1996 Buell S2 THUNDERBOLT: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1996 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 1 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | 1 |
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 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: 0; 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
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 1 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 1 |
1999: 1
Pattern summary
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly leads the component reports. 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 849622 · 1999-09-30 (September 30, 1999)
RECALLS 99V107/99V106/99V105, AND 99V10;, EASTGATE HARLEY DAVIDSON 699 OLD STATE ROUTE 74, CINNANNTI OH 45245 (513)528-1400, THESE RECALLS HAVE NOT BEEN MODIFIED. A DEFECTS STILL EXISTS AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. MANUFACTURER STATED IT WOULD TAKE A MONTH TO RECEIVE THE PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 849622 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
4 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
99V104000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Mounting
Reported: 1999-05-06 (May 6, 1999)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THESE MOTORCYCLES WERE BUILT WITH A FUEL TANK MOUNT SYSTEM THAT COULD, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, ALLOW THE FUEL TANK TO SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE.
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN AN EXPLOSION OR FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK MOUNT SYSTEM.
NHTSA campaign record ↗99V105000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly
Reported: 1999-05-06 (May 6, 1999)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THESE MOTORCYCLES WERE BUILT WITH A FUEL TANK VENT VALVE ASSEMBLY THAT COULD BECOME PLUGGED.
Consequence: UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THIS COULD CAUSE THE CARBURETOR TO OVERFLOW FUEL WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. THIS CONDITION COULD ALSO PREVENT SUFFICIENT FUEL FLOW, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO MISFIRE OR STALL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK VENT VALVE ASSEMBLY.
NHTSA campaign record ↗99V106000 · Suspension:Rear
Reported: 1999-05-06 (May 6, 1999)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THESE MOTORCYCLES WERE BUILT WITH A SWINGARM THAT COULD BREAK.
Consequence: IF THE SWINGARM SHOULD BREAK, LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SWINGARM.
NHTSA campaign record ↗99V107000 · Suspension:Rear:Shock Absorber
Reported: 1999-05-06 (May 6, 1999)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THESE MOTORCYCLES WERE BUILT WITH A REAR SHOCK ABSORBER FRONT EYE THAT COULD BREAK.
Consequence: IF THE SHOCK EYE SHOULD BREAK, THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WILL DRAG ON THE GROUND POSSIBLY CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
1 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
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 | 1995 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | 266.7%ODI 803884GAS TANK LEAK DEVELOPED. THE TANK WAS REPLACED IN JULY OF 1996. THE SECOND TANK EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM, A LEAK AT THE SEAM. *AK | 1100.0%ODI 849622RECALLS 99V107/99V106/99V105, AND 99V10;, EASTGATE HARLEY DAVIDSON 699 OLD STATE ROUTE 74, CINNANNTI OH 45245 (513)528-1400, THESE RECALLS HAVE NOT BEEN MODIFIED. A DEFECTS STILL EXISTS AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. MANUFACTURER STATED IT WOULD TAKE A MONTH TO RECEIVE THE PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Auxillary Tank:Selector Devices | 133.3%ODI 848499RECALL # 99V107 REAR SHOCK ABSORBER/ 99V106 SWINGARM/ 99V105 FUEL TANK VALVE AND 99V104 FUEL TANK MOUNTING. OWNER RECEIVED NOTICES STARTING IN JUNE OF 99. DEALER HAS NOT RECEIVED PARTS TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS. OWNER HAS 3 OTHER RECALL NOTICES HE RECEIVED IN 1995, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN CORRECTED DUE TO PARTS NOT BEING AVAILABLE. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar | 133.3%ODI 848499RECALL # 99V107 REAR SHOCK ABSORBER/ 99V106 SWINGARM/ 99V105 FUEL TANK VALVE AND 99V104 FUEL TANK MOUNTING. OWNER RECEIVED NOTICES STARTING IN JUNE OF 99. DEALER HAS NOT RECEIVED PARTS TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS. OWNER HAS 3 OTHER RECALL NOTICES HE RECEIVED IN 1995, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN CORRECTED DUE TO PARTS NOT BEING AVAILABLE. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension:Rear | 133.3%ODI 848499RECALL # 99V107 REAR SHOCK ABSORBER/ 99V106 SWINGARM/ 99V105 FUEL TANK VALVE AND 99V104 FUEL TANK MOUNTING. OWNER RECEIVED NOTICES STARTING IN JUNE OF 99. DEALER HAS NOT RECEIVED PARTS TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS. OWNER HAS 3 OTHER RECALL NOTICES HE RECEIVED IN 1995, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN CORRECTED DUE TO PARTS NOT BEING AVAILABLE. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Unknown Or Other | 133.3%ODI 851365NO PARTS AVAILABLE. WON'T MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS ON THE OTHER RECALLS UNTIL THEY GET THIS PART. NHTSA RECALL 99V106000 AND MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 0816. *AK | 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 | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
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
| 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.
1995: 1 complaints · 1996: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1996 | 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 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly |
|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | — |
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.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.