NHTSA Complaint #11530664 — 2012 YAMAHA XT1200Z

On 15 JUN 2023, my Super Tenere experienced total loss of rear brakes during vehicle operation in traffic, almost resulting in an accident. There was no vehilce annunciation of loss of brakes or ABS failure. Vehicle-specific forums show that this has happened to at least 5 other operators since 2014. The vehicle anti-lock braking system (ABS) pump fails in a manner that allows air ingression in the rear brake hydraulic fluid path, resulting in loss of braking. The vehicle has been serviced (by myself - brake bleed) three times, each time the problem returns. The sole curative measure is replacement of the ABS pump unit, at significant cost. This failure represents a safety system single point of failure in contravention with 49 CFR Section 571.135- Standard No 135; Light Vehicle Brake Systems, under S7.8.3, in which it states that for service brakes on a vehicle equipped with one or more antilock systems, in the event of any single functional failure in any such system, the service brake system shall continue to operate and shall stop the vehicle as specified in S7.8.3(a) or S7.8.3(b). My safety (and others who have this vehicle), and those in proximity to me in the event of a failure, was put at risk by these latent failures. My vehicle has not had this failure confirmed by either the manufacturer or an independent service center (though others have). The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance rep or others. Again, there were NO warning lights or indications of the latent failure, or of a fault post-incident.