2003 Yamaha MIDNIGHT STAR: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
17 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
14,850 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: . 4 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train:Manual Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 15 of 17 complaints (88.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 11 | 64.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | 15 |
| Electrical System:Starter Assembly | 1 |
| Structure:Frame And Members:Underbody Shields | 1 |
Power Train:Manual Transmission: 15; Electrical System:Starter Assembly: 1; Structure:Frame And Members:Underbody Shields: 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 | 3 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 13 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 |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 14 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 |
2004: 14; 2005: 1; 2006: 1; 2007: 1
Pattern summary
Power Train:Manual Transmission leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 11 complaint narratives. 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 10055182 · 2004-01-29 (January 29, 2004)
THIS COMPLAINT INVOLVES THE RECALL OF THE ROAD STAR MOTORCYCLE FOR A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. ACCORDING TO THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION, THE RECALL DATE WAS AUG 22, 2003. THE LETTER RECEIVED ADVISING OF THE RECALL WAS DATED JAN 9, 2004, WITH THE INSTRUCTION THAT THE MC WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN. WHEN CALLED, NO PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AND REPAIR COULD BE UP TO 3 MONTHS, DEPRIVING RIDERS FROM SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION. DID THEY LEAVE US IN DANGER FROM AUGUST TO MID JANUARY? ALSO, WHY DID THEY NOT OBTAIN SUFFICIENT…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10055182 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10057378 · 2004-02-02 (February 2, 2004)
THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT RECALL 03V309000 SUBJECT: REAR WHEEL LOCK UP, BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE DEALER ALSO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE SHOWROOM MOTOR CYCLES WOULD BE FIXED BEFORE ANY OTHER MOTOR CYCLES. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO INDICATED THAT THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE IN ONE TO THREE MONTHS. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10057378 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10057657 · 2004-03-03 (March 3, 2004)
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 03V309000 CONCERNING MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CONSUMER RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE ON 1/30/2004. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS, AND HAD NO INFORMATION ON WHEN THE PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. DEALER HAD A WAITING LIST WITH ABOUT THIRTY CONSUMERS. ALSO, THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE PARTS HAVE NOT ARRIVED FROM JAPAN. *AK *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10057657 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10058265 · 2004-02-16 (February 16, 2004)
INABILITY OF MANUFACTURER TO RESPOND TO NHTSA MANDATED RECALL OF 2003 YAMAHA MIDNIGHT STAR MOTORCYCLE IN A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME. RECALL LETTER ISSUED BY YAMAHA CORPORATION ON JANUARY 9, 2004 FOR RECALL OF 2003 YAMAHA MIDNIGHT STAR MOTORCYCLE DUE TO FAULTY TRANSMISSION RETAINING CLIP WHICH COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION AND REAR WHEEL LOCKUP WHICH "COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH". ADVISED IN RECALL LETTER TO "NOT RIDE YOUR MOTORCYCLE UNTIL THIS MODIFICATION IS PERFORMED." TO DATE THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED WITH PARTS…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10058265 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10058575 · 2004-02-20 (February 20, 2004)
THIS COMPLAINT RELATES TO YAMAHA'S FAILURE TO PERFORM RECALL REPAIRS TO A 2003 YAMAHA MIDNIGHT STAR (MOTORCYCLE) (SUBJECT TO A RECALL IDENTIFIED BY NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NO. 03V309000) WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME AFTER DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE FOR THOSE REPAIRS. THE RECALL WAS INITIATED ON AUGUST 22, 2003 FOR A RECALL INVOLVING THE VERY REAL RISK OF DEATH OR SERIOUS BODILY INJURY, YET WRITTEN NOTICE WAS NOT SENT OUT UNTIL MID-JANUARY, 2004. EVEN AFTER NOTICE WAS SENT OUT, HOWEVER, YAMAHA HAS NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY THE REQUIRED RECALL. DESPITE IMMEDIATE…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10058575 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10058628 · 2004-02-21 (February 21, 2004)
ON JANUARY 9, 2004, YAMAHA NOTIFIED ME MY 2003 MIDNIGHT STAR WAS UNDER RECALL AND NOT TO OPERATE IT UNTIL REPAIRED. THE DEFECT COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED MY NEAREST DEALER WHO TOLD ME THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT HAD NO PARTS TO REPAIR. I ALSO CONTACTED THE OUT OF STATE DEALER WHO SOLD ME THE MOTORCYCLE AND THEY ADVISED THE SAME. I HAVE REPEATEDLY CONTACTED BOTH DEALERS FOR STATUS UPDATES. NEITHER HAS REPAIR KITS AND YAMAHA WILL NOT TELL THEM WHEN THEY WILL ARRIVE. THE REPAIR IS GOING TO AMO…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10058628 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10058726 · 2004-02-23 (February 23, 2004)
YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE MIDNIGHT STAR RECALL FOR TANSMISSION. THE YAMAHA CORPERATION HAS NOT BEEN ANY HELP WHAT SO EVER IN ASSISTING WITH TIMELY REPAIRS, OR FORTHCOMMING WITH ANY INFORMATION WHAT SO EVER. ALL THAT THEY CAN TELL ANYONE IS THAT THEY HAVE KNOW IDEA WHEN PARTS MAY BE AVAILABLE. THIS IS INEXCUSEABLE FROM SUCH A LARGE CORPORATION. THEY HAVE TOLD US NOT TO RIDE BUT OFFER NO RESOLVE FOR THOSE OF US THAT DEPEND ON OUR VEHICAL FOR DAILY USE. THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT I MUST FIND A WAY TO GET IT TO THEM, AS THEY DO NOT OFFER TOWING, AND THEY ARE …
Owner-reported narrative. 6,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10058726 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10058961 · 2004-02-25 (February 25, 2004)
I BOUGHT A NEW 2003 YAMAHA ROAD STAR MOTORCYCLE FROM HATTIESBURG CYCLES IN HATTIESBURG MISSISSIPPI ON 3 JANUARY 2004. I WAS NOTIFIED 13 JANUARY 2004 OF A RECALL INVOLVING EXTENSIVE REPAIRS TO THE TRANSMISSION AND TOLD NOT TO OPERATE THE MOTORCYCLE UNTIL THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY A FAILURE IN WHICH THE REAR WHEEL COULD LOCK-UP CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. SINCE BEING NOTIFIED (6 WEEKS NOW) MY MOTORCYCLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND THE DEALER OR YAMAHA CUSTOMER SERVICE IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH AN ESTIMATED DATE WHEN THE REPAIR…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10058961 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.
03V309000 · Power Train:Manual Transmission
Reported: 2003-08-26 (August 26, 2003)
IN THE TRANSMISSION ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE SECOND/THIRD PINION GEAR MAY BE INCORRECTLY MACHINED WHICH COULD CAUSE ABNORMAL WEAR THAT EVENTUALLY RESULTS IN A BROKEN RETAINER CIRCLIP.
Consequence: IF THE CIRCLIP BREAKS, THE TRANSMISSION COULD LOCK UP, WHICH WOULD ALSO CAUSE THE REAR WHEEL TO LOCK UP. THIS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
Remedy: YAMAHA WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION GEARS AND SHAFTS WITH NEW ONES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT YAMAHA AT 1-800-88-YAMAHA OR VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT WWW.YAMAHA-MOTOR.COM.
NHTSA campaign record ↗