CONTINUING PROBLEMS WITH MOTORCYCLE JUMPING OUT OF GEAR ON ACCELERATION AND "FALSE NEUTRALS." THIS PROBLEM IS CONTINUOUS AND START DATE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES ON MOTORCYCLE LAST YEAR.*AK
2000 Suzuki Intruder
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Intruder years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 12 of 18 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
18 reports2000 SUZUKI VL INTRUDER 1500LC: "FALSE NEUTRAL" BETWEEN FOURTH AND FIFTH GEAR CAUSES OVER-REVVING AND SAFETY ISSUES WHEN ENTERING HIGHWAYS, PASSING ETC. ALSO, OCCASIONALLY THE TRANSMISSION WILL POP OUT OF GEAR WHILE JUST RIDING ALONG AT NORMAL IN-TOWN SPEEDS. *NLM
TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF GEAR WHILE UNDER LOAD, ESPECIALLY WHILE TRYING TO PASS VEHICLES. *JB
WHILE RIDING MY 2000 SUZUKI VL 1500 LC MOTORCYCLE, IT HAS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR INTO A "FALSE" NEUTRAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED IN BOTH 4TH AND 5TH GEAR. USUALLY UNDER A LOAD, LIKE PULLING UP A HILL OR WITH A PASSENGER OR BOTH. *NLM
PURCHASED BIKE IN MAY 2002 AND PROBLEM WAS HAPPENING AT THAT TIME AS WELL AS SINCE THEN. AFTER SHIFTING INTO 4TH (AND SOMETIMES 5TH) GEAR, TRANSMISSION WILL "POP" OUT OF GEAR INTO A "PHANTOM NEUTRAL" CONDITION. THIS MAINLY HAPPENS UNDER ACCELERATION BUT CAN HAPPEN DURING CRUISING (SEEMS TO "FALL" OUT OF GEAR). THE LAST TIME T…
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PURCHASED BIKE IN MAY 2002 AND PROBLEM WAS HAPPENING AT THAT TIME AS WELL AS SINCE THEN. AFTER SHIFTING INTO 4TH (AND SOMETIMES 5TH) GEAR, TRANSMISSION WILL "POP" OUT OF GEAR INTO A "PHANTOM NEUTRAL" CONDITION. THIS MAINLY HAPPENS UNDER ACCELERATION BUT CAN HAPPEN DURING CRUISING (SEEMS TO "FALL" OUT OF GEAR). THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS WHILE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH CREATED A VERY TENSE MOMENT DUE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. *NLM
PURCHASED 2000 SUZUKI INTRUDER VL1500 IN MAY 2002 WITH 7000 MILES ON BIKE. PROBLEM BEGAN TO SHOW UP ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. AFTER SHIFTING INTO 4TH GEAR, TRANSMISSION WILL INTERMITTENTLY POP OUT OF GEAR, USUALLY UNDER ACCELERATION BUT SOMETIMES AT CRUISE, CAUSING A "FALSE NEUTRAL" SITUATION. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS WHILE…
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PURCHASED 2000 SUZUKI INTRUDER VL1500 IN MAY 2002 WITH 7000 MILES ON BIKE. PROBLEM BEGAN TO SHOW UP ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. AFTER SHIFTING INTO 4TH GEAR, TRANSMISSION WILL INTERMITTENTLY POP OUT OF GEAR, USUALLY UNDER ACCELERATION BUT SOMETIMES AT CRUISE, CAUSING A "FALSE NEUTRAL" SITUATION. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH CREATED AN EXTREMELY SCARY SITUATION DUE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. *NLM
THE VEHICLE SLIPS OUT OF 4TH AND 5TH GEARS UNDER POWER, IE: PASSING, NEGOTIATING TIGHT TURNS, AND CLIMBING HILLS. WE KNOW THIS TO BE A PROBLEM ON AT LEAST ONE OTHER MOTORCYLE OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL, WITH APPROXIMATELY THE SAME MILES.
REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP ON REAR TIRES THREE TIMES.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
Illustration