Engine Failure: Yamaha Says Do Not Ride Certain XMAX Scooters In US

On affected Yamaha XMAX units, the camshaft could come loose and potentially cause an unexpected engine stall while a rider is operating the vehicle.

By: Janaki Jitchotvisut

Nov 29, 2025 at 7:20am ET

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Yamaha Motor Corporation USA is instructing owners of 2018 through 2022 Yamaha XMAX scooters to immediately stop riding them due to a potential issue that could result in the engine stalling unexpectedly. This could, in turn result in an increased risk of crash and/or injury until the issue is remedied through service at your local authorized Yamaha dealer.

What's the issue? In some affected XMAX units, the camshaft retainