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Vehicle safety record

2014 Yamaha Bolt Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 82 complaints about the 2014 Yamaha Bolt with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system (56) and the acceleration & cruise control (23). It is covered by 1 recall, the latest in July 2013 for the electrical system. For comparison, the 2015 has 4.

NHTSA data checked

Rated once enough Bolt years are on file

#116 most complained-about 2014 vehicle

Complaints
82
Recalls
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Most common 2014 Yamaha Bolt problems

Share of all 82 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2014 Yamaha Bolt 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

Electrical system

13V2980003,900 vehicles affected

The problem
Yamaha Motor Company (Yamaha) is recalling certain model year 2014 XVS950CU (Bolt) motorcycles manufactured March 2013 through June 2013. Slack or sag in the wiring harness may allow it to contact the exhaust manifold causing the wires to melt, and possibly short circuit.
The risk
If the wires short circuit, the fuses will blow which may cause the engine to stall. An engine stall while riding, increases the risk of a crash.
The fix
Yamaha will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiring harness and secure it away from the exhaust. If the wiring harness is damaged, it will first be replaced. The recall began on August 2, 2013. Owners may contact Yamaha at 1-800-962-7926.

What owners say

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82 complaints about the 2014 Yamaha Bolt

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 4.

LightsVisibility & wipers

Vehicle meter is dangerously dim. Not visible during daylight due to glare. Only 2014 yamaha bolt models encounter this issue. The speed can not be determined while riding nor any other information displayed on the meter.

Filed Incident Exterior lighting · Unknown or other · Visibility / wiperNHTSA 11414546
Steering

Death wobble- steering instability at 35-45 mph. This could be fixed by the manufacturer by using tapered steering bearings

Filed Incident SteeringNHTSA 11365921
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise control

Speedometer can't be seen when traveling into the sun or any time the sun is at the wrong angle that it creates a non readable display, which happens to be almost any time the sun is out. This is a safety hazard not being able to read your speed as well as possibly causing speeding tickets. This issue needs to be addressed by the manufacture with a recall. Seriously issue.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11128017
Lights

Speedometer can't be seen when traveling into the sun or any time the sun is at the wrong angle that it creates a non readable display, which happens to be almost any time the sun is out. This is a safety hazard not being able to read your speed as well as possibly causing speeding tickets.

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 10967154
Steering

My concern is the death wobble the bike has when at speeds around 45 mph.

Filed Incident SteeringNHTSA 10947988
Acceleration & cruise control

During the day or when the sun is bright I can not see the speedometer reading. Its digital and there isn't much contrast so I cant see how fast I am going. This is a safety hazard and should be recalled. This can cause me to check my speed for longer periods of time and can cause a speeding violation or accident. This happens when in motion or stationary, its too dim.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10939106
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise control

Bike speedometer has an issue where the speed display is way too dim to see in sunlight. In the right sunlight position, it is completely black and impossible to read without literally putting your head inches from it and looking at it far too long to try to make anything out. This is dangerous while in motion for obvious reasons. This happens on every ride for me at multiple points depending on where the sun is. Even when I can see the numbers, it's still too dim for just a quick glance. There must be some...

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badly engineered polarized lens in there. This is poor design and a safety hazard just to get a "blacked out" look. By 2015 yamaha knows this which is why it's fixed from 2015 models on. Some guys are even buying 2015 speedometers to install on the 2014 bike to fix this. A speeding ticket is the least of my worries, this is my life and a gamble every time I ride.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10938974
Acceleration & cruise control

While driving my 2014 yamaha bolt r spec, the speedometer does not illuminate at night and is nearly impossible to read during sunny daylight hours. This causes the driver to take his or her eyes off of the road for an extended period of time in attempt to read the speedometer to remain at the posted speed limit. This increases the chances of a motor vehicle accident which could lead to serious bodily injury or death. The newer model bolt (2015-present) has fixed this issue however yamaha has not issued a recall or reached out to the 2014 bolt owners to provide them with the opportunity to replace the poor manufactured speedometer.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10896490
Lights

When riding the yamaha bolt towards the sun, the speedometer is impossible to read. Because of the positioning of the speedometer, and the graphic interface that is used, it is impossible to read. This has caused me great difficulty while riding. If I cannot read my speed accurately, I have no idea of my rate of travel. This is a safety issue and poses risk to myself, my property, and those surrounding me. This specifically happens while in motion, riding towards the sun.

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 10854603
Electrical system

At certain times of the day the speedometer is next to impossible to read to to the sun shining on to it . It takes your eyes off the road and you sometimes have to use your hand to cover the speedometer to see the numbers with in itself is unsafe when riding a motorcycle which could cause a accident.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 10851693
Other & unknown

During daylight hours the speedometer is almost impossible to read. In certain conditions it is impossible to read. I hope nhtsa will require yamaha to replace all affected speedometers as it is a safety defect that could lead to injury or even death. This has happened since new. It is not a new problem, the motorcycle arrived in this condition. I have talked to yamaha and they are aware of the condition (many complaints) but they are choosing not to fix the problem.

