2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior
On the 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior, the failure owners report most often is other powertrain problem, and the reports cluster around 5,000 miles. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 5,000 miles. Overall it scores 88 out of 100, severe risk for a 2002.
Severe risk for a 2002 — 2nd riskiest of the 328 2002 vehicles we can rate. 86 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What breaks on the 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior
Owners have reported 12 named failure modes on the 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior, and the three most-reported carry 83% of everything filed, so the trouble here is concentrated rather than scattered.
Other powertrain problem leads with 58 reports, about 32 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 2k to 10,000 miles.
Complete transmission failure follows with 10 reports, median 5,000 miles.
Other engine problem follows with 3 reports, median 10,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into transmission (68), fuel (5) and engine (4).
When these failures get reported
32 of the reports on the 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 5,000 miles.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 66% of the dated reports.
100% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 1 a fire. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.36, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, complete transmission failure at $2,800–$8,000, other engine problem at $300–$4,000 and other fuel system problem at $300–$2,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
85% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures, so more than half of what owners complained about here is expensive.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 58 | 16 | 2k | 5k | 10k | 31.9 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 10 | 4 | — | 5k | — | 5.5 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Other engine problem | engine | 3 | 2 | — | 8k | — | 1.7 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 3 | 3 | — | 27k | — | 1.7 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 2 | 1 | — | 750 | — | 1.1 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 2 | 1 | — | 500 | — | 1.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 900 | — | 0.6 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| CV axle or driveshaft failure | drivetrain | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $450–$2,200 | High |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 507 | — | 0.6 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 2k | — | 0.6 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Engine sensor failure | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 20k | — | 0.6 | $180–$900 | Moderate |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 18k | — | 0.6 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.1 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior draws about 47 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 96th percentile of complaint rates among 2002 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 1,817 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2002 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other powertrain problem
Yamaha has not notified me about a dangerous transmission problem. I have been to my dealer 4 times in last month for parts, and they also made no mention of it. I would not know about the transmission if not for a friend at bike night. I since have parked the bike, but yamaha has no idea when the parts are coming, and willl only provide a 90 day warranty on the one part they are replacing, but not the entire engine and transmission which will be taken completly apart to fix the transmission.
The owner received a recall notice (NHTSA recall# 03v 309 000/rear wheel lockup ) from the manufacturer on february 17, 2004. He later contacted the dealer and made numerous calls to yamaha mfr. But could not get any straight answers as to when the parts would be available for repair. *nm
Complete transmission failure
Recall 03v309000 repairs concerning transmission failure were not performed because the replacement parts were on back order for at least 2 months. The motorcycle was not to be driven, per the manufacturer.*ak
Consumer received NHTSA recall letter 03v309000 on december 2003 regarding transmission failure. Dealership did not have the parts available to conduct recall repairs. Dealer was contacted, and indicated that consumer should wait an additional two months. Also, consumer should not to use the motorcycle. *ak
Other engine problem
2002 yamaha roadstar warrior transmission recall (2,995 mi.). My complaints: complaint 1: the parts to affect the repairs are not available to the dealers. No firm timeframe has been given to the dealers, but expectations are that parts will begin to arrive by march, 2004. Dealers expect from 1 to 3 days of work for each motorcycle to be repaired. The waiting list is going to be large and the wait for repairs considerable. I cannot use my motorcycle until the repair is made. I have lost the enjoyment of this product, I am paying for a product that I cannot use, and I am forced to insure a product that I cannot use. Complaint 2: the repairs are being done by mechanics of varying degrees of skill and experience at local dealerships, hence -there is no guarantee of a quality job (no quality assurance check), -there is no warranty on labor, -the engine is "rebuilt" versus "factory built." thus, if my motorcycle is returned to me after the repair and the engine malfunctions, I will be forced to pay for all the repairs. 3. My motorcycle has already suffered loss in value as a result of this recall. I understand I cannot sell this…
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 yamaha road star warrior motorcycle. While driving 70 MPH the check engine light illuminated, the needle on the gauge began swinging back and forth, then the motorcycle shut off. The contact was unable to restart the motorcycle. The vehicle was towed to his residence. The dealer stated that there were no recalls related to the failure; however, the starter was the cause of the failure. The vehicle will be repaired at the owners expense. The contact was only able to restart the motorcycle by using a portable battery. The failure and current mileage was 15000.
Recalls on the 2002 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior, affecting an estimated 2,857 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover power train:manual transmission and fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:mounting. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
29,139 vehicles 2003-08-26- Defect
- In the transmission on certain motorcycles, the second/third pinion gear may be incorrectly machined which could cause abnormal wear that eventually results in a broken retainer circlip.
- Consequence
- If the circlip breaks, the transmission could lock up, which would also cause the rear wheel to lock up. This could result in loss of control and a crash, possibly resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Yamaha will replace the transmission gears and shafts with new ones. Owner notification began on september 9, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact yamaha at 1-800-88-yamaha or visit their website at www.yamaha-motor.com.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING
5,451 vehicles 2002-07-23- Defect
- On certain motorcycles, the fuel tank bracket washer and damper do not adequately protect the tank from engine vibration.
- Consequence
- Over a period of time, vibration might damage the tank which could result in a fuel leak with the possibility of fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel tank bracket washer and damper with ones of a new type. Owner notification began july 10,2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact yamaha at 1-800-88-yamaha (1-800-889-2624).
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2002 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2002 sits in the model line
Severe risk for a 2002 — 2nd riskiest of the 328 2002 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Within the 2002–2004 generation specifically, 2002 is the strongest year at 88 and 2003 the weakest at 89.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
- 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior88
- 2003 Yamaha Road Star Warrior89
- 2004 Yamaha Road Star Warriornot rated
Within the 2002-2004 generation, 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior scores best at 88 and 2003 Yamaha Road Star Warrior worst at 89.
Where to spend the inspection money
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other powertrain problem from about 2k.
On a 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other powertrain problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.
What this page cannot tell you
86 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 86 reports, 32 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 37% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior?
The most-reported failures are other powertrain problem (58 reports, median 5,000 miles), complete transmission failure (10 reports, median 5,000 miles) and other engine problem (3 reports, median 10,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior problems start?
Other powertrain problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 5,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 0 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 5,000 miles.
Is the 2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior reliable?
It scores 88 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 2nd riskiest of the 328 2002 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2002 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Yamaha Road Star Warrior is best?
Within the 2002–2004 generation, 2002 scores best at 88 out of 100 and 2003 worst at 89. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed