Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
12 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
15,375 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1996 to 2002 model years. Data updated: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Electrical System:Wiring is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 12 complaints (8.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic
Matching reports
Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting
1
8.3%
Engine operation
1
8.3%
Braking behavior
1
8.3%
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
Electrical System:Wiring
1
Engine And Engine Cooling
1
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
1
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
1
Power Train
1
Power Train:Clutch Assembly
1
Power Train:Manual Transmission
1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1
Component breakdown data
Category
Count
Electrical System:Wiring
1
Engine And Engine Cooling
1
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
1
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
1
Power Train
1
Power Train:Clutch Assembly
1
Power Train:Manual Transmission
1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1
Electrical System:Wiring: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 1; Power Train: 1; Power Train:Clutch Assembly: 1; Power Train:Manual Transmission: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
Under 25,000
1
25,000 to 49,999
1
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
Category
Count
Under 25,000
1
25,000 to 49,999
1
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 10 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
Electrical System:Wiring leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AFTER CHANGING INTO 2ND GEAR AFTER LEAVING A STOP... KAWASAKI HAD A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR CERTAIN BIKES THIS SAME YEAR BUT TELL ME THAT MY BIKE DOES NOT ONE OF THE BIKES UNDER THE RECALL. ONLY 25,600 MILES ON THE BIKE.
DRIVING IN THE FAR LEFT LANE OF A 6 LANE HIGHWAY DOING ABOUT 75 MPH. EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE ON 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD AND COMPLETE ENGINE STALL TWO VEHICLES BEHIND ME ALMOST RAN ME OVER AND ENDED UP WITH ONE REAR ENDING ANOTHER. I NARROWLY ESCAPED A HIT FROM BEHIND. SOME INTERNET SEARCHES REVEALS THAT THIS LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE IS COMMON FOR THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL. FOR ME COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ON A MOTORCYCLE ON ANY ROAD PRESENTS A SEVERE HAZARD. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THESE MOTORCYCLES ISSUED. THIS YEAR …
MODEL #VN1500N1, ONE OF TEH FRONT BRAKE CALIPER ANCHOR BOLTS ON THE FRONT WHEEL FELL OUT WITHOUT WARNING. *AK CONSUMER NOTICED THE CALIPER DRAGGING AND A NOISE. DISCOVERED THE LOOSE BRACKET AND MISSING BOLT WHEN BACKING UP AND STOPPING. *JG
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
12 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
16.7%Usable mileage2 / 12 records
66.7%Valid incident date8 / 12 records
100.0%Valid filing date12 / 12 records
66.7%Ordered incident and filing dates8 / 12 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
Component complaint heatmap
Component
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Electrical System:Wiring
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
00.0%
No examples available for this selection.
133.3%ODI 10034249
PRESTIGE MOTOR SPORT, 4011 FOREST PARK, ST. LOUIS, MO 63108 [phone removed]. VULCAN, 1500, 2001 OR KAWASAKI, 1500, 2001. CHARGES FOR RECALL REPAIRS BY MANUFACTURER THROUGH THE DEALER. REALL # MC 0203 051502.*AK
DRIVING IN THE FAR LEFT LANE OF A 6 LANE HIGHWAY DOING ABOUT 75 MPH. EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE ON 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD AND COMPLETE ENGINE STALL TWO VEHICLES BEHIND ME ALMOST RAN ME OVER AND ENDED UP WITH ONE REAR ENDING ANOTHER. I NARROWLY ESCAPED A HIT FROM BEHIND. SOME INTERNET SEARCHES REVEALS THAT THIS LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE IS COMMON FOR THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL. FOR ME COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ON A MOTORCYCLE ON ANY ROAD PRESENTS A SEVERE HAZARD. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THESE MOTORCYCLES ISSUED. THIS YEAR …
TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AFTER CHANGING INTO 2ND GEAR AFTER LEAVING A STOP... KAWASAKI HAD A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR CERTAIN BIKES THIS SAME YEAR BUT TELL ME THAT MY BIKE DOES NOT ONE OF THE BIKES UNDER THE RECALL. ONLY 25,600 MILES ON THE BIKE.
MODEL #VN1500N1, ONE OF TEH FRONT BRAKE CALIPER ANCHOR BOLTS ON THE FRONT WHEEL FELL OUT WITHOUT WARNING. *AK CONSUMER NOTICED THE CALIPER DRAGGING AND A NOISE. DISCOVERED THE LOOSE BRACKET AND MISSING BOLT WHEN BACKING UP AND STOPPING. *JG
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
Component failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
Engine And Engine Cooling
Too few reports for a range
28,250 mi
1 (sparse)
ODI 10341246 · 28,250 mi
DRIVING IN THE FAR LEFT LANE OF A 6 LANE HIGHWAY DOING ABOUT 75 MPH. EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE ON 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD AND COMPLETE ENGINE STALL TWO VEHICLES BEHIND ME ALMOST RAN ME OVER AND ENDED UP WITH ONE REAR ENDING ANOTHER. I NARROWLY ESCAPED A HIT FROM BEHIND. SOME INTERNET SEARCHES REVEALS THAT THIS LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE IS COMMON FOR THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL. FOR ME COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ON A MOTORCYCLE ON ANY ROAD PRESENTS A SEVERE HAZARD. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THESE MOTORCYCLES ISSUED. THIS YEAR …
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month
Complaints
Campaigns announced
Examples
2024-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2024-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-10
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2001: 3 complaints · 2002: 1 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
2001
0
1
3
2002
1
1
1
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
2001
2
1
0
2002
1
0
0
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
Component co-occurrence matrix
Component
Electrical System:Wiring
Engine And Engine Cooling
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
Power Train
Power Train:Clutch Assembly
Power Train:Manual Transmission
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Electrical System:Wiring
—
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Engine And Engine Cooling
0
—
0
0
0
0
0
0
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
0
0
—
0
0
0
0
0
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
0
0
0
—
0
0
0
0
Power Train
0
0
0
0
—
0
0
0
Power Train:Clutch Assembly
0
0
0
0
0
—
0
0
Power Train:Manual Transmission
0
0
0
0
0
0
—
0
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
—
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Stalling or loss of power
1 mentions · 8.3% of complaints
Median mileage: 28,250 mi (1 usable records).
ODI 10341246 · 28,250 mi
DRIVING IN THE FAR LEFT LANE OF A 6 LANE HIGHWAY DOING ABOUT 75 MPH. EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE ON 1999 KAWASAKI VULCAN NOMAD AND COMPLETE ENGINE STALL TWO VEHICLES BEHIND ME ALMOST RAN ME OVER AND ENDED UP WITH ONE REAR ENDING ANOTHER. I NARROWLY ESCAPED A HIT FROM BEHIND. SOME INTERNET SEARCHES REVEALS THAT THIS LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE IS COMMON FOR THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL. FOR ME COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ON A MOTORCYCLE ON ANY ROAD PRESENTS A SEVERE HAZARD. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THESE MOTORCYCLES ISSUED. THIS YEAR …