1996 Kawasaki Vulcan

Routine

Owners filed 9 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior1
000
Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices1
000
Tires › Tread/Belt1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Oct 9, 200821,000 milesFL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 KAWASAKI VULCAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING MAJOR DEFECTS AND IS A BIG SAFETY HAZARD. HE BELIEVES A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED RELATING TO THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 21,000.

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Jan 18, 2006PA

1996 KAWASAKI VULCAN REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. *TS THE TREAD SEPARATION CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT AND CAUSED THE LICENSE PLATE AND HOLDER TO BE TORN OFF. *NM

Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior
Filed May 4, 2000ME

REAR VIEW MIRRORS DO NOT ADJUST OUTWARD .AS INSTALLED THEY ARE TOO CLOSE TO CENTER .IN ORDER TO SEE BEHIND YOU YOU MUST LEAN TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE TO CLEAR THE FIELD OF VIEW.I WEIGH 260 AND HAVE WIDE SHOULDERS WHICH COMPLICATES THE MATTER. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Oct 20, 1997AZ

WHEN COMING TO A STOP THE BACK BRAKES DON'T ENGAGE. THE DEALER WILL INSPECT THE MOTORCYCLE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
Filed Aug 28, 1997CA

INNER WELD ON INNER PIPES (EXHAUST PIPE) BROKE, CAUSING NOISE AND EXHAUST LEAK.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Jun 11, 1997WI

THE GAS TANK BUILDS UP PRESSURE AND DUMPS THE GAS OUT OF THE TANK ONTO THE GROUND.*AK

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery
Filed Jun 6, 1997OK

OWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE IN FEBRUARY, CONTACTED DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD TO ORDER PARTS, DEALER STILL HAS NOT RECEIVED PARTS FROM MANUFACTURER. RECALL#97V007000. *AK

Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices
Filed Feb 25, 1997CA

THE SIDE MIRROR CAME OFF.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Jan 24, 1997LA

OIL SEAT/RING FAILURE, CAUSING OIL TO RUN OUT ONTO RIMS/TIRES, POSING RISK OF ACCIDENT.

9 of 9 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1996
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20100100Routine
20095100Routine
20063000Routine
20056000Routine
20041100Routine
20038110Routine
20023000Routine
20013000Routine
20005000Routine
19998000Routine
19982000Routine
19977110Routine
1996 — this page9000Routine
19952100Routine

Compare every Vulcan year →

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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.