AI DamageYamaha FZ-09: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Yamaha FZ-09 across 4 model years: 26 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 42% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 38% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 15% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 12% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 12% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 4% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 11 complaints (42% of all).
- Engine: 10 complaints (38% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 4 complaints (15% of all).
- Structure: 3 complaints (12% of all).
- Suspension: 3 complaints (12% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 26 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Clutch basket total failure destroying the fibers, steels, and sending metal in the oil pan. Oil pan also cracked. Happened while riding without warning. May have caused enough damage to need full replacement of engine.
The rear suspension shock absorber is rusted at all of the rear welded points. The vehicle has been garaged and is in a low humidity desert of arizona. The rust from the welds has traveled up along where two parts of the shock assembly is connected.
This work was performed but I have an intermittent headlight issue. Dealer & yamaha state "they can do nothing unless the headlight is out when they have the vehicle". I am left to ride this bike with a headlight that may or may not operate? Unacceptable to me.
The headlights have a small angle pattern and are very bright but when traveling around corners when the bike has to be leaned, the pattern dips into the road and doesn't provide ample light around corners and is a very big hazard for non-lighted roads at night.
Front brake locked up and applying also caused brake lever to go all the way to the handle bar when going out for first ride this year.
Headlights are incapable of maintaining a safe distance during cornering. On any corner, the headlights will dip too far down and no longer illuminate the road. The issue is well documented amongst owners of 2017 fz-09 and all agree that this headlight pattern design is extremely dangerous to point of requiring…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other models of this make
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 2026-11-06.