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2010 Triumph Thunderbird Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 7 complaints about the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird with NHTSA, most often about the acceleration & cruise control (3) and the fuel system (2). It is covered by 1 recall, the latest in May 2011 for the equipment.

NHTSA data checked

FFar more problems than a typical Thunderbird year, for its age

#263 most complained-about 2010 vehicle

Complaints
7
Recalls
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Most common 2010 Triumph Thunderbird problems

Share of all 7 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2010 Triumph Thunderbird recalls 1

Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do

Equipment

11V2770001,955 vehicles affected

The problem
Triumph is recalling certain model year 2010 thunderbird and thunderbird abs motorcycles manufactured from september 2009 through august 2010. These motorcycles were built with an incompatible thread locker/screw combination at the front fender mounting.
The risk
The screws may work loose and the screw heads can contact the side wall of the front tire, leading to tire deflation, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Dealers will install new screws, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during june 2011. Owners may contact triumph customer service department at 1-678-539-8782.

What owners say

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7 complaints about the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.

Suspension

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 triumph thunderbird. The contact stated that the motorcycle made an abnormal noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the alignment needed to be readjusted. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

Filed Incident SuspensionNHTSA 10904622
Acceleration & cruise control

Turning right from a side street onto a major road, I began accelerating and the throttle became inoperative, snapping immediately back to idle speed. Subsequent turning of the throttle grip had no effect. There was traffic on the major road that fortunately was able to slow down in response to my unexpected and sudden loss of speed. The attachment for the throttle cable snapped off of the throttle grip assembly. My grips were authentic oem triumph accessories - heated grips. Apparently, this is a not an...

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infrequent failure. Triumph has superseded the original accessory kit with a later part number, but could not tell me if the supersession involved a material or design change for the throttle grip assembly. The throttle operated perfectly and then failed without any warning. There was no excessive freeplay in the throttle linkage, nor did it bind in any way prior to the failure.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10873654
Engine & coolingFuel system

This happens when shutting the throttle off to make a corner or a stop light, or to adjust speed in traffic. The engine backfires through the intake of the throttle bodies and the airbox under the vehicle seat and dies. There is no warning this is about to happen and the engines dies and you are stranded in traffic while you coast to a stop, find neutral and the engine usually starts as nothing has happened and runs normally until the next time. *Tr

Filed Incident Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 10691366
Acceleration & cruise controlFuel system

While traveling down a long steep incline at approximately 40 mph,and down shifting to slow the motorcycle,the motor stack fired thru the throttle bodies and quit for no apparent reason. As luck had it,there was no traffic on the road at the time. However,if I had to accelerate at that instant to avoid another vehicle,it would have created a tense situation to say the least. When I got close enough to the bottom of the hill,i let the clutch out to restart the motor while the machine was still moving and was...

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successful. All was well after that and the problem hasn't occurred since. This was the first time that this has happened, but gives you a little rush as far as control of the vehicle goes. I understand others who own the same motorcycle are having the same problem. *Tr

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 10648460
Acceleration & cruise control

I was driving my 2010 triumph thunderbird motorcycle to work and the assembly that attaches the throttle cable to the throttle grip froze. I had not throttle control and had to coast the bike to a safe stop on the left shoulder of a highway. This was the second time in a year that this has happened. This is a known issue of the factory heated grips. After repeated heating, they get brittle and the attachment to the throttle cable breaks. This is the second time this has happened to me in a year. What was...

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particularly scary about this incident is that my throttle was stuck in the "open" position and I had to twist the grip really hard to get it unstuck, which broke the assembly. Thankfully I was able to pull over safely. The first time this happened, triumph replaced this under warranty. The second time, they covered the costs as well for customer goodwill, for which I am grateful. In reading the triumph forums, it is common for this assembly to break. I'm attaching a link to the relevant forum article here. Http://www.Triumphrat.Net/thunderbird-cruiser-chat/183312-busted-throttle.Html please investigate this as this is a very dangerous design flaw and could lead to significant injury or death. *Tr

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10504318
BrakesElectrical system

The rear brakes on my 2010 triumph thunderbird began making noise. I took the bike into the dealer and apparently the brake pads are worn to nothing and the rotor is worn to the point of having to be replaced. The bike only has 4000 miles on it and the first scheduled maintenance check on the brakes is 6000 miles. In addition to this issue, the speedometer on the bike has stuck 3 times but the dealer has not been able to witness this issue and so they will not replace the speedometer. It will sometimes show a...

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much slower speed than actually traveling and at other times has shown a much higher speed than is actually being traveled (e.G. Shows 30 mph when doing 55 and shows 100 mph when doing 60). Usually clears when motorcycle is turned off. *Tr

Filed Incident Service brakes, hydraulic · Electrical systemNHTSA 10422536
Equipment & accessories

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 triumph thunderbird motorcycle. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 11v277000 (equipment) and the dealer was contacted. The dealer advised that the part needed for repairs was not readily available. The contact stated that the recall had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for anticipated repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 3,400. Updated 09/15/11 *bf updated 11/28/11

Filed Incident EquipmentNHTSA 10412381

Triumph Thunderbird: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
20142100Engine & coolingC
20134000Engine & coolingC
20121100Acceleration & cruise controlC
20107100Acceleration & cruise controlF
All Thunderbird years

2010 Triumph Thunderbird vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird

Does the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird: equipment (May 2011). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the acceleration & cruise control (3), fuel system (2), equipment & accessories (1).

How many complaints has the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird had?

7 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on July 15, 2011 and the latest on September 8, 2016. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2010 Triumph Thunderbird a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 20 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Triumph Thunderbird year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Triumph Thunderbird years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2010 Triumph Thunderbird has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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