U.S. public vehicle records

2016 Triumph THRUXTON problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

21 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

2,875 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2016 model year. Data updated: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 12 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 17 of 21 complaints (81.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	16	76.2%
Electrical and battery issues	1	4.8%

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.

Service Brakes

Exterior Lighting

Electrical System

Structure:Body

Service Brakes: 17; Exterior Lighting: 2; Electrical System: 1; Structure:Body: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 12; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 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 (12). 9 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.

2016

2017

2020

2021

2022

2024

2016: 1; 2017: 1; 2020: 5; 2021: 10; 2022: 3; 2024: 1

Pattern summary

Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 16 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues 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.

Owner report 11331149 · 2020-06-26 (June 26, 2020)

THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE A VERY SPONGY FEEL AND REQUIRE MULTIPLE PULLS OR 'PRIMER PULLS' FOR THE FRONT BRAKES TO ENGAGE CORRECTLY. IN EMERGENCY BRAKE SITUATIONS, I DO NOT GET FULL BRAKING POWER OUT OF THE FRONT BRAKES WHEN THE LEVER IS PULLED IN QUICKLY. THE LEVER GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE HANDLEBAR GRIP. DEALERS AND SHOPS HAVE TRIED BLEEDING MY BRAKES NUMEROUS TIMES TO FIX THE ISSUE BUT THE LEVER RESPONSE DOES NOT IMPROVE. THEY ALL SUGGEST THAT I CHANGE THE WHOLE SYSTEM. I THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS ONLY MY BIKE UNTIL A COMMUNITY OF RIDERS WITH MY …

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11331149 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11366927 · 2020-10-28 (October 28, 2020)

SOFT/SPONGY FRONT BRAKES WHILE RIDING.

Owner-reported narrative. 10,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11366927 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11495521 · 2022-11-30 (November 30, 2022)

The wire harness has torn under ignition. The traction control stops working, needles bounce, and at times will not start. The wire pulls when the handlebars are turned to the right. I brought it to Moto primo to have it fixed. There was a recall for this issue and they want to charge me over $700 for an issue that they are obviously aware of. I had the bike in AZ over last winter and brought it in on a different recall. Moto primo said that the dealer looked at the issue in Phoenix but did not replace the part. They told me that I h…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11495521 at NHTSA ↗

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

21 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.

