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2004 Buell Xb12s Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

10 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious03V494000

Electrical System:Horn

IF THE KEY SWITCH FUSE BLOWS, THE VEHICLE CAN STALL, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND CORRECT THE WIRE ROUTING, IF NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON DECEMBER 23, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BUELL AT 1-414-342-4680.

ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE WIRE THAT PROVIDES POWER TO THE HORN, DUE TO MISROUTING, CAN BECOME FRAYED FROM CONTACT WITH THE HORN BRACKET MOUNTING BOLT. AS A RESULT, THE HORN WIRE MAY BECOME EXPOSED, AND WHEN THE HORN BUTTON IS PUSHED, EITHER THE HORN CIRCUIT FUSE OR THE KEY SWITCH FUSE CAN BLOW.

Complaint volume

10 this model-year 6 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
0Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 10 complaints. Severity Index 0.00.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Exterior Lighting · Headl…5 · 50%Exterior Lighting · Headl…2 · 20%Electrical System · Wiring1 · 10%Electrical System · 12v/2…1 · 10%Electrical System1 · 10%
  1. Exterior Lighting:Headlights — 5 reports
  2. Exterior Lighting:Headlights:Concealment Devices — 2 reports
  3. Electrical System:Wiring — 1 reports
  4. Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery:Cables — 1 reports
  5. Electrical System — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2004 · 2006

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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