I wasn't notified of yamaha 2014 recall to replace headlight socket. I was surprised by yamaha dealer barnes bros. Today when told that my motorcycle is due for this recall. As original owner, I've had the motorcycle to the bohn yamaha dealer for 4 years. So I called yamaha today at 1‑800‑962‑7926 and the two call takers could't tell me anything useful about this recall. They stuck to their approved script to only say the yamaha has my correct home address on file. They say there's no way for yamaha to track if I was ever mailed notification of this recall. They tell me there's no yamaha database to show if the motorcycle maybe already has the update (indicating a potential administration error). Does yamaha take these things seriously? Feels like they do not.
The worst 2013 Yamaha XTZ12 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine3
- Acceleration2
- Electrical2
- Fuel system1
- Lights1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine3
- Acceleration2
- Electrical2
- Fuel system1
- Lights1
- Wheels1
Recalls 2
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (Yamaha) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Yamaha XTZ12 Super Tenere motorcycles. Over time, a gap may develop in the protective sealant where the lead wires of the accelerator position sensor (APS) and throttle position sensor (TPS) connect to the electronic control unit (ECU). This may cause corrosion on the wires, preventing the engine from returning to idle after the throttle is released.
- Risk
- If the engine does not return to idle when the throttle is released, it can lead to a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Yamaha will notify owners, and dealers will bypass the wire lead connection with a new sub lead harness multi-connector, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018. Owners may contact Yamaha customer service at 1‑800‑962‑7926. Yamaha's number for this recall is 990122.
Recall number 18V695000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Yamaha Motor Corporation USA (Yamaha) is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 YZFR1 motorcycles manufactured October 2008 through August 2013 and 2012-2013 XTZ12 motorcycles manufactured October 2011 through August 2013. In the affected motorcycles, use of the headlight may generate enough heat to cause the bulb connections to expand, resulting in arcing in the headlight bulb socket which could cause the socket to overheat, melt and cause the headlight to malfunction.
- Risk
- A headlight failure reduces the rider's ability to see clearly and the motorcycle's visibility to oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Yamaha will notify owners and dealers will replace the headlight socket, free of charge. The recall began on March 10, 2014. Owners may contact Yamaha at 1‑800‑962‑7926.
Recall number 14V044000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2013 Yamaha XTZ12 1
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
What 2013 Yamaha XTZ12 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The motorcycle will sometimes accelerate on its own, other times it will randomly shut down while driving down the road in traffic. This is a widely discussed problem by xtz1200 owners. So far yamaha has yet to issue a technical bulletin or a recall. I have a video that shows the motorcycle acting this way. This issue can be dangerous as the bike will sometimes shut down while making a turn. I have contacted yamaha corporation and they have agreed to watch the video only if its submitted by a dealer. I have arranged for that to occur. This issue seems to be most prevalent on the first generation xtz1200's (2010-2013). There is a website for owners of this motorcycle (www.yamahasupertenere.com), there is currently 78 pages of discussion on this exact issue. Since yamaha has not taken the lead in resolving this safety concern, we have decided to report our experience to your agency.
2013 yamaha super tenere. Engine/idle speed varies and/or engine dies. Sometimes it speeds up (to as much as 4000 RPM) without any rider input (dangerous) and if the clutch is activated simultaneously it won't idle and engine dies. Also difficulty starting. Seems to happen more often in cooler temperatures vs warm. Turning off the ignition then turning it back on sometimes temporally seems to reset things (may take several attempts). It will run at cruise speeds but once speed is reduced the problems occur. A fault code of 60 once came up on the display. The rider must be prepared for uncontrolled increases or decreases in throttle. Research has strongly suggested this is happening to other owners and may be associated with a wiring/electrical connection issue. In march of 2016 I contacted yamaha directly and they suggested I take it to dealer. Took it to dealer and they had it 2 weeks and was advised they could not duplicate the problem. But it is intermittent and generally unpredictable except for a substantial increase in symptoms when the ambient air temperatures drop below 70 degrees f and especially below 60. This first occurred in june of 2015 at 3050 miles and has continued off and on through the present mileage of 35,000. It occurred consistently on a recent trip north (cool temps and rain) and there were no services available for several thousand miles. Once I encountered warmer temps on the return trip south the symptoms went away for the final 2000 miles of a 9000 trip. Since I generally ride in warmer temperatures (summer) it has not occurred consistently. But on this recent trip it happened every day for over a week and required extreme caution and was quite challenging to control and uncertain if it would start or continue running.
Engine shuts off or exhibits high uncontrolled RPM or idle while stationary or in motion.
Intermittentlay the vehicle stalls when idling, it also can rise to 3500rpm without any user input. This leads to dangerous behavior when approaching or departing an intersection.
Motorcycle was in motion on highway, rear wheel spoke broke and caused severe damages to motorcycle (swing arm, exhaust and wheel) and unsafe conditions. I believe that spokes are failing duo to defects in materials or bad design. Yamaha declined safety issue and warranty coverage stating that wheels/spokes are wear and tear items, I spoke to yamaha representative several times by calling 1‑800‑962‑7926. Pictures and service repair order from motorcycle service shop attached.
Compare the 2013 Yamaha XTZ12
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Questions about the 2013 Yamaha XTZ12
Is the 2013 Yamaha XTZ12 reliable?
Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 2013 Yamaha XTZ12, 6.0 times a typical XTZ12 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Yamaha XTZ12?
Engine and cooling, with 3 complaints. Next is acceleration (2).
How many recalls does the 2013 Yamaha XTZ12 have?
2 recalls, covering electrical system and exterior lighting.
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