57.1%Usable mileage12 / 21 records

100.0%Valid incident date21 / 21 records

100.0%Valid filing date21 / 21 records

100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates21 / 21 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.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	2008	2009	2013	2014	2016	2017	2018	2019
Service Brakes	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	1781.0% ODI 11331149 · 4,000 mi THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE A VERY SPONGY FEEL AND REQUIRE MULTIPLE PULLS OR 'PRIMER PULLS' FOR THE FRONT BRAKES TO ENGAGE CORRECTLY. IN EMERGENCY BRAKE SITUATIONS, I DO NOT GET FULL BRAKING POWER OUT OF THE FRONT BRAKES WHEN THE LEVER IS PULLED IN QUICKLY. THE LEVER GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE HANDLEBAR GRIP. DEALERS AND SHOPS HAVE TRIED BLEEDING MY BRAKES NUMEROUS TIMES TO FIX THE ISSUE BUT THE LEVER RESPONSE DOES NOT IMPROVE. THEY ALL SUGGEST THAT I CHANGE THE WHOLE SYSTEM. I THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS ONLY MY BIKE UNTIL A COMMUNITY OF RIDERS WITH MY … Look up ODI 11331149 at NHTSA ↗	360.0% ODI 11438226 The front braking system on my 2017 Triumph Thruxton R has excessive brake lever travel that has gotten progressively worse. This has resulting in 'double pumping' the front brake lever to achieve adequate braking power, which in an emergency situation may not be possible. The brakes have been maintained at the appropriate intervals, new brake pads have not solved the issue. The brakes have been thoroughly bled out per the manufacturer's procedure. Look up ODI 11438226 at NHTSA ↗	150.0% ODI 11372697 · 1 mi THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER MUST BE PUMPED FOR FULL EFFECTIVENESS PRIOR TO STOPPING. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE, AND OCCURS EVERY TIME THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. Look up ODI 11372697 at NHTSA ↗	1100.0% ODI 11366688 · 950 mi TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TRIUMPH THRUXTON MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE LEVER, THE BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 SECONDS, THE BRAKES ACTIVATED BUT FELT SQUISHY. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT AFTER PRESSING THE BRAKE LEVER A SECOND TIME THE BRAKING SYSTEM OPERATE NORMALLY. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO TRIUMPH SAN DIEGO LOCATED AT 5171 MORENA PL. SAN DIEGO, CA 92110 HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. AFTER RETRIEVING THE MOTORCYCLE, THE F… Look up ODI 11366688 at NHTSA ↗
Electrical System	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	14.8% ODI 11495521 The wire harness has torn under ignition. The traction control stops working, needles bounce, and at times will not start. The wire pulls when the handlebars are turned to the right. I brought it to Moto primo to have it fixed. There was a recall for this issue and they want to charge me over $700 for an issue that they are obviously aware of. I had the bike in AZ over last winter and brought it in on a different recall. Moto primo said that the dealer looked at the issue in Phoenix but did not replace the part. They told me that I h… Look up ODI 11495521 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	150.0% ODI 11493302 Engine won’t start. Gearshift indicator shows a dash line, no fuel level shown, and engine modes are flashing on the dashboard. Once this occurs, the engine will not start. Turning the handlebars or tugging slightly on the wire harness may occasionally cause a connection to occur, and the fuel pump will run again with the dash returning to normal. No noticeable chafing is visible on the wiring harness, but there appears to be an intermittent connection in the harness. Look up ODI 11493302 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Exterior Lighting	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	29.5% ODI 10929830 · 600 mi NEW MOTORCYCLE AND FIRST NIGHT OUT WITH IT. INSTRUMENT PANEL AT NIGHT IS NOT LEGIBLE. THE LIGHTING ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER (SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER) IS TOO DIM TO BE ABLE TO READ THE NUMBERS MAKING IT IMPOSIBLE TO DETERMINE SPEED AND RPMS. Look up ODI 10929830 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Fuel/Propulsion System	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 11002600 · 80 mi THE MOTORCYCLE STALL WHEN DOWNSHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 1ST GEAR, ALSO FROM 3RD TO 2ND GEAR. WILL STALL WHEN SITTING AT A STOPLIGHT AND YOU GIVE A LITTLE THROTTLE YOU HEAR AND CLANK SOUND AND IT STALLS. WILL STALL WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES AND AT INTERSECTIONS. HAVE TAKEN IT INTO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY CAN NOT FIND THE ISSUE. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ON FACEBOOK. I HAVE A VIDEO OF IT STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I CAN EMAIL YOU THE VIDEO, YOUR WEBSI… Look up ODI 11002600 at NHTSA ↗	150.0% ODI 11493302 Engine won’t start. Gearshift indicator shows a dash line, no fuel level shown, and engine modes are flashing on the dashboard. Once this occurs, the engine will not start. Turning the handlebars or tugging slightly on the wire harness may occasionally cause a connection to occur, and the fuel pump will run again with the dash returning to normal. No noticeable chafing is visible on the wiring harness, but there appears to be an intermittent connection in the harness. Look up ODI 11493302 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Engine	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 11002600 · 80 mi THE MOTORCYCLE STALL WHEN DOWNSHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 1ST GEAR, ALSO FROM 3RD TO 2ND GEAR. WILL STALL WHEN SITTING AT A STOPLIGHT AND YOU GIVE A LITTLE THROTTLE YOU HEAR AND CLANK SOUND AND IT STALLS. WILL STALL WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES AND AT INTERSECTIONS. HAVE TAKEN IT INTO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY CAN NOT FIND THE ISSUE. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ON FACEBOOK. I HAVE A VIDEO OF IT STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I CAN EMAIL YOU THE VIDEO, YOUR WEBSI… Look up ODI 11002600 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Power Train	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 10553326 · 40 mi PURCHASED A NEW 2013 TRIUMPH THRUXTON MOTORCYCLE. THE BIKE DOES NOT GO INTO FIRST GEAR AT TIMES. THE BIKE WILL NOT SHIFT UP OR DOWN AT TIMES. THE BIKE AT TIMES SHOW YOU ARE IN NEUTRAL BUT WHEN THE CLUTCH IS RELEASED YOU ARE STILL IN GEAR. *TR Look up ODI 10553326 at NHTSA ↗	0Unavailable 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.
Structure:Body	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	14.8% ODI 11376897 · 14,100 mi I HAVE HAD 3 SIDE STAND SPRINGS FAIL DURING THIS CALENDAR YEAR 2020, IN LESS THAN 3,000 TOTAL MILES. 2 OF THE FAILED SPRINGS HAVE BEEN UPGRADED PARTS FROM A TRIUMPH INTERNAL SAFETY BULLETIN REPLACEMENT. THIS LAST SPRING FAILED 900 MILES AFTER IT WAS INSTALLED ONLY A MONTH AND A HALF AGO. ALL INSTALLATIONS WERE DONE BY THE AUTHORIZED TRIUMPH DEALERSHIP. ALL 3 OF THE SPRING FAILURES OCCURRED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, TOP GEAR, IN TRAFFIC - WHEN IT FAILS, IT ACTIVATES A KILL SWITCH THAT CUTS POWER TO THE MOTOR, LEAVING ME IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AT SPEED WITH… Look up ODI 11376897 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Tires	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable 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.

