Tl* the contact owns a 2003 yamaha roadstar. He experienced difficulty when attempting to raise the vehicle using the jack. Upon further inspection he noticed that the shock spring assembly mount had fractured. He called several dealerships and was told that the failure was never reported. He called the manufacturer and was not provided with assistance because the warranty expired. No repairs were made. The current and failure mileages were approximately 29,500.
The worst 2003 Yamaha Road Star problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Transmission100
- Suspension2
- Airbags1
- Brakes1
- Fuel system1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Yamaha Road Star
Recalls 1
Power train: manual transmission
- What is wrong
- In the transmission on certain motorcycles, the second/third pinion gear may be incorrectly machined which could cause abnormal wear that eventually results in a broken retainer circlip.
- Risk
- If the circlip breaks, the transmission could lock up, which would also cause the rear wheel to lock up. This could result in loss of control and a crash, possibly resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Yamaha will replace the transmission gears and shafts with new ones. Owner notification began on september 9, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact yamaha at 1-800-88-yamaha or visit their website at www.yamaha-motor.com.
Recall number 03V309000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2003 Yamaha Road Star
Defect investigations
Unintended rear wheel lockup
Summary: on august 22, 2003 yamaha notified the agency that it was recalling certain model year2001 xv1600 ?road star? Model motorcycles to address transmission failure in those vehicles.according to the company, the transmission would fail due to excessive bushing wear on the 4th pinion gear.based on its analysis of failed transmissions from the field, the company found ?uneven contact between the engagement dogs on the 2nd/3rd pinion gear.when in 4th gear, these uneven surfaces caused uneven bushing wear in the 4th gear bushing.this wear would eventually cause the 4th gear retaining circlip to fail, leading to transmission failure.?this could result in both transmission and rear wheel lockup and yamaha concluded a safety recall should be conducted to address the problem.yamaha is limiting the recall?s scope to those motorcycles built between november 30, 2000 and january 24, 2001 based upon the following:1. Yamaha u.s. Reported field failures (involving bikes built in december, 2000) to yamaha japan.2.yamaha japan investigated and validated the cause described above.3.yamaha japan identified the problem was related to the engagement dog on the 2nd/3rd pinion gear.4. Yamaha japan records indicated that the jig used to produce the 2nd/3rd pinion gear was re-calibrated on january 13, 2001.5.parts produced before november 30,2000 and after january 13, 2001 were sampled and found to be within specification (the recall was extended beyond january 13 build as a precaution).with yamaha?s recall, we are closing this investigation but will continue to monitor the field performance of all road star model motorcycles to assess the performance of those bikes not covered by the recall.should the facts warrant additional investigation, we will proceed accordingly.
PE03038
What 2003 Yamaha Road Star owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 yamaha road star. While driving 55 MPH, the rear tire struck the top of the rear fender. The dealer stated that the rear shock mount caused the failure; as of november 19, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 59,000. Updated 12/04/07
Carburetor on 2003 yamaha roadstar (xv1600) will spit gas out on hot cylinder heads and crankcase unpredictably. Happens when restarting engine after engine has been stopped for a short period after coming in from a ride. Ride can be short or long; unpredictable. Was checked by dealer during first few months when new and carb needle was replaced. Problem has persisted and occurs every few months thereafter and is only resolved by turning off fuel valve before stopping so carb empties. Numerous other riders have seen same problem. Last event for me shown below in incident date.
While riding m y 2003 yamaha roadstar I had problems getting it to shift into 4th gear. I checked the internet for any recalls on the bike. When I found that there is a recall I took the bike to my local dealer, the ran the VIN# and said that it had already been done. The recall states that after the modifications are complete stamp a "*" above the a on the VIN#. My bike does not have the stamp, the dealer said that don't matter because he knows it was done. I do not feel safe riding the bike since the recall states do not ride serious injury or death will result. If the bike shifted properly I would feel more confident that the work was completed.
The federal safety agency recall 03v309000 regarding transmission failure. After having recall repairs done, a week later, consumer heard a loud noise, and took it back to the dealer for inspection.
Consumer received recall 03v309000 concerning transmission failure. Consumer had the recall notice since january, and dealer had not received the parts as of yet.
Consumer was waiting for recall 03v309000 repair parts for 8 months. The recall letter stated motorcycle was not to be driven until repaired. Dealership had not resolved the problem.
4th pinion gear exchange kit.*mr the consumer received recall notice 03v-309000. The consumer was unable to ride the vehicle for 90 days because the part was not available.
Consumer received the federal safety agency recall 03v309000 concerning transmission failure in january 2004. Consumer contacted the dealer, and was told that parts needed to repair the motorcycle were not yet available. Parts were coming in ,but at a very slow pace.
The consumer contacted the dealer on 1/21/2004 in reference to the federal safety agency recall# 03v309000 subject:rear wheel lock up. The dealer informed the consumer that the parts were not available. The consumer was put on a waiting list and has not received the free remedy yet. *nm
Compare the 2003 Yamaha Road Star
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Questions about the 2003 Yamaha Road Star
Is the 2003 Yamaha Road Star reliable?
Owners have filed 105 complaints about the 2003 Yamaha Road Star, 15.0 times a typical Road Star model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Yamaha Road Star?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 100 complaints, typically around 4,000 miles. Next is suspension (2).
How many recalls does the 2003 Yamaha Road Star have?
1 recall, covering power train.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Yamaha Road Star transmission?
Yes, 1 recall: 03V309000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Yamaha Road Star have bad transmission?
The Yamaha Road Star model years with the most transmission complaints are 2003 (100 complaints), 2002 (82 complaints) and 2001 (47 complaints).
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