Filed Incident Unknown or otherNHTSA 10837872
Acceleration & cruise control

In bright sunlight, I can not see the speedometer. It is a black circle. Doesn't seem to matter whether the sun is in front or behind me. This is a hazard and should be replaced. This will cause me to get a speeding ticket or, worse, get into a crash because I can not judge my speed.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10811998
Electrical system

Cannot see in direct sunlight, digital display disappears. Failure to see travel speed. Was pulled over for 68mph in a 60mph in the afternoon sun. Only a warning... But next time maybe not so lucky....

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 10810783
Acceleration & cruise control

The speedometer is not visable at all while riding into the sun

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10779533
Visibility & wipers

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 yamaha bolt. The contact stated that the digital odometer was not viewable during the daylight due to a glare. As a result, the speed was not monitored while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the odometer needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. The vin was not available.

Filed Incident Visibility / wiperNHTSA 10763590
Acceleration & cruise control

The speedometer is not bright enough to provide current speed in daylight conditions and creates an inability to know your current speed.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10747456
Body, doors & structureElectrical system

When riding in bright daylight it was hard to see my driving speed. I would have to remove one hand from handlebars to shade the speedometer to be able to see, giving me less control. It caused me to be unable to tell how fast I was going and if I was in compliance with posted speed limits. Updated 09/17/15*lj

Filed Incident Structure · Electrical systemNHTSA 10733341
Acceleration & cruise control

Shortly after purchasing my motorcycle I noticed that when it is bright outside I can not read my speedometer. There is a big black circle with no way for me to see how fast I am going. I have attempted to lean forward, change body positions and cover the speedometer with my hand to see it and it is impossible to see even from a few inches away from it. This poses a huge safety concern. To my knowledge all vehicles are required to have a working speedometer and this motorcycle's speedometer only works part of...

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the time. I do not feel safe riding in the hills when it's a bright day as there are numerous curves that require you to slow down from 45 or 50 mph to less than 30 mph to safely navigate the curves. It is extremely easy to misjudge your speed for these curves because you can't see the speedometer. I have came close to crashing a couple times and other times I about got ran over because I slowed down to much. This problem needs to be corrected.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10731364
Acceleration & cruise control

The speedometer screen is unreadable and is a hazard.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10730752
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise control

While riding the yamaha bolt during the daytime it is nearly impossible to read the speedometer due to glare. I do not know if it is due to the glass over the lcd itself, but unless I take my eyes off of the road and cover the glass with my hand I cannot get an accurate view of my speed. This leaves me vulnerable to accidents, speeding tickets and many other situations that are due to this distraction. I hope yamaha will address this issue in the very near future.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10730328
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise control

The speedometer is unreadable in most daylight situations. The glass plate over the digital readout is too dark and reflective. All one can see during most day riding is glare or a black pane. It is almost impossible to tell what speed the motorcycle is going since the speedometer is unreadable. One cannot judge if they have slowed to required speeds in marked "reduced speed" areas such as construction and dangerous curves. One cannot know if they are entering traffic at a safe speed or exceeding the speed...

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limits posted. Turn signal flasher is not visible in daylight, making it impossible for the drive to know if his turn signal is on or off. Warning lights are not visible in daylight, making it impossible for the driver to respond to any potential mechanical emergency shown by lights.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed control · Unknown or otherNHTSA 10726955
Acceleration & cruise control

Depending on the time of the day the position of the sun the speedometer becomes unreadable. Which has caused me to drive over the speed limit which has almost caused accidents. Also I have been fortunate enough not to have gotten arrested because of this issue, but often I have found myself speeding excessively when I couldn't see my speedometer due to sunlight. I only realized my speed when the sunlight was blocked. Moving my head and shifting my stance does not help the situation one bit. The product is defective and yamaha keeps putting it out. Consumers are buying the product because they are non the wiser. Please help stop the production of this speedometer before there is real injury.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · Unknown or otherNHTSA 10726367
Acceleration & cruise control

2014 Yamaha bolt r-spec (xv950r). The digital speedometer visibility is extremely poor during the daytime in almost all but perfect conditions and makes determining speed a major issue. At night it is visible due to it's back light and really is the only time it can be seen at all angles all the time.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10724661
Electrical system

Speedometer is unreadable when the sun is at certain angles. *Tr

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 10714166
Electrical system

The speedometer becomes impossible to read when the sun is shining on it at certain angles, making it unclear to the rider what speed the bike is currently going. This is a danger to road safety, a possibility of getting a ticket, and a nuisance. Yamaha has been unhelpful and uncooperative when approached via email and telephone. The better business bureau was also an unsuccessful avenue to file a complaint. *Tr

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 10714102

Yamaha Bolt: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
20154000Steering-
201482100Electrical system-
All Bolt years

2014 Yamaha Bolt 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 2014 Yamaha Bolt

Does the 2014 Yamaha Bolt have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2014 Yamaha Bolt: electrical system (July 2013). 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 2014 Yamaha Bolt?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the electrical system (56), acceleration & cruise control (23), lights (7).

How many complaints has the 2014 Yamaha Bolt had?

82 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on May 28, 2013 and the latest on April 30, 2021. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.

Which Yamaha Bolt years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2014 Yamaha Bolt 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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