AI Damage2009 Yamaha XVS65: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Yamaha XVS65 filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 75% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 50% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (75% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (50% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 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.
Final drive assembly of yamaha vstar takes on water when riding in rain, oil degrades and results in interior bearing assembly failure. Metal shavings can be found inside final drive unit. Others have complained of possible bearings breaking free and resulting in spline lockup...
Rear brake failure and total destruction from a single missing bolt. Rear brake assembly lost bottom bolt, on braking this resulted in the entire drum spinning and breaking control arm from drum and wrapping linkage arm around brake drum. Complete loss of rear brakes.
Tl contact owns a 2009 yamaha xvs65y. After the vehicle has cooled down in the park position, the vehicle jumps forward four feet once it has been restarted. The failure has occurred ten times. The manufacturer stated that they could not assist because the vehicle was designed in that manner.
At 3,600 miles front brake failure was detected. Where depression of brake lever took four depressions to return pressure. No accident in either case, however near collisions and intrusion of vehicles into accident zones have occurred as a result of clutch failure.
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 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the XVS65 has 3 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 4, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Yamaha XVS65?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, service brakes. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (50%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Yamaha XVS65?
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 2009 Yamaha XVS65 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 2009 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.