AI DamageYamaha V-Star: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Yamaha V-Star across 2 model years: 22 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
| Year | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) | YouTube repair videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 95% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 5% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 21 complaints (95% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (5% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (5% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (5% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 22 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 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 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.
Causing rear wheel lock up momentarily until it dislodged then begin to grind against the joint or yoke when lodged in another part of the housing. This is thought to be a flaw or engineering defect seeing as quite a few owners of this motorcycle have had the same thing happen.
The contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph, an abnormal grinding noise emitted from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The contact also noticed that the speedometer failed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the driveshaft needed to be replaced.
While riding at around 50 mph the motorcycle rear tire jerked and shook then locked up and caused the back to skid out of control. After taking the motorcycle home and inspecting the bike I found the middle shaft was broken at the nut.
I was traveling at a rate of speed of 50mph with my wife as a passenger when my motorcycle just shut off no warning no nothing. After several tries to restart the bike after getting it to the side of the road it would just crank and not start.as we sat on the side of the road waiting for help which took about 1.5 hrs…
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.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
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 2026-11-05.