2005 Yamaha Warrior: common problems

Owners of the 2005 Yamaha Warrior filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 21

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 62% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 52% of all complaints
3 Fuel system 10% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 10% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Electrical system: 13 complaints (62% of all).
Engine and cooling: 11 complaints (52% of all).
Fuel system: 2 complaints (10% of all).
Powertrain: 2 complaints (10% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 21 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

stalls while driving7 · 33%
loss of power / limp mode3 · 14%
smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 14%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 5%
hesitation when accelerating1 · 5%
jerking, harsh shifts1 · 5%
warning lights, check engine1 · 5%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Electrical system	13	0	0
Engine and cooling	11	0	0
Fuel system	2	0	0
Powertrain	2	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.

While running the engine at an idle after an oil change, a strong odor of fuel was detected. The oil fill point, a remote tank, is under the seat. Also under the seat there is a second fuel tank, or secondary tank that houses the electric pump used to provide pressurized fuel for the fuel injection.
Fuel system · 2012-04-18 · NHTSA complaint #10455700
Bike stalled and would not restart. It was replaced under warranty. Second one went out at 5600 miles. Engine would miss during acceleration between 3000-4000 rpm's. Replaced cps with a new one and problem was fixed.
Electrical system · 2006-11-14 · NHTSA complaint #10173489
1-my 2005 yamaha 1700 roadstar silverado has been sputtering and heavy backfiring coming out of the exhaust including flames, 2-the bike has been dying at red lights and at low engine revolutions, I was told by my dealer that yamaha recognizes they have to short of dipsticks in the oil tank and therefore filling the…
Engine and cooling · 2006-09-20 · NHTSA complaint #10168800
These are excerpts from the letter that I sent to yamaha on jan 15th, 2006: the valves began sticking on the engine, resulting in severe power loss and making the bike difficult and dangerous to drive. I transported the bike back to sylacauga on nov 15th, and explained to the service manager the symptoms.
Engine and cooling · 2006-08-22 · NHTSA complaint #10166254
It happens very unexpectedly and without warning causing a loss of power. This loss of power has left me sitting along a very busy highway with a narrow shoulder as well as almost caused me to drop the bike during a left hand turn in front of oncoming traffic.
Powertrain · 2006-08-21 · NHTSA complaint #10166125
Since my 2005 yamaha road star had 3000-3500 miles on it, it has developed a severe loss of compression in it's rear cylinder. This causes a safety hazard by not producing the appropriate acceleration of speed in crucial situations. An example would be while accelerating when merging onto a highway.
Powertrain · 2006-08-19 · NHTSA complaint #10166025
I experienced a couple of hesitations and the tach would jump up in rpm. I slowed down a bit and the problem went away. This morning coming into work I was cruising down the freeway again at 80 when it happened again, this time, I though it was popping, hesitating the tach was jumping around and the check engine light…
Electrical system · 2006-07-31 · NHTSA complaint #10163932
At about 4 months/5,000 miles (nov 2005) my engine started to stumble at about 3400 rpm in 4th or 5th gear... Highway speeds. It was infrequent at first. As the temperate outside started to get hotter, it began happening more frequently and also when I was riding on rough pavement.
Fuel system · 2006-07-21 · NHTSA complaint #10163127

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

200618
20072
20121

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 8,077 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2005 Yamaha Warrior?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine and cooling, fuel system. Total complaints: 21. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (33%), loss of power / limp mode (14%), smoke, burning smell, fire (14%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 Yamaha Warrior?

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 2005 Yamaha Warrior 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 2005 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 2026-11-06.