AI Damage1999 Yamaha XVS650: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Yamaha XVS650 filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
What fails most often
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (100% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 4 | 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.
My complaint is the lack of notification of maintenance and lubrication of the drive shaft coupler can cause it to seize resulting in injury or death. Also the manufacture does not identify this part for maintenance in the owners, shop or maintenance manuals concerning our model: xvs 650. * cb
Consumer stated that owner's manual did not indicate that driveshaft connected to the differential needed to be lubricated, other wise rear wheel will lock up, causing serious accidents. Consumer will provide pictures of damages caused by driveshaft not being lubricated periodically.
Yamaha fails to identify the drive shaft coupling area as requiring maintenance in the user manual, shop manual and tech manuals. Coupling area requires lubrication otherwise the area may seize and cause the rear wheel to lock up thereby causing an accident or may even result in death.
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 XVS650 has 5 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 4, 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 1999 Yamaha XVS650?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain. Total complaints: 4.
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Yamaha XVS650?
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 1999 Yamaha XVS650 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 1999 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.