2004 Buell XB12S Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other XB12S years
- Not enough data 1st of 3 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Buell XB12S. That is the most of any XB12S model year in the database (3 years). The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (5 complaints, 71%), typically at around 4,650 miles. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 7owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Buell XB12S problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 71% | 4,650 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 29% | 22,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Buell XB12S recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:horn
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the key switch fuse blows, the vehicle can stall, which could result in a crash. If the horn fuse blows, there will be a loss of power to the horn and rear brake light.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
2004 buell xb12r. Poor lighting due to deterioration of inside reflector. *tr
Headlights become dimmer and dimmer, bulbs ok, chrome finish on inside of headlight housings comes off so bulbs do not reflect making night driving dangerous. Buell chat sites confirm others with xbr models having same failures. *jb
Headlight on buell motorcycles "r" models (2004 to current year) degrades over time. The reflective coating material in the headlight housing degrades and turns to powder and causes the headlight to be un-useful. The degrade is cause by heat from the headlight. Failure isn't corrected as of today…
The coating on the inside of my headlight housing is falling off, drastically decreasing light output. I had them replaced under warranty once for this on 11/18/05, with 23870 miles on the bike. I am now hardly able to see at night again and i am sure that people can't see me as well either. *jb
Silver coating on headlights deteriorates rapidly causing poor illumination and unsafe night time driving and reducing the motorcycles visibility during the day. I am sure the light output is far below dot standards vehicle is an xb12r firebolt, not an xb12s. The xb12r was not listed as an option…
Other Buell XB12S years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 XB12S | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 XB12S | 0 | 1 |
| 2004 | 7 | 1 |
See all Buell XB12S problems by year, every Buell model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Buell models
Embed this 2004 Buell XB12S badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Buell XB12S?
Owners most often report exterior lighting, electrical system problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Buell XB12S?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Buell XB12S a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other XB12S model years, the 2004 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.