2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR LIMITED EDITION Power Train Problems

I WAS RIDING SOUTH BOUND INTERSTATE 95 ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY YAMAHA SILVERADO LOST SPEED AND STARTED JERKING. I PULLED THE CLUTCH IN AND LET THE BIKE SLOW DOWN. I THEN TRIED TO DOWNSHIFT BUT THE SHIFTER WAS FROZEN, FINALLY I GOT IT TO GO INTO GEAR. AS I STARTED TO PICK UP SPEED IT DIDN'T WANT TO GO INTO 4TH GEAR. I CRAWLED HOME ABOUT 2 MILES AND ATTEMPTED TO HIT ALL GEARS AFTER I WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY, IT WOULD NOT MOVE. I THANK GOD IT DIDN'T LOCK UP THE WHEEL ON I95 AT 65 MPH. I HAVE OWNED YAMAHA BIKES FOR 30 YEARS AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN. IF I HAD KNOWN YAMAHA HAD THIS PROBLEM I WOULD NEVER HAD BOUGHT THE BIKE. IS YAMAHA DOING ANYTHING TO CORRECT THIS? WHOM DO WE TURN TO IN THIS MATTER? IF SOMEONE HAS ANY IDEA ABOUT ANY OF THIS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU. *TR

Mileage: 14,000

I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE FREEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY 5TH GEAR WAS GONE CAUSING ME TO SUDDENLY LOOSE SPEED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO DOWNSHIFT INTO 4TH GEAR AND CONTINUE MOVING AT A SLOWER SPEED, BUT 5TH GEAR IS COMPLETELY GONE. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME IT HAS OCCURRED TO ME, BUT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO 5TH GEAR. APPARENTLY IT HAS HAPPENED TO NUMBERS OF OTHER YAMAHA ROAD STAR OWNERS. THIS TRANSMISSION HAD A RECALL ISSUED ON IT A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WAS DIFFERENT THAN THIS ISSUE, SO THIS IS A SECOND PROBLEM WITH THE SAME TRANSMISSION. *TR

Mileage: 13,078

I HAVE A 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR LIMITED SILVER EDITION MOTORCYCLE, WHICH I PURCHASED FROM MALCOLM SMITH MOTORSPORTS, RIVERSIDE. IN JANUARY 2004, WITH 2,500 MILES ON THE MOTORCYCLE, I HAD A VERY DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION WITH THE REAR BRAKE, CAUSING THE REAR BRAKE TO BE APPLIED WITHOUT APPLYING FORCE TO THE PEDAL. DURING THAT SAME WEEK, I RECEIVED A NOTICE BY MAIL OF A RECALL ON THE MOTORCYCLE INVOLVING THE TRANSMITION (UNRELATED TO THE BRAKE). UPON CALLING THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THE BRAKE WOULD NOT BE LOOKED AT UNTIL THE RECALL WORK WAS ALSO PERFORMED. I WAS NOT GIVEN A DATE. AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR FOUR MONTHS, I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP I WAS TIRED OF HAVING A $15,000 GARAGE ORNAMENT, AND ASKED THEM TO FIX THE BRAKE DEFECT. I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN THE FOLLOWING WEEK. I DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AS THE BRAKE MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN, AND BURNED BEYOND REPAIR. THE DEALER REFUSED TO PICK UP THE MOTORCYCLE FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TOLD ME TO GET IT HOME, AND THEY WOULD NOT LOOK AT IT NOW UNTIL THE RECALL PARTS ARRIVED. I CALLED YAMAHA AND ATTEMPTED TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES WITH NO SATISFACTION. ON 05-07-04, I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE DEALER THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE MOTORCYCLE, AND PERFORM THE RECALL WORK ON 6-9-04. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE FIVE MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE RECALL NOTICE. I AM ASKING YAMAHA TO IMMEDIATELY REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM, PERFORM ALL RECALL WORK, AND OFFER ME THE YAMAHA EXTENDED SERVICE (Y.E.S.) PROGRAM AT NO COST TO ME, WITH A BEGINNING DATE RETRO TO THE DATE OF PURCHASE.*AK

Mileage: 2,575

CONSUMER UNABLE TO GET RECALL WORK PERFORMED DUE TO LACK OF PARTS. *PH RECALL #03V309000 *JB

THREE MONTHS AGO CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. DEALERSHIP STILL DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO CONDUCT RECALL REPAIRS. CONSUMER WAS ANGRY THAT YAMAHA HAD NOT ISSUED ANY STATEMENT ON HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO OBTAIN THE COMPONENT ITEMS ON RECALL. *AK

Mileage: 7,800

DEALERSHIP DIDN'T HAVE PARTS TO PERFORM TRANSMISSION RECALL IN THE SPECIFIED TIME FRAME. *PH CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INFROMED CONSUMER THAT THEY'RE NOT CERTAIN WHEN THE PARTS FOR REPAIR WILL ARRIVE. *LA

