Reliability & cost of ownership
Kawasaki Vulcan Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Kawasaki Vulcan? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Kawasaki Vulcan problems by model year
3 recall entries and 34 owner complaints on file across 8 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Vulcan | 1 | 5 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2006 Vulcan | 0 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2005 Vulcan | 0 | 6 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2004 Vulcan | 1 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2003 Vulcan | 1 | 8 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2002 Vulcan | 0 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 Vulcan | 0 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2000 Vulcan | 0 | 5 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Kawasaki Vulcan, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- power train10 complaints
- engine and engine cooling6 complaints
- fuel system5 complaints
- fuel/propulsion system5 complaints
- gasoline4 complaints
- tires3 complaints
- electrical system3 complaints
- engine2 complaints