2007 YAMAHA XF50 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I PURCHASED MY YAMAHA C3 SCOOTER IN MAY 2007 AND IT OPERATED FLAWLESSLY UNTIL THIS SUMMER. IN HOT HUMID CONDITIONS THE SCOOTER STALLED-OUT OR WOULD NOT START. INITIALLY, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE SUMMER BLEND OF FUEL, BUT THEN IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT IT HAD RUN FINE IN THE SAME CONDITIONS THE PREVIOUS FIVE SUMMERS. THE SCOOTER'S MALFUNCTION WOULD CAUSE THE IT TO QUIT RUNNING WHILE IN THE MIDST OF TRAFFIC WHICH CAUSED POTENTIAL RISKS OF BEING STRUCK. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROADWAY THE SCOOTER CAUSED A RISK TO OTHER MOTORISTS SINCE IT WOULD NOT RESTART FOR SEVERAL HOURS. I TOOK THE MACHINE TO A YAMAHA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS THIS YEAR FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. YAMAHA TECHNICAL SERVICES ADVISED THE DEALER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE FUEL PUMP. APPARENTLY SOME PART EXPANDS WITH HEAT AND HUMIDITY WHICH THEN PREVENTS FUEL FROM FLOWING FREELY. OTHER C3S THE DEALER HAD WORKED ON HAD THE SAME COMPLAINT. I SPOKE TO YAMAHA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY GRUDGINGLY ACKNOWLEDGED THERE WAS AN ISSUE AND VACILLATED BETWEEN PLACING THE BLAME ON THEIR FUEL PUMP OR BLAMING IT ON THE SUMMER FORMULATION FOR GASOLINE. THEY DID NOT RELATE THEIR TRACK-RECORD FOR COMPLAINTS BUT I HAVE SINCE, THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH (FOR WHATEVER VALUE THERE IS) AND LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. I THINK THIS IS IRRESPONSIBLE ON THE PART OF YAMAHA TO PUT THEIR RIDERS IN A SITUATION THAT COULD POSE PUBLIC SAFETY RISKS. I SPOKE TO A SERVICE MANAGER OF A YAMAHA DEALER IN A NEARBY METROPOLITAN AREA AND THEY REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE C3 SCOOTER. THEY INDICATED THAT A SIMILAR YAMAHA SCOOTER HAS HAD A FACTORY-ORDERED RECALL FOR THE FUEL PUMPS. I VERY CONCERNED AND DISTURBED THAT YAMAHA IS NOT WILLING TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS TO CORRECT A MANUFACTURER'S FAILING TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 YAMAHA C3 (XF50) SCOOTER. IT HAS KNOWN FUEL PUMP ISSUES, AND IN WARM WEATHER EXPERIENCES SYMPTOMS OF VAPOR LOCK AND FAILING FUEL PUMP ISSUES. WHILE RIDING THE SCOOTER, THE FUEL PUMP PRIMES AND FEEDS THE ENGINE FINE UNTIL IT HEATS UP AND BEGINS TO INTERMITTENTLY FAIL. AT TIMES IT HAS TAKEN HOURS FOR THE SCOOTER TO COOL OFF AND FIRE BACK UP, THE WHOLE TIME IM STUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE HAD IT STOP AMIDST TRAFFIC AT LIGHTS, DURING RUSH HOUR, AND IN DANGEROUS ROADWAY SETTINGS. YOU CAN FIND COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS ONLINE OF THE KNOWN ISSUE AND FAILING RESPONSE FROM YAMAHA TO OFFICIALLY FILE A RECALL ON THE FAULTY PUMP. ADDITIONALLY, YAMAHA HAS ISSUED A REPLACEMENT PART THAT MODIFIES THE FAULTY PUMP FOR FUTURE MODELS, BUT STILL HAS NOT PROVIDED CURRENT OWNERS RECOURSE FOR THE ORIGINAL FAULTY PUMP. *TR

MY YAMAHA 2007 C3 SCOOTER LOSES POWER IN TRAFFIC OR WILL NOT RESTART. MY C3 HAD A SAFETY RECALL LAST FALL BECAUSE OF FAILURE OF DRIVE SHAFT. C3 NOW APPARENTLY HAS PROBLEM WITH FUEL PUMP CAUSING LOSS OF POWER IN TRAFFIC AND/OR WILL NOT RESTART. FOUND INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET WHERE OTHER OWNERS DISCUSS A RECALL FROM YAMAHA FOR THE 2007 C3 BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM THEM REGARDING THIS. I HAVE DISCUSSED PROBLEMS WITH YAMAHA CUSTOMER SERVICE BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS RELATED TO SAFETY RECALL BECAUSE OF THE DRIVE SHAFT BUT THEY DID NOT LET ME KNOW ABOUT THE RECALL OF THE FUEL PUMP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 YAMAHA XF50. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER SINCE SEPTEMBER 26, 2008 BEING REPAIRED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V461000 (STEERING:LINKAGES:ROD:RELAY:CONNECTING). THE RECALL STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WOULD TAKE THREE HOURS. THE DEALER STATED THAT DIFFERENT PARTS WERE NEEDED OR EITHER THEY WERE NOT CURRENTLY IN STOCK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500. UPDATED 020209 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE. UPDATED 02/03/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 YAMAHA XF50. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER SINCE SEPTEMBER 26, 2008 BEING REPAIRED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V461000 (STEERING:LINKAGES:ROD:RELAY:CONNECTING). THE RECALL STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WOULD TAKE THREE HOURS. THE DEALER STATED THAT DIFFERENT PARTS WERE NEEDED OR EITHER THEY WERE NOT CURRENTLY IN STOCK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500. UPDATED 020209 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE. UPDATED 02/03/09.*JB