SAFETY RECALL ON TRANSMISSION.RECEIVED RECALL ON JAN. 9TH TO HAVE BIKE REPAIRED BUT WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER I WAS INFORMED THERE WAS NO PARTS TO REPAIR IT.I WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WOULD NOT BE HERE FOR AT LEAST 2 MONTHS.NOW IT IS THS MIDDLE OF APRIL AND THE PARTS ARE STILL NOT AVAILABLE.THE LETTER STATED DO NOT RIDE BECAUSE THE TRANMISSION COULD LOCK UP AND CAUSE THE REAR WHEEL TO START SLIDING.I TAKED TO BRAD FRANKLIN IN GOVERMENT RELATIONS AT YAMAHA 1-714-761-7842 NO HELP IN THIS DEPARTMENT.WAS TOLD BY HIM THE PARTS SHOULD BE HERE BY THE END OF APRIL.COULD NOT GAURANTEE THAT.IN THE MEAN TIME THE BIKE HAS BEEN SITTING IN THE GARAGE FOR THREE MONTHS AND COLLECTING DUST.THE PAYMENTS AND INSURANCE ARE PAID EACH MONTH.THINKING ABOUT MOVING THE BIKE IN THE HOUSE AND MAKING A $13000.00 CLOTHES RACK OUT OF IT.THATS WHAT WE GET FOR BUYING A JAP. BIKE.NEVER AGAIN I WILL GO WITH HARLEY.*AK

Mileage: 1,400

RECALL OF DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. PARTS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR REPAIR ARE NOT AVAILABLE. NO TIME FRAME FOR REPAIRS. TWO (2) MONTHS SINCE RECALL NOTIFICATION. INSTRUCTED NOT TO USE VEHICLE UNTIL COMPLETED. VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE INSURED AND LOANS PAID BUT UNABLE TO USE VEHICLE.*AK

MY 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR LIMITED IS UNDER THE YAMAHA TRANSMISSION RECALL NOTICE AND HAS BEEN IN MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP SHOP (RAINIER YAMAHA HONDA, TACOMA, WA) IN EXCESS OF 60 DAYS WAITING FOR THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR KIT. THE BIKE HAS ABOUT 3,500 MILES ON IT. NO ONE CAN TELL ME FOR SURE WHEN THE KIT WILL ARRIVE SO MY BIKE CAN BE REPAIRED. I WROTE YAMAHA IN CALIFORNIA EARLY ON ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO RESPOND TO MY LETTER. *JB

I HAVE A YAMAHA ROAD STAR THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED. I HAVE GOTTEN HORRIBLE SERVIE AND THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THREE MONTHS AND SCHEDULED TO BE THERE ANOTHER TWO. YAMAHA IS PROVIDING NO SERVICE AND NO COMPENSATION. THE BIKE WILL BE IN THE SHOP FOR FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AND YAMAHA DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE. IS THERE ANYTHING ESLE I CAN DO??*AK

Mileage: 150

CAMPAIGN # 03V309000 MY ROAD STAR HAS BEEN AT MY DEALER SINCE 1/16/04 WAITING FOR THE REPAIR. I THINK ALMOST TWO MONTHS IS REASONABLE TIME FOR THE REPAIR. DEALER DOES NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WILL RECIEVE NECESSARY PARTS.*AK

RECALL OF DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. PARTS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR REPAIR ARE NOT AVAILABLE. NO TIME FRAME FOR REPAIRS. TWO (2) MONTHS SINCE RECALL NOTIFICATION. INSTRUCTED NOT TO USE VEHICLE UNTIL COMPLETED. VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE INSURED AND LOANS PAID BUT UNABLE TO USE VEHICLE. *AK

RECALL ON MY 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR SE. RECEIVED RECALL LETTER FROM YAMAHA IN JANUARY, DEALER HAS NO PARTS TO REPAIR WITH NO DATES AS TO WHEN TO EXPECT THEM. WROTE AND CALLED YAMAHA HEAD QUARTERS IN CALIFORNIA, THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE LOANER, BUY BACK THE BIKE, OR EXTEND WARRANTY. MY BIKE HAS 4700 MILES ON IT AND THEY WANT TO TEAR DOWN THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION TO REPAIR IT, ONCE THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. THIS WOULD MAKE THE BIKE A REBUILD, I PAID FOR A NEW BIKE, NOT A REBUILD. I AM ALSO MAKING MONTHLY PAYMENTS ON A BIKE YAMAHA SAYS NOT TO RIDE UNTIL REPAIRS OR DONE. I THEN TRIED TO TRADE IN MY FEW MONTH OLD BIKE FOR NEW 2004 ROAD STAR THROUGH SEVERAL DEALERS IN OKC, IT WAS A JOKE! THEY WANTED ME TO PAY 4 - 6 THOUSAND DOLLAR DIFFERENCE. THE BIKES ARE LESS THAN $300 DIFFERENCE IN PRICE FROM 2003 AND 2004. NOTE: THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM LOCKS UP THE BAKE WHEEL, WHICH IS VERY SERIOUS! I THINK THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN FATALITIES!*AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER ON JANUARY 20, 2004 REGARDING TRANSMISSION. FAILURE. DEALERSHIP DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO CONDUCT RECALL REPAIRS. DEALER INDICATED THAT THE CONSUMER SHOULD WAIT AT LEAST FIVE MONTHS. *AK

Mileage: 6,000