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Kawasaki VN1500Years to avoid, problems & recalls

NHTSA has 12 owner complaints and 3 safety recalls on record for the Kawasaki VN1500.

Years to avoidNoneBased on weighted complaintsBest years—Fewest complaints for their ageOwner complaints12Top: Power trainSafety recalls31996–2002 model years

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years.

Best & worst years

Kawasaki VN1500 years to avoid

Complaints by model year, colored by the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the VN1500 median. Tap a year for its full report.

'96'97'98'99'00'01'02
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2002Not rated–/1001 complaint · 0 recalls2001Not rated–/1003 complaints · 0 recalls2000Not rated–/1002 complaints · 0 recalls1999Not rated–/1002 complaints · 1 recall1998Not rated–/1001 complaint · 0 recalls1997Not rated–/1002 complaints · 2 recalls1996Not rated–/1001 complaint · 1 recall
Complaints by system

Most common Kawasaki VN1500 problems

All model years combined: 12 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Power train30
Engine and engine cooling31
Tires20
Visibility10
Service brakes, hydraulic10
Electrical system10
3 recalls

Kawasaki VN1500 recalls

Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.

–Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system99V-067 · 1999 · Apr 6, 1999 · 2,779 vehicles–Power train: manual transmission97V-233 · 1997 · Dec 16, 1997 · 544 vehicles–12v/24v/48v battery: cables97V-007 · 1996–1997 · Jan 15, 1997 · 5,208 vehicles