Yamaha Motor Corporation USA

Review: RUMORS OF TRANSMISSION RECALL EMERGED ONLINE, SAYING THE TRANSMISSION WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED INSIDE THE ENGINE OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THIS DEFECT COULD RESULT IN THE MOTORCYCLES TRANSMISSION LOCKING AND THE BACK WHEEL LOCKING RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. I CALLED YAMAHA CORP DECEMBER 2ND AND THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME TO STOP RIDING THE BIKE. SHE TOLD ME THERE IS NO OFFICIAL RECALL, BUT AN INTENT TO RECALL AND SHE DID NOT HAVE A TIME FRAME EXCEPT THE NEXT FEW WEEKS I WOULD RECEIVE AN OFFICIAL LETTER. THE YAMAHA REP TOLD ME THEY WILL BE OPENING UP MY BRAND NEW MOTORBIKES BRAND NEW ENGINE TO REPLACE THE GEARS. SHE TOLD ME YAMAHA WILL NOT BE HELPING GET THE MOTORCYLE TO THE DEALERSHIP SINCE I CANNOT RIDE THE MOTORCYCLE THERE. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH A LOCAL YAMAHA TECH OPENING UP THE MOTOR OF MY BRAND NEW MOTORCYCLE THAT IS CAPABLE OF REACHING SPEEDS OF 200MPH. ONE MISTAKE COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR MOST LIKELY DEATH. I AM VERY DISPLEASED THAT YAMAHA IS OFFERING NO PAYMENT COMPENSATION DUE TO THE FACT I CANNOT RIDE THE BIKE, YET I AM STILL PAYING PAYMENTS. ON TOP OF THAT THEY WILL NOT HELP FINANCIALLY WITH THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL.Desired Settlement: Am in no way comfortable with a rebuilt engine on my brand new motorcycle. I did not buy a rebuilt engine motorcycle and should not expect one just becuase of Yamaha's negligence. On top of that I have to financially cover all travel/trailer costs to trailer my bike to the dealership with no help from Yamaha. Disappointing.

Consumer

Response:

Resolution: For Yamaha to supply the motorcycle with a new engine. Unacceptable to assume customers want a rebuilt motor. Would also like help with transportation to the dealership. Considering the bike is now sitting due to Yamaha's manufacturing defects and I am continuing to make payments.

Business

Response:

We have contacted the consumer and informed the consumer of our position with regard to the recall that was issued on the 2015 R1 motorcycles. We advised the consumer Yamaha has voluntarily decided to initiate this recall because we were concerned for the safety of those riding our product. We addressed the consumer's other concerns in his complaint and provided insight on other possibilities for resolution with regard to the expense of getting his motorcycle to the dealer.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Regards,

Review: On 5/31/2013 I purchased a new Yamaha Star Bolt Motorcycle (VIN [redacted]) from my local Yamaha dealer. I quickly discovered that when driving with the sun in front of you the speedometer is unreadable and appears only as a black disc. This issue is well known and the Bolt Blog Site is teaming with posts regarding the "engineering flawed" speedometer. I contacted Yamaha customer service shortly thereafter and was told "they are aware of the problem and were working on a solution". Well, the 2015 model recently came out with a revised speedometer unit that solves the visibility problem but the replacement is not offered to owners of the 2014 model. It appears that we are hung out on our own.Desired Settlement: In lieu of a recall on all 2014 Bolts, I feel it is appropriate for Yamaha to send me a replacement 2015 type speedometer to solve the readability problem. I consider this a safety issue that needs to be addressed quickly.

Business

Response:

We apologize for any inconvenience the consumer has experienced with his Yamaha Star Bolt motorcycle. We are proud of our heritage and reputation for manufacturing products with the highest standards of quality and workmanship. We are constantly striving to manufacture products that meet with our customers’ expectations and needs. The meter introduced on our 2014 Bolt and Bolt R-Spec motorcycles was designed to add to the modern take on the traditional urban bobber style. While we thoroughly test our vehicles under a multitude of potential situations, we cannot control environmental and atmospheric conditions which may affect instrument visibility. Available light, shadow, and viewing angle can vary the appearance of the combination meter, as can the rider’s eye protection and added accessories.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to respond to you.

Yamaha Motor Corporation

Customer Support Group

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Very nice of YMC to apologize but a real apology would include a modified speedometer unit that solves a visibility issue that they they have recognized and solved on the 2015 model.

Review: I own a 2015 Yamaha YZF R-1 with 1660 miles on the odometer. After the dealer completed the transmission safety recall the motorcycle now has engine noise. I have returned the motorcycle to the dealer and I have been told that the noise is "normal". The noise wasn't present before the recall was performed. The dealer told me quote "if you don't like what I've told you contact Yamaha Customer Relations". I contacted Yamaha Customer Relations and now I cannot get my phone calls returned nor any assistance with getting my motorcycle repaired. I purchased 3 BRAND NEW Yamaha motorcycles within 30 days totaling approximately $35,000.Desired Settlement: I would like my motorcycle to be repaired eliminating the engine noise and returned to factory specifications. If that is not possible, I would like the vehicle to be replaced with an identical model considering the vehicle has just 1660 miles on the odometer.

Business

Response:

We have contacted the consumer to address their concerns

with the recall performed on their 2015 YZF R-1 Motorcycle and the Customer Service

rendered to the consumer during this experience. After listening to the

consumer, we have proposed a factory representative meet with the consumer to

evaluate the situation.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.I am to meet with a Yamaha field engineer on Wednesday, March 23, 2015 Regards,

Review: I own the 2014 Yamaha Bolt R-Spec. The speedometer, due to reflective glass coating, is impossible to read when riding towards the sun. This issue has been corrected in newer models of the motorcycle. The manufacturer obviously recognizes the fault in the previous versions of the speedometer, yet they will not replace the old speedometers.Desired Settlement: I would like to have my old speedometer with the unsafe mirror-like glass replaced with the new speedometer that is easier to read in the sun. When you cannot tell how fast you are going, it is unsafe, and it is also maybe possible to get a speeding ticket. Yamaha should be held liable for this.

Business

Response:

We apologize for any inconvenience the consumer has experienced with his Yamaha Star Bolt R-Spec motorcycle. We are proud of our heritage and reputation for manufacturing products with the highest standards of quality and workmanship. We are constantly striving to manufacture products that meet with our customers’ expectations and needs. The meter introduced on our 2014 Bolt and Bolt R-Spec motorcycles was designed to add to the modern take on the traditional urban bobber style. While we thoroughly test our vehicles under a multitude of potential situations, we cannot control environmental and atmospheric conditions which may affect instrument visibility. Available light, shadow, and viewing angle can vary the appearance of the combination meter, as can the rider’s eye protection and added accessories.

Review: My husband and I purchased a Yamaha TTR50 dirt bike, new, for $1,600. We purchased the product from Paw Paw Cycle in Paw Paw, MI. During our son's first ride we discovered that it would not shift into 2nd or 3rd gear as it should. Our son did fall a few times, it was his first time riding (I have video), very minor nothing that caused visible injury to him or the bike. This bike is designed for kids between the ages of 5-8 based on the size so it should be able to stand up to a small amount of reasonable wear. We took the bike into service, they contacted Yamaha's support and were advised that it was a bent shift fork and would be caused by "excessive abuse". The mechanic said it was really rare for it to happen, but it could hit just right if it went down and bend it. The shop advised it would cost $1,000 to repair (I have since received estimates of about $500 as the worst case scenario from other shops). The business manager, [redacted], would not speak to us or work with us at all. I did talk to the service manager and he told me it was a quality issue with Yamaha's product and should in no way reflect on their service. The mechanic told us our son could ride it in one gear until we got it fixed. So we brought it home last night and our son started riding it around the yard, he then stopped in the driveway to rest and a large puddle started forming on the concrete. The overflow was spewing a large amount of gas at a very fast rate. My husband shut off the gas and took the bike away from our son. So now I have a brand new bike with only a few hours on it that has a bent shift fork and something wrong with either the carburetor or the float? We bought brand new so we wouldn't have issues like this. We have purchased Honda dirt bikes for 20 years with no issue, even with excessive falls and abuse, something this dirt bike did not encounter. Leaking gas on a brand new child's bike is a serious safety violation/concern in my book. We purchased the bike in December for a [redacted]Desired Settlement: At this point, with the safety of my child now in question due to leaking gas I would just like to return the bike for a refund of the original purchase price. The dealer will not work with us stating that it is not covered by Yamaha so they have no reason to work with us. I called yesterday to confirm their position before taking any action. We purchased the bike in December for a [redacted]stmas gift and due to the inclement weather/snow we have had the bike in storage until 3/30/14 (spring).

Business

Response:

We sincerely apologize to the consumer for any problems she or her son have had relating to our product or dealer. We have contacted Mrs. [redacted] directly to ensure that her son was not injured, and to inform her that Yamaha’s investigation into the cause of the shifting issues and fuel leak is ongoing. We just learned of these issues the day before she filed her complaint, and no determination has been made yet regarding repairs and we have definitely not declined to offer financial assistance. I spoke to Mrs. [redacted] by telephone and assured her that we will continue to work closely with her dealer and will keep her informed of our progress.

Review: My motorcycle went into a local repair shop in October 2014 because oil started coming out of the air filter and the engine eventually stopped. Several sensor fail codes showed. The shop tested the sensors and they were ok. New sensors didn't fix the bike. A new ECU didn't fix the bike. The shop went back and forth with Yamaha engineers who instructed the shop to perform numerous tests and replacements. After months of work which did not fix the bike, the Yamaha engineers gave up! They told the shop they couldn't help anymore and gave up on their own product! The shop decided to replace nearly everything, sensors, ECU, the entire wiring harness... Just keep replacing until it worked. Finally in June of 2015 the bike worked and I was stuck with a rather large invoice. I blame Yamaha for not knowing their product, directing the repair shop in work that didn't fix the bike, and also for giving up on me, my bike, and the repair shop. Yamaha's negligent staff cost time, materials and labor unnecessarily in this repair.Desired Settlement: I think Yamaha should pay for some of the parts in this repair process that took so much longer because of their lack of knowledge of their own product. They could reimburse me for the ECU (~$800) or the wiring harness (~$500). I was looking for one gesture on their part that showed they were sorry their "help" hurt the repair process.

Business

Response:

We sincerely apologize to the consumer for the length of time his Yamaha Road Star Warrior was in the shop for repairs. Yamaha’s tech line worked closely with the dealer’s technicians to methodically narrow down the issues with his bike and repair it, and we can assure him that at no time did Yamaha “give up” on him or his vehicle. We do rely on our dealer network to serve as our eyes and ears in the field, and provide advice and diagnostic assistance based on the information supplied by the dealer.