AI Damage2002 Yamaha XVS1100: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Yamaha XVS1100 filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 3
What fails most often
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (100% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 3 | 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.
Upon deceleration the motorcycle suddenly made a loud whining noise from the transmission and I felt the rear wheel start to bind up. I immediately pulled over and took the bike home on a trailer. I later put it in my shop to inspect what the problem was myself.
The signal turned green and as I began to accelerate, the wining progressed to a loud clanking and grinding sound so I stopped to check the drive shaft, it was fine. I called for a trailer and transportation of the motorcycle back to my hometown of denison, tx, 52 miles one way.
Yamaha v-star middle shaft engineering defect... There is many cases of this failing all over the net time and time again... Defect that yamaha has with the middle shaft on their shaft drive v star motorcycles...
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 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).
On average one model year of the XVS1100 has 6 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Yamaha XVS1100?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (67%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Yamaha XVS1100?
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 2002 Yamaha XVS1100 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 2002 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.