AI Damage1999 Kawasaki Vulcan: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Kawasaki Vulcan filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 50% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (50% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Was driving motorcycle at 70mph when it suddenly stalled out for no reason. This has happened twice so far. Motorcycle was involved in an accident because of this problem.
While traveling 60 mph, the motorcycle stalled and could not be restarted. The motorcycle was towed to big st. Charles motorsports (located at [address], st. Charles, [ZIP]) where it was diagnosed that there was a plastic gear in the oil pump that caused an electrical override in the motorcycle.
The plastic oil pump gear has a history of failures in the 1999 model kawasaki vulcan motorcycles. The result at hiway speeds could be fatal. Many reports from http://www.vroc.org members who have experienced failures say they are lucky they were not in the fast lane when the engine locked up.
The fuel pump is leaking from the seam, and the fuel leaks onto the motor which could cause a fire. Manufacturer/dealer have been notified about the problem. The fuel pump is being replaced by the dealership.
Once the motorcycle is driven and gets up to operating temperature, the motorcylce will not run after it is shut off for about one hour. The dealer is aware of the problem. The dealer is not able to correct the problem. Please provide any further details.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 11,896 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Vulcan has 5 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 8, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Kawasaki Vulcan?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, engine, fuel system. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (25%), fuel system, fuel smell (13%), smoke, burning smell, fire (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Kawasaki Vulcan?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Kawasaki Vulcan from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.