2001 YAMAHA ROAD STAR — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 YAMAHA ROAD STAR MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V309000 (POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION). THE DEALER WILL NOT PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR AFTER MULTIPLE CALLS AND PROMISES. THE CONTACT MUST CALL THE DEALER SO THEY CAN ORDER THE PARTS FOR THE REPAIR. HE HAS BEEN CALLING THEM FOR EIGHT MONTHS WITHOUT ANY RESOLUTION. HE CALLED YAMAHA CUSTOMER RELATIONS FOR A REMEDY AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE DEALER SO THEY COULD PERFORM THE REPAIR; HOWEVER, HE HAS NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

FUEL (GASOLINE) IS SPRAYED FROM REAR PORT OF CARBURETOR. AS MUCH AS 2 OZ MAY BE EMITTED AND SPRAYED ON HOT EXHAUST PIPES AND ENGINE. THE FUEL IMMEDIATELY VAPORIZES. THIS ONLY SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE IS HOT, THEN SHUT OFF AND ALLOWED TO SIT FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES. IT DOES NOT SPRAY LIQUID GAS IF IMMEDIATELY STARTED OR IF ALLOWED TO COOL. HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL A FREQUENT SMELL OF GAS. FIRST REPORTED IN AUGUST 2008. PROBLEM IS FREQUENT. *TR

THERE WERE NO "EVENTS" LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OF MY FUEL SYSTEM. WHILE RIDING IN TRAFFIC I NOTICED AN ODOR OF RAW FUEL. WHEN I PULLED OVER TO INVESTIGATE,I DISCOVERED GASOLINE POURING OUT FROM UNDER MY MOTORCYCLE! SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL PETCOCK AND RUNNING THE ENGINE @ AN ELEVATED RPM CAUSED THE SYMPTOM TO SUBSIDE AND LED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT A FAILURE IN 1 OR MORE CARBURETOR(S) HAD OCCURED. I CONTACTED MY DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT YAMAHA USA WOULD NOT WARRANTY A FAILURE OF THE CARBURETOR(S) CLAIMING THAT "POOR FUEL QUALITY" WAS THE FAULT,NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. UPON QUESTIONING,I WAS FURTHER ADVISED THAT CORROSION OF THE NEEDLE AND SEAT ASSEMBLIES WAS A KNOWN FAILURE IN THIS PRODUCT AND THAT WARRANTY COVERAGE WAS CONSISTENTLY DENIED BY THE MANUFACTURER DESPITE THE OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE OF POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. I ALSO ASKED IF YAMAHA HAD RELEASED ANY UPDATED COMPONENTS TO AVOID A REPEAT OF THE SAME FAILURE AND WAS ADVISED THAT CHROME PLATED COMPONENTS IMPERVIOUS TO THIS KIND OF FAILURE WERE AVAILABLE,BUT,NOT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. FOR OBVIOUS REASONS,I HAD THE DEALER REPAIR THE CONDITION WITH UPGRADED PARTS AND PAID FOR THE REPAIR SINCE THE DEALER WAS NOT AT FAULT. I THEN CONTACTED YAMAHA USA AND SPOKE TO MATTHEW WHO LISTENED ATTENTIVELY BUT,COULD ONLY TELL ME HE WAS SORRY THAT MY YAMAHA HAD NOT LIVED UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS! MATTHEW ALSO ADVISED ME HIS DATA BASE SHOWED NO OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SIMILAR REPORTS IN THE N.H.T.S.A. DATA BASE ON THE WEB. THE POSITION THAT FUEL QUALITY IS AT ISSUE IS BELIED BY THE FACT THAT IN THIS HOUSEHOLD ALONE 3 CARS,A SNOWBLOWER,2 LAWNMOWERS,A POWER EDGER,AND A CHAIN SAW WERE ALL OPERATED ON THE SAME FUEL WITHOUT INCIDENT. I FEEL THAT THE MOTORCYCLE PRODUCTS OF YAMAHA USA SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR POTENTIALLY LETHAL DESIGN FLAWS IN IT'S FUEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE COST OF CORRECTING A CONDITION THAT COULD COST SOMEONE THEIR LIFE.

MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND REAR WHEEL LOCKED WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH. WHEN THIS OCCURRED CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE ,AND COASTED IT TO A COMPLETE STOP WITHOUT THE MOTORCYCLE TIPPING OVER. THIS OCCURRED DUE TO THE DEFECT DESCRIBED IN THE REAR WHEEL LOCK RECALL 03V309000. BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

NHTSA RECALL 03V309000. THE DRIVER CONTACTED THE DEALER ON JANUARY 09, 2004. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MECHANIC COULDN'T INFORM THE CONSUMER WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. *LA