Suzuki VL1500 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 33 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the Suzuki VL1500 (2004–2008) that have at least 5 complaints. 2005 has the most, with 13. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (13 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All VL1500 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 5 | 12,300 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2007 | 9 | 17,500 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 2005 | 13 | 3,150 | 1 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 2004 | 6 | 3,500 | 1 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system13 33%
- Fuel system8 20%
- Steering6 15%
- Suspension3 7.5%
- Body and structure3 7.5%
- Engine3 7.5%
- Vehicle speed control2 5.0%
- Brakes2 5.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2005: “Note: vehicle is not a VL1500, it is a Suzuki burgman 650 motorscooter which was not a choice on your dropdown models. Speedometer is completely inaccurate on my brand new 2005 Suzuki burgman 650 motorscooter. While driving my motorscooter, I cannot get an accurate reading on whether I'm going too fast or too slow. Sometimes this speedometer is at least 20 MPH faster than what I am traveling. …”
NHTSA complaint #10133619, filed 2005-08, 1 miles2007: “Driving south on us45, north of oshkosh, wi. Motorcycle unexpectedly and without warning lost all engine power. Coasted to side of road while avoiding highway traffic. Waited with vehicle at roadside for 1.5 hours until a tow truck arrived. My personal safety was in jeopardy as I maneuvered through highway traffic to the roadside; I was also exposed to dangerous highway traffic as I awaited a tow truck for my disabled motorcycle. Authorized service center identified the root cause of the incident as a failed stator. …”
NHTSA complaint #10427102, filed 2011-09, 17,500 miles2008: “The stator has failed three times in the last 5000 miles leaving my stranded two times and the regulator/rectifier has failed twice the the current failure resulted in a fire under the seat!!!! I was able to pull over and extinguish the flames...I have spent $1500 in replacement parts for this motorcycle and am very lucky to have escaped major disaster or injury. This problem must be addressed! What would have happened if the fire burned into the gas tank??? Not something I want to thing about. Suzuki must be made to fix the charging system of the c90 product line!!”
NHTSA complaint #10425809, filed 2011-09, 31,500 milesOther Suzuki models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology