FaultScore

Worst years for a Yamaha Road Star

Owners have filed 326 complaints about the Yamaha Road Star with NHTSA across model years 1999 to 2009. More of them are about the transmission & drivetrain than anything else.

Avoid

2003 Yamaha Road Star

105 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly transmission & drivetrain.

Cleanest on record

1999 Yamaha Road Star

16 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Yamaha Road Star year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2009 1 0 0 Body & Structure
2008 1 0 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
2007 8 0 0 20,000 Fuel & Propulsion
2006 3 0 0 Fuel & Propulsion
2005 2 0 0 Fuel & Propulsion
2004 D 23 2 1 8,000 Engine & Cooling
2003 D 105 0 0 4,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2002 D 88 0 0 6,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2001 C 60 3 0 8,700 Transmission & Drivetrain
2000 C 19 1 0 18,130 Engine & Cooling
1999 C 16 1 0 59,000 Body & Structure

What breaks on a Yamaha Road Star

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2004

Fuel & Propulsion 17 5.2%

Worst in 2007

Body & Structure 10 3.1%

Worst in 1999

Suspension 8 2.5%

Worst in 1999

Wheels 3 0.9%

Worst in 2001

Electrical System 2 0.6%

Worst in 2002

Brakes 2 0.6%

Worst in 2002

Airbags 1 0.3%

Worst in 2003

Steering 1 0.3%

Worst in 1999

Acceleration & Cruise Control 1 0.3%

Worst in 2004

Lights 1 0.3%

Worst in 1999

Tires 1 0.3%

Worst in 2000

Equipment & Accessories 1 0.3%

Worst in 2002

Exactly what failed on a Yamaha Road Star

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Manual Transmission 162 59.1%
Automatic Transmission 74 27.0%
Engine 15 5.5%
Carburetor System 5 1.8%
Rear 5 1.8%
Frame AND Members 5 1.8%
Gasoline 4 1.5%
Shock Absorber 2 0.7%
Kickstand/Center Stand 1 0.4%
Instrument Cluster/Panel 1 0.4%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Yamaha Road Star, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Mar 2001 peak 79 Apr 2020

Compare the Yamaha Road Star

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.