2003 Kawasaki VN1500-L4: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
2 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
127,920 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 2 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
| Tires | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Tires: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 1
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
2006: 1; 2013: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling leads the component reports. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10171980 · 2006-10-27 (October 27, 2006)
KAWASAKI'S UNLIMITED MILEAGE WARRANTY IS A RIPOFF! I OWN A 2003 KAWASAKI NOMAD MOTORCYCLE WITH 170,345 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND MY EXTENDED "UNLIMITED MILEAGE" WARRANTY EXPIRES ON 8/19/2008. ON 9-25-06, I NOTICED A MAJOR OIL LEAK COMING FROM A HOLE IN THE LEFT SIDE #1 CYLINDER SPARK PLUG SLEEVE. ON 9-27-06, I TOOK MY BIKE (BY TRAILER) TO MY DEALER IN ORDER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. ON 10-14-06, I WAS NOTIFIED BY MY DEALER (WHO WAS EAGER TO REPAIR THE BIKE) THAT KAWASAKI WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE WARRANTY WORK TO BE DONE BECAUSE OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEA…
Owner-reported narrative. 170,345 miles reported. Look up ODI 10171980 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10544861 · 2013-09-22 (September 22, 2013)
THE RUBBER ON MY REAR TIRE (160/80 B 16 M/C 75H) BROKE AT THE TREAD GROVES AND SEPARATED FROM THE CASING, CAUSING THE TIRE TO GO FLAT. FORTUNATELY THE BIKE WAS PARKED WHEN THE TIRE WENT FLAT. THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT I HAVE HAD WITH THIS BRAND AND MODEL. THE FIRST THE SIDEWALL HAD SEPARATED RESULTING IN A LARGE BULGE. IT ALSO WENT FLAT WHILE PARKED. TIRE PRESSURES ARE CHECKED ONCE PER WEEK AND BEFORE ANY LONG TRIP. PRESSURE IS MAINTAINED AT 40PSI PER MANUF. SPEC
Owner-reported narrative. 85,495 miles reported. Look up ODI 10544861 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
04V023000 · Engine And Engine Cooling
Reported: 2004-01-12 (January 12, 2004)
ON CERTAIN 2003 VULCAN 1500 CLASSIC, 1500 DRIFTER, 2003-2004 1500 MEAN STREAK, 2003 1600 CLASSIC, AND 2003-2004 NOMAD FL MODEL MOTORCYCLES, HIGH OIL PRESSURE UPON A COLD START-UP CAN DEFORM THE OIL FILTER CARTRIDGE.
Consequence: THIS COULD CAUSE OIL TO LEAK FROM THE OIL FILTER, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE OIL FILTER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 2, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT KAWASAKI AT 1-949-770-0400.
NHTSA campaign record ↗