Reliability & cost of ownership
Buell S2 Thunderbolt Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Buell S2 Thunderbolt? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Buell S2 Thunderbolt problems by model year
12 recall entries and 4 owner complaints on file across 2 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 S2 Thunderbolt | 4 | 1 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1995 S2 Thunderbolt | 8 | 3 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Buell S2 Thunderbolt, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- fuel system, gasoline3 complaints
- unknown or other1 complaint
- steering1 complaint
- suspension1 complaint