1999 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seats. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails

Component	Reports	Fires	Injuries
Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar	1	0	0
Seats	1	0	0
Fuel System, Gasoline	1	1	1

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings99V338000

Filed Dec 7, 19992,800 vehiclesKawasaki Motors Corp.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THE FUEL HOSE FROM THE FUEL FILTER TO THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY CAN RUB AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL PUMP PLATE AND DEVELOP A LEAK.

Risk. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL HOSE WITH A MOLDED HOSE THAT CURVES AWAY FROM THE FUEL PUMP PLATE. ALSO, A NEW BRACKET AND GROMMET WILL BE ADDED TO HOLD THE NEW HOSE IN POSITION. THE FUEL RETURN HOSE WILL ALSO BE REPLACED.

What owners reported

Newest filings

Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar

Filed Apr 18, 200819,000 milesIN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN 1500 DRIFTER. WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE, THE CONTACT'S 2.5 YEAR OLD GRANDSON KNOCKED OVER THE VEHICLE. THE HANDLE BARS WERE TURNED TO THE RIGHT, WHICH WAS THE REASON WHY HIS GRANDSON WAS ABLE TO PUSH OVER THE VEHICLE. THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATED THAT THE HANDLE BARS SHOULD BE TURNED TO THE LEFT SO THE CENTER OF GRAVITY WOULD NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO KNOCK OVER THE VEHICLE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,020.

Fuel System, GasolineFire1 injured

Filed Oct 12, 20067,800 milesAZ

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED WITH SUBSTANTIAL PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM, AND THE FUEL HOSE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD SENT RECALL LETTERS ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS CONCERNING THE FUEL SYSTEM CAMPAIGN ID #99V67000. THE MOTORCYCLE'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 50 MPH. THE MOTORCYCLE BURNED UP DUE TO THE FUEL SYSTEM, AND THE CONTACT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAD THE MOTORCYCLE TOWED TO THEIR FACILITIES FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DETERMINED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE FIT THE RECALL LIST AND THAT THEY WOULD SEND OUT AN INSPECTOR FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. THE INSPECTOR CONCLUDED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT LIABLE FOR THE DAMAGES THAT HAD OCCURRED.

Seats

Filed Apr 30, 2001MA

CONSUMER WAS PREPARING FOR A RIDE AND ONE OF THE BOLTS HAD BROKEN. SEAT WAS SUPPORTED BY 2 SMALL BOLT. ONE SHOWED MORE STRESS THAN THE OTHER . CONSUMER HAS NOTIFIED MANUFACTURER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1997

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Assessment
2002	6	0	0	Routine
1999 — this page	3	1	1	Routine
1997	7	0	0	Routine
1996	4	0	0	Routine
1995	5	0	0	Routine
1994	3	0	0	Routine

Compare every Vulcan 1500 year →

Other Kawasaki models

All Kawasaki models →

KLR650 207 Kawasaki 82 Ninja ZX-6R 64 Vulcan 62 Concours 14 52 Ninja 300 45 Ninja 42 KL650E 20 ZX-6R 18 ZX1100 16

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: Dec 7, 1999. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.