NHTSA Complaint #10130485 — 2003 YAMAHA MIDNIGHT STAR

DT: 2003 , YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE'S FRAME RUSTED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THERE WAS A BRACKET WELDED TO THE FRAME THAT CRACKED. A CLOSER EXAMINATION REVEALED ALL 4 SIDES OF THE BRACKETS WERE CRACKED. . CONSUMER CAUGHT THIS IN TIME, AND THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS OR FAILURES. BUT CONSUMER FELT IF THIS HAD BROKEN COMPLETELY THE WHOLE SUSPENSION WOULD HAVE DROPPED FROM THE MOTORCYCLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER, WHO SAID THEY COULD WELD THIS FRAME OR BUY A NEW FRAME. CONSUMER OPTED TO BUY THE NEW FRAME BECAUSE HE FELT THIS WAS THE SAFEST OPTION. CONSUMER TOOK MOTORCYCLE FROM DEALER TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP, WHO WAS MORE TRUSTED BY CONSUMER, HAD DISCUSSED REINFORCING THE BRACKET IF THIS WOULD BE WEAK. THE NEW FRAME WAS DOUBLE WALLED IN COMPARISON TO THE OLD FRAME WHICH WAS SINGLE WALLED. AT THIS TIME MOTORCYCLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. *AK