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
Service Brakes	825–4,000 mi	2,875 mi	10	ODI 11331149 · 4,000 mi THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE A VERY SPONGY FEEL AND REQUIRE MULTIPLE PULLS OR 'PRIMER PULLS' FOR THE FRONT BRAKES TO ENGAGE CORRECTLY. IN EMERGENCY BRAKE SITUATIONS, I DO NOT GET FULL BRAKING POWER OUT OF THE FRONT BRAKES WHEN THE LEVER IS PULLED IN QUICKLY. THE LEVER GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE HANDLEBAR GRIP. DEALERS AND SHOPS HAVE TRIED BLEEDING MY BRAKES NUMEROUS TIMES TO FIX THE ISSUE BUT THE LEVER RESPONSE DOES NOT IMPROVE. THEY ALL SUGGEST THAT I CHANGE THE WHOLE SYSTEM. I THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS ONLY MY BIKE UNTIL A COMMUNITY OF RIDERS WITH MY … Look up ODI 11331149 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11366927 · 10,200 mi SOFT/SPONGY FRONT BRAKES WHILE RIDING. Look up ODI 11366927 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11366962 · 2,950 mi THE FRONT BRAKES SINCE THE BEGINNING HAVE FELT SPONGY AND I HAD A FEW CLOSE CALLS WHEN I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES HARD, THE MOTORCYCLE STILL KEPT GOING I HAVE TO DOUBLE PUMP TO HAVE THEM ACTUALLY WORK PROPERLY. Look up ODI 11366962 at NHTSA ↗
Exterior Lighting	Too few reports for a range	600 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10929830 · 600 mi NEW MOTORCYCLE AND FIRST NIGHT OUT WITH IT. INSTRUMENT PANEL AT NIGHT IS NOT LEGIBLE. THE LIGHTING ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER (SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER) IS TOO DIM TO BE ABLE TO READ THE NUMBERS MAKING IT IMPOSIBLE TO DETERMINE SPEED AND RPMS. Look up ODI 10929830 at NHTSA ↗
Structure:Body	Too few reports for a range	14,100 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 11376897 · 14,100 mi I HAVE HAD 3 SIDE STAND SPRINGS FAIL DURING THIS CALENDAR YEAR 2020, IN LESS THAN 3,000 TOTAL MILES. 2 OF THE FAILED SPRINGS HAVE BEEN UPGRADED PARTS FROM A TRIUMPH INTERNAL SAFETY BULLETIN REPLACEMENT. THIS LAST SPRING FAILED 900 MILES AFTER IT WAS INSTALLED ONLY A MONTH AND A HALF AGO. ALL INSTALLATIONS WERE DONE BY THE AUTHORIZED TRIUMPH DEALERSHIP. ALL 3 OF THE SPRING FAILURES OCCURRED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, TOP GEAR, IN TRAFFIC - WHEN IT FAILS, IT ACTIVATES A KILL SWITCH THAT CUTS POWER TO THE MOTOR, LEAVING ME IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AT SPEED WITH… Look up ODI 11376897 at NHTSA ↗

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

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	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)	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.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

2018: 1 complaints · 2019: 1 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
2018	0	0	1
2019	0	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
2018	2	0	0
2019	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	Service Brakes	Exterior Lighting	Electrical System	Structure:Body
Service Brakes	—	0	0	0
Exterior Lighting	0	—	0	0
Electrical System	0	0	—	0
Structure:Body	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.

Search patterns

1 patterns with matching reports.

Hard or delayed shifting

1 mentions · 4.8% of complaints

Median mileage: 2 mi (1 usable records).

ODI 11387984 · 2 mi

WHEN USING THE FRONT BRAKE, I HAVE TO PRESS THE LEVER IN ONCE, THEN PRESS IT A SECOND TIME TO EXPERIENCE ITS PROPER BRAKING POTENTIAL. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE SINCE OWNING THE BIKE. I'VE NOTICED HOW JERKY THE BRAKE WOULD REACT. VERY "SQUISHY" WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE LEVER FIRST PUMP, THEN REACTS IMMEDIATELY WITH SUBSEQUENT BRAKE PUMPING. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE HARM TO ME, MY BIKE OR SOMEONE ELSE.

Look up ODI 11387984 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule