TO BE AT FAULT. TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO RE-ASSEMBLE MOTORCYCLE DUE TO DEFECTIVE FRAME. BUELL CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUSES TO FIX MOTORCYCLE OR GIVE ANY COMPENSATION. BUELL DEALERSHIP UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO HELP REMEDY THE SITUATION. I NOW HAVE A $13,000 PILE OF BUELL PARTS ON MY GARAGE FLOOR.

Suspension › Front

Filed Sep 11, 2000MI

THE CONSUMER DID NOT RECEIVE RECALL REPAIR (99V-086) WHEN BEING SERVICED, THE COMPONENT FAILED WHILE DRIVING DUE TO IMPROPER RECALL SERVICE. *MJS

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1998

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Assessment
2002	0	1	Routine
1998 — this page	2	1	Routine
1997	1	1	Routine

Compare every S3t year →

Other Buell models

All Buell models →

1125r 45 1125Cr 44 XB12R 18 Firebolt XB9R 18 XB12X 13 S3 Thunderbolt 13 S1 Lightning 13 XB12S 10 M2 Cyclone 10 X1 Lightning 7

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Feb 23, 1998. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.