I experienced unintended acceleration. Leaving a stop, the engine went to wide open throttle. The bike wheelied, I fell off at about 35 MPH. The engine throttle stayed wide open until the bank angle sensor shut it down. I injured my left shoulder and elbow. When I got the buell home and investigated, I found the throttle body shaft had fractured at the first screw hole, leaving the butterfly free to go wide open. Looking at the buell enthusiast's website "badweather bikers", I find that throttle shaft breakage is not uncommon in fuel-injected 1999 - 2007 buells. Several others have experienced unintended acceleration, as I did.
The worst 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Acceleration1
- Engine1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Acceleration1
- Engine1
Recalls 6
Vehicle speed control: cables
- What is wrong
- On certain motorcycles equipped exclusively with a fuel injection system, the idle control cable can become dislodged from the fuel injection system cable guide due to improper adjustment of the throttle control system.
- Risk
- Should this occur, the throttle may not return to the idle position when the operator's hand is removed from the twist grip, increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a throttle cable clamp, which serves to ensure retention of the throttle control cables in the cable guide. Owner notification is expected to begin during november or december 2003. Owners should contact buell at 1‑414‑343‑8400.
Recall number 03V427000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: motorcycles. The location of the rear brake line can cause it to become damaged and leak fluid.
- Risk
- A loss of rear wheel braking capabilities could occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rear brake line.
Recall number 00V037000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: motorcycles. The fuel filter can leak.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel filter.
Recall number 00V038000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: mounting
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- This could result in an explosion or fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel tank mount system.
Recall number 99V104000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: motorcycles. These motorcycles were built with a fuel tank vent valve assembly that could become plugged.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 99V105000 · Recall details
Unknown or other
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: motorcycles. These motorcycles were built with a sidestand switch that could become inoperative
- Risk
- This condition can cause the engine to stall/quit when riding.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the sidestand switch.
Recall number 99V097000 · Recall details
See all 6 recalls for the 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt
Defect investigations
Throttle fails to return to idle
To address the problem described above, buell is recalling those fuel-injected motorcycles that it built without a throttle cable control clamp.for more information on this subject, please refer to the memorandum entitled the scope of buell's safety recall, 03v‑427 copy attached.
PE03043
What 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Compare the 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt
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Questions about the 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt
Is the 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt reliable?
Owners have filed 1 complaint about the 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt, fewer than a typical S3 Thunderbolt model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt?
Acceleration and speed control, with 1 complaint. Next is engine (1).
How many recalls does the 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt have?
6 recalls, covering vehicle speed control, service brakes, hydraulic and fuel system, gasoline.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt acceleration?
Yes, 1 recall: 03V427000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
VIN decoder
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