2009 Kawasaki Vulcan

Routine

Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
101
Power Train › Driveline1
000
Power Train1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling1
000
Engine1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Pedals and Linkages10V507000
Filed Oct 19, 20106,187 vehiclesKawasaki Motors Corp., U.s.a.

Defect. KAWASAKI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 VULCAN MOTORCYCLES. THE ENGINE MAY STALL IF THE RIDER IS COASTING WITH THE CLUTCH PULLED IN DUE TO AN IMPROPER SETTING OF THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT (ECU).

Risk. ENGINE STALLING COULD CREATE A POTENTIAL FOR A CRASH RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ECU WITH ONE CONTAINING REVISED SETTINGS TO ADDRESS THE ENGINE STALLING. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 1, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KAWASAKI CONSUMER SERVICES DEPARTMENT AT 1-866-802-9381.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash1 injured
Filed Sep 9, 2013MS

2009 KAWASAKI VULCAN. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ENGINE STALLING RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, DUE TO THE STALLING ISSUE. FINALLY, WHILE RIDING THE BIKE ONE DAY, IT STALLED AGAIN. ONLY THIS TIME, THE CONSUMER HAD AN ACCIDENT, AND WAS THROWN OFF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE CONSUMER SUFFERED INJURIES. RECALL# 10V507000.

Engine
Filed Jul 29, 20131,000 milesMN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KAWASAKI VULCAN 1700 VOYAGER MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE RIDING THE BIKE, THERE WAS A LOUD WHISTLING NOISE EMITTED CONTINUOUSLY. THE BIKE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ENGINE UNDER DRIVE PULLEY AND BELT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. UPDATED 09/05/13*LJ THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE DRIVE BELT, ENGINE PULLEY AND REAR TIRE PULLEY WERE BAD, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY DIRT, AND THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIRS. UPDATED 09/05/13

Power Train
Filed Sep 16, 2011IL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KAWASAKI VULCAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BECOME STUCK IN THIRD AND FIFTH GEARS, CAUSING DIFFICULTY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO POP THE VEHICLE OUT OF GEAR AND RE-ENGAGE. THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE CLUTCH IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE FAILURE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE DEALER WAS MADE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 400.

Power Train › Driveline
Filed Nov 24, 20106,100 milesNY

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KAWASAKI VULCAN. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE DRIVE BELT HAD A CUT IN IT LENGTH-WISE. THE REASON FOR THE CUT WAS THAT THERE WAS NO PROTECTIVE SHIELD FOR THE TOP PORTION OF THE DRIVE BELT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A ROCK LODGED IN THE FRONT HOUSING TRAPPED THE ROCK CAUSING IT TO CUT THE BELT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A DESIGN FLAT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 6,100.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Nov 21, 2010400 milesNH

THE KAWASAKI VULCAN 1700 VOYAGER - 2009 GENERATES EXCESSIVE HEAT. I RECEIVED SECOND DEGREE BURNS FROM IT. KAWASAKI ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND PROVIDED A HEAT SHIELD KIT THAT DID NOTHING TO REDUCE THE HEAT BUT MOVED IT TO THE PASSENGER-RIDER. KAWASAKI HAS DONE NOTHING TO THIS MODEL YEAR MOTORCYCLE TO FIX THE HEAT PROBLEM. RIDERS OF THIS BIKE STILL COMPLAIN ABOUT THE HEAT, SEE MOST ANY FORUM DISCUSSING THIS MOTORCYCLE FOR MANY COMPLAINTS AND SPECIFICALLY KAWASAKI'S UNWILLINGNESS TO ADMIT THAT THEY CAN NOT OR WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IN THE 2010 MODEL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN THEY CLAIM TO HAVE FIXED IT, YET THE PROBLEM REMAINS BASED ON THE FORUM CONVERSATIONS. WHEN COMPLAINTS ARE MADE TO KAWASAKI, BY MYSELF OR OTHER FORUM PARTICIPANTS, KAWASAKI EITHER IGNORES THE SITUATION OR BLAMES THE RIDER FOR USING THE BIKE INCORRECTLY OR RIDING WITH BARE LEGS OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. THIS BIKE IS DANGEROUS AND THAT IT IS BEING RESOLD TO A PUBLIC THAT IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE DOCUMENTED AND ADMITTED EXCESSIVE HEAT PROBLEM REPRESENTS A CLEAR DANGER TO THE PUBLIC. I WAS BURNED RIDING THE BIKE ON A 750 MILE, ONE WAY RIDE DOWN I-5 AND ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST. THE BIKE WAS USED AS INTENDED AND MELTED PARTS OF MY PANTS WERE FOUND ON THE MOTORCYCLE BY A TECHNICAL EXPERT FROM KAWASAKI, NOT BY ME. SO KAWASAKI IS INTIMATELY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY SUGGESTED I SELL THE MOTORCYCLE, KNOWING IT WAS DEFECTIVE, TO SOMEONE ELSE AND BUY ANOTHER BIKE. SO KAWASAKI IS OPENLY SUGGESTING THAT A DEFECTIVE

5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1996
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20100100Routine
2009 — this page5100Routine
20063000Routine
20056000Routine
20041100Routine
20038110Routine
20023000Routine
20013000Routine
20005000Routine
19998000Routine
19982000Routine
19977110Routine
19969000Routine
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.

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: Oct 19, 2010. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.