2003 Yamaha Midnight Star

I AM WRITING IN REGARD TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE THAT I EXPERIENCED ON SATURDAY, THE 25TH OF AUGUST, 2007 ON MY 2003 MIDNIGHT ROADSTAR. FIFTH GEAR WAS LOST WHILE I WAS LEADING A GROUP OF MOTORCYCLES ON THE INTERSTATE. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE, I HEARD A LOUD METALLIC CLICK, AND THOUGHT OF A BREAKAGE OF THE CIRCLIP. THIS FAILURE HAD THE POTENTIAL TO RESULT IN THE IMMEDIATE LOCKUP OF THE TRANSMISSION, AND RESULTANT LOCKUP OF THE REAR WHEEL. THIS EVENT COULD HAVE LED TO A CATASTROPHIC CRASH BECAUSE IT OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH A GROUP OF MOTORCYCLES IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME. IN FIFTH GEAR, NO POWER AT ALL IS PROVIDED TO THE DRIVE BELT. GEARS 1-4 AND NEUTRAL CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY DURING THIS PERIOD. A LOCAL YAMAHA DEALER (CYCLE SPORT OF ALEXANDRIA, VA) HAS WORKED ON THE TRANSMISSION ON TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS; ONCE TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH IN NOVEMBER 2003, AND ONCE TO ACCOMPLISH THE TRANSMISSION RECALL INVOLVING THE REPLACEMENT OF A CIRCLIP THAT, UPON FAILURE, COULD RESULT IN IMMEDIATE LOCKUP OF THE TRANSMISSION, LEADING TO POTENTIAL IMMEDIATE LOCKUP OF THE REAR WHEEL. I HAVE FOLLOWED THE DEALERS RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE ENGINE OIL (WHICH IS SHARED BY THE TRANSMISSION) SINCE DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS NEW. MY BELIEF IS THAT IT IS REASONABLE TO EXPECT RELIABLE TRANSMISSION SERVICE BEYOND 28,000 MILES. MY CONCERNS INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT PERFORMED PROPERLY, OR AT ALL, OR THAT THE DEALER?S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE OIL USED IN THE BIKE MAY HAVE BEEN ERRONEOUS. I HAVE COMMUNICATED THIS INFORMATION TO YAMAHA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A RESPONSE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS FAILURE COULD ALSO HAPPEN TO OTHERS, WITH POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. *TR UPDATED 03/13/08. *LJ

THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP ON JANUARY 2004 IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA RECALL 03V309000/ REAR WHEEL LOCK UP. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER TWO MONTHS FOR THE PARTS TO BE AVAILABLE. *NM IT WAS UNKNOWN AS TO WHEN THE PARTS WILL BECOME AVAILABLE. *SC *JB

RECALL NOTICE 03V309000 YAMAHA RECALL OF DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION PARTS THAT MAY CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH: I RECEIVED THE NOTICE ON JANUARY 10, 2004 AND CONTACTED THE DEALER TO SCHEDULE THE REQUIRED REPAIR. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE REPAIR KITS ARE TO BE PROVIDED BY YAMAHA AND THEY WOULD CALL ME TO SCHEDULE THE REPAIR. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THE STATED THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED ONLY A FEW KITS AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHEN OR IF THEY WILL BE RECEIVING ANY ADDITIONAL REPAIR KITS. AS A RESULT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOW RIDING THE DEFECTIVE MOTORCYCLES AND ARE IN DANGER OF INJURY OR DEATH. SOME OF US USE OUR MOTORCYCLES AS DAILY TRANSPORTATION; BECAUSE YAMAHA REFUSES TO PROVIDE THE KITS IN A TIMELY MANNER, THEY ARE PUTTING THE PUBLIC AT RISK.*AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 03V309000 CONCERNING MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CONSUMER RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE ON 1/30/2004. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS, AND HAD NO INFORMATION ON WHEN THE PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. DEALER HAD A WAITING LIST WITH ABOUT THIRTY CONSUMERS. ALSO, THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE PARTS HAVE NOT ARRIVED FROM JAPAN. *AK *JB

I BOUGHT A NEW 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR MOTORCYCLE FROM HATTIESBURG CYCLES IN HATTIESBURG MISSISSIPPI ON 3 JANUARY 2004. I WAS NOTIFIED 13 JANUARY 2004 OF A RECALL INVOLVING EXTENSIVE REPAIRS TO THE TRANSMISSION AND TOLD NOT TO OPERATE THE MOTORCYCLE UNTIL THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY A FAILURE IN WHICH THE REAR WHEEL COULD LOCK-UP CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. SINCE BEING NOTIFIED (6 WEEKS NOW) MY MOTORCYCLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND THE DEALER OR YAMAHA CUSTOMER SERVICE IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH AN ESTIMATED DATE WHEN THE REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED. I FELL THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE I'M AM STILL MAKING $400 PAYMENTS EACH MONTH FOR A MOTORCYCLE WHICH I AM UNABLE TO OPERATE. WITH MY WIFE AND I BOTH WORKING THIS IS ONE OF MY PRIMARY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. I WANT EITHER A FIRM DELIVERY DATE FOR THE REQUIRED PARTS AND REPAIR DATE OR FULL RE-IMBURSEMENTS OF MY PURCHASE PRICE. *AK

RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF RECALL FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. CONTACTED TWO DEALERS FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO REPAIR TRANSMISSION, BUT NEITHER DEALERSHIPS ACCEPTING ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE PARTS WEREN'T AVAILABLE. THE RECALL WAS FILED AUGUST 2003 BUT THE CONSUMER WAS NOT NOTIFIED UNTIL SIX MONTHS LATER (RECALL# 03V-309000). *LA *NM (NAR)

YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE MIDNIGHT STAR RECALL FOR TANSMISSION. THE YAMAHA CORPERATION HAS NOT BEEN ANY HELP WHAT SO EVER IN ASSISTING WITH TIMELY REPAIRS, OR FORTHCOMMING WITH ANY INFORMATION WHAT SO EVER. ALL THAT THEY CAN TELL ANYONE IS THAT THEY HAVE KNOW IDEA WHEN PARTS MAY BE AVAILABLE. THIS IS INEXCUSEABLE FROM SUCH A LARGE CORPORATION. THEY HAVE TOLD US NOT TO RIDE BUT OFFER NO RESOLVE FOR THOSE OF US THAT DEPEND ON OUR VEHICAL FOR DAILY USE. THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT I MUST FIND A WAY TO GET IT TO THEM, AS THEY DO NOT OFFER TOWING, AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO WARRENTY THEIR WORK FROM THEIR OWN FACTORY TRAIND TECH'S. THIS WHOLE IDEA OF HAVING TO HAVE A BRAND NEW VEHICAL TORN APART AND REBUILT WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A GARRANTEE IS LUDICRIST. AND WITH NOW DATE IN SIGHT FOR REPAIRS. THEIR ATTITUDE IS TOTALY UNACCEPTABLE AND THERE SO CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT ISN'T ANY BETTER. THEY HAVE TAKEN OUR MONEY, AND WITH SOME PEOPLE STILL MAKING PAYMENTS, THEY OFFER NOTHING IN ANYWAY TO HELP OUT EXCEPT SIT IN SILINCE AND WAIT AND WE'LL CALL YOU. HERE WE ALL SIT WITH NOTHING MORE THAN A FOUTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR PIECE OF ART WORK. I WOULD CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THE NHSTA WOULD STEP IN A ASSIST ALL OF US THAT HAVE BE DISPOSED BY THIS WHOLE PROCESS, AFTER ALL WHAT IS CONCIDERED TO BE A TIMELY REPAIR ???? PLEASE STEP IN, AND ASSIST ! SIGNED ,ROBED AND ABUSED. *AK

ON JANUARY 9, 2004, YAMAHA NOTIFIED ME MY 2003 MIDNIGHT STAR WAS UNDER RECALL AND NOT TO OPERATE IT UNTIL REPAIRED. THE DEFECT COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED MY NEAREST DEALER WHO TOLD ME THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT HAD NO PARTS TO REPAIR. I ALSO CONTACTED THE OUT OF STATE DEALER WHO SOLD ME THE MOTORCYCLE AND THEY ADVISED THE SAME. I HAVE REPEATEDLY CONTACTED BOTH DEALERS FOR STATUS UPDATES. NEITHER HAS REPAIR KITS AND YAMAHA WILL NOT TELL THEM WHEN THEY WILL ARRIVE. THE REPAIR IS GOING TO AMOUNT TO A REBUILD OF THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. THIS MOTORCYCLE CAME FROM THE FACTORY WITH A ONE YEAR WARRANTY. NOW YAMAHA IS GOING TO REBUILD THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION, BUT OFFER NO WARRANTY. YAMAHA OWES AN ADDITIONAL ONE YEAR WARRANTY ON THESE MOTORS. THESE REPAIRS MAY NOT BE DONE UNTIL LATE SUMMER. IT IS ABSOLUTELY INEXCUSABLE FOR YAMAHA TO TREAT THE CONSUMERS IN THIS MANNER. THE RECALL DATE IS AUGUST OF 2003, YET YAMAHA DIDN'T NOTIFY ANYONE OF THE DANGER UNTIL JANUARY OF 2004 AND THEY ARE NOT PREPARED TO RESPOND TO THIS PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, THE DEALERS ALSO HAVE RECALLS ON KAWASAKI ATVS AND WILL BE HARD PRESSED TO HANDLE THE YAMAHA RECALL. YAMAHAS FAILURE TO NOTIFY CUSTOMERS OF THIS DEFECT IN A TIMELY MANNER AND THEIR REFUSAL TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION PROMPTLY DEMONSTRATES THEIR CALLOUS DISREGARD FOR THE THEIR CUSTOMERS. THE NHTSA MUST STEP IN TO FACILITATE THE COMPLETION OF THIS RECALL. THE NHTSA SHOULD ALSO REQUIRE YAMAHA TO PROVIDE A FULL WARRANTY FOR THE WORK THEY ARE DOING. *JB