1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD MOTORCYCLE. THE ONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70-75 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC THAT LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE PLASTIC AND METAL GEAR. THE PLASTIC AND METAL GEAR FAILED AND CAUSED THE OIL PUMP TO FAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR DUE TO VEHICLE AGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,256.

Mileage: 19,256

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE OIL LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE OIL GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 43000.

Mileage: 43,000

I HAVE A 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD. THE GEAR ON THE OIL PUMP STRIPED AND DID DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. KAWASAKI KNOWS THAT THE GEAR FAILS. IT DID ON MY BIKE AT 57,000 MILES. IT IS IN THE KAWASAKI SHOP NOW AND WILL COST AROUND $2200 TO FIX. KAWASAKI HAS FIXED SOME BIKES BUT I WAS TOLD BY KAWASAKI THAT THEY STOPPED THIS LAST YEAR. I LIVE IN ARKANSAS AND WAS IN FLORIDA ON A TRIP WHEN I HAD THE PROBLEM. I LOADED IT IN A U-HAUL AND BROUGHT IT BACK HOME. KAWASAKI KNOWING THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS AND DOING NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS NO DIFFERENT THAT WHAT TOYOTA HAS DONE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. *TR

Mileage: 57,000

DEFECTIVE OIL GEAR DESTROYED THE ENGINE ON MY 1999 VULCAN NOMAD. KAWASAKI IS WILLING TO COVER ONLY THE PUMP AND GEAR OF THE ENGINE BUT NOT THE REST OF THE DAMAGE. I AM GOING TO BE CHARGED OVER $1,700 FOR THEIR FAULTY GEAR. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO OFFICIAL RECALL, NO INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO DO IF THE GEAR FAILED. I TRIED TO WORK IT OUT WITH KAWASAKI. THE LOCAL DEALER IS EVEN ON MY SIDE AND CALLED KAWASAKI MOTOR CORP TO FAUGHT FOR ME. WHEN I TRIED TO WORK IT OUT WITH KAWASAKI MOTOR CORP TECH DEPART, THE TECHNICIAN STATED TO ME THAT THE ENGINE DAMAGE WAS MY FAULT. I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THE OIL LIGHT WAS ON AND THEIR SHOULD HAVE BEEN A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN I ROAD THE BIKE, THERE WAS NO LIGHT NOR ANY NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE EXCEPT RIGHT BEFORE IT TURNED OFF. ONCE THAT HAPPENED I COASTED OFF THE ROAD AND HAD IT TOWED BACK TO MY HOUSE. THE ONLY ONES TO TOUCH THE AREA LOCATED WITH THE OIL LIGHT WAS CERTIFIED KAWASAKI MECHANICS. THE ONLY TIMES THE AREA WAS TOUCHED WAS WHEN THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE WAS UNDER THE TANK RIGHT BELOW THE LIGHT. THE OTHER TIME WAS WHEN THE OFFICIAL KAWASAKI MECHANICS REBUILT THE IGNITION SWITCH/LIGHT. *NM

LODGED ORIGINAL COMPLAINT UNDER SUBCATEGORY 'OTHER'. PLASTIC (NYLON) OIL GEAR FAILURE. MINE FAILED AT 41000 MILES. MOST HAVE FAILED AT EARLIER MILEAGE. FAILURE OCCURRS WITHOUT WARNING, RESULTS IN SUDDEN LOSS OF ALL OIL PRESSURE, CAN LEAD TO ENGINE LOCK-UP, AND LOSS OF CONTROL. NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS YET. KAWASAKI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT ARE WAITING FOR FAILURE BEFORE REPLACEMENT. FAILURE ONLY OCCURRS WHILE RIDING, WHICH ALWAYS LEAVES THE RIDER STRANDED, REQUIRING A TOW. I HOPE DEATH AND INJURY ARE NOT PREREQUISITES TO RECALL. *AK

Mileage: 41,000

1999 KAWASAKI NOMAD MOTORCYCLE LOST POWER.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE'S OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE MOTORCYCLE LOST ALL POWER. THE BIKE WAS TOWED TO THE CONSUMER'S HOME. THE CONSUMER REMOVED THE OIL FILTER AND FOUND DEPOSITS OF NYLON MATERIAL. THE CONSUMER WENT ONTO A KAWASAKI CLUB WEBSITE AND SAW INFORMATION THAT A NYLON OIL PUMP GEAR WAS USED IN THAT SERIES BIKE AND THAT IT WOULD FAIL BELOW 30K MILES. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THIS WAS A FACTORY ISSUE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMERS MOTORCYCLE OIL PUMP GEAR FAILED, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN REGARDING THIS DEFECT, CONSUMER IS WONDERING WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED, CONSUMER FOUND OUT THAT PARTS WERE BACKORDERED AND IS REQUESTING THAT THE REPLACEMENT GEAR GET EXPEDITED QUICKLY. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMERS MOTORCYCLE OIL PUMP GEAR FAILED, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN REGARDING THIS DEFECT, CONSUMER IS WONDERING WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED, CONSUMER FOUND OUT THAT PARTS WERE BACKORDERED AND IS REQUESTING THAT THE REPLACEMENT GEAR GET EXPEDITED QUICKLY. *SLC

MOTORCYCLE HAS A PLASTIC GEAR MESHED INTO A METAL GEAR. PLASTIC GEAR IS SUBJECT TO BREAKING, AND WILL STOP LUBRICATING THE ENGINE, CAUSING ENGINE TO FAIL. DEALER IS AWAREOF PROBLEM. *AK

FREL ENGINE OIL PUMP HAS SUSPECTED HIGH INCIDENT FAILURE, CAUSING POSSIBLE INJURY OR DEATH. ALSO, REAR WHEEL LOSES TRACTION BECAUSE OF POWER FAILURE. DEALER IS LOOKING INTO PROBLEM. SUDDEN LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, CAUSING ENGINE VALVE LIFTERS TO MALFUNCTION (GO FLAT). ENGINE WILL NOT OPERATE PROPERLY, AND LOSE POWER SUDDENLY. THE INHERENT DESIGN OF THIS MOTORCYCLE IS FOR OPEN HIGHWAY INTERSTATE TYPES OF USAGE. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER FROM THE ENGINE AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 75MPH COULD END IN SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, RESULTING IN A FATALITY OR INJURY. ESPECIALLY, WITH SUSPECTED FREQUENCY HIGHER THAN USUAL. *AK