What breaks most · 1991 to 2004 model years
Yamaha Yamaha problems by year
Owners have filed 180 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Yamaha Yamaha across model years 1991 to 2004. Three years stand out: 2002 for electrical system complaints, 2001 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2003 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 1991, 1994 and 1995.
- Years to check closely: 2002, 2001, 2003
- Fewest complaints: 1991, 1994, 1995
- Complaints on file
- 1801991 to 2004, all trims
- Worst year
- 200260 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 203 fires · 17 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 5kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Suspension (1) | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (9) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 5 | 1 | 0 | Suspension (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 10 | 1 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (5) | |
| 16 | 2 | 0 | Engine and cooling (5) | |
| 12 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 32 | 4 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (16) | |
| 60 | 5 | 0 | Electrical system (23) | |
| 29 | 5 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (7) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) |
What fails on the 2002 Yamaha Yamaha
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 38% |
23 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 22% |
13 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 10% |
6 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Tires | 10% |
6 | 2 | — |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 10% |
6 | 0 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wheels | 3% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 2% |
1 | 1 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 2% |
1 | 1 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I have a 2002 yamaha v-star 1100 classic motorcycle. The starter is beginning to fail due to a design flaw. The problem is well documented but yamaha will only replace it at the consumer's cost.*ak
-
Transmission clunks when shifting from forward to reverse and visa-versa, and misses shifts from first to second, without repair of this problem the transmission will eventually lockup while in motion causing injury or death--defective transmission gears
-
Consumer received a recall notice concerning transmission failure. No parts were available. Ramsey waite yamaha, 4258 fanklin blvd, eugene, or 97403, [removed]. Service manager, john. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Yamaha Yamaha years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2002, 2001, 2003 carry the most filings on the Yamaha Yamaha. The 2002 alone has 60 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Yamaha Yamaha problem?
On the 2002 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 23 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Yamaha Yamaha problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Yamaha Yamaha complaints that include mileage is about 5,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.