AI Damage2014 Yamaha XVS950: common problems
Owners of the 2014 Yamaha XVS950 filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 10
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 40% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 30% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 20% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 10% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (40% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (30% of all).
- Engine: 2 complaints (20% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 10 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
Yamaha installed from factory a speedometer that is blatantly unreadable during daytime hours. The speedometer is simply too dim to contrast with the sun and poses a hazard when trying to read your current speed.
While driving 40-45 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the transmission was destroyed due to a design flaw. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The vehicle was not repaired.
My concern is the death wobble the bike has when at speeds around 45 mph.
The speedometer on my 2014 yamaha bolt motorcycle is almost indecipherable. It is difficult to see at night and totally washes out during the daytime. The engineers covered a low contrast black and gray digital display with a dark tint.
While driving approximately 40 mph, a loud grinding noise was heard near the rear of the motorcycle. The contact pulled over and inspected the motorcycle and found that the drive belt pulley deteriorated on both sides of the motorcycle.
The glass covering the speedometer is tinted and is so dark that reading the speed or other data is impossible while riding into, or tangentially, to the sun.
When riding into bright sunlight it is not possible to read the speedometer or odometer.
Purchased motorcycle on 12.6.13, on the drive home realized that the speedometer was unreadable. It was daylight, mid-day. Sun was bright. I was unable to read my speed. It's a digital indicator, with smoked lens.
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 10,921 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).
On average one model year of the XVS950 has 4 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 10, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- 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 2014 Yamaha XVS950?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, vehicle speed control, engine. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (10%), stalls while driving (10%), transmission slipping (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2014 Yamaha XVS950?
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 2014 Yamaha XVS950 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 2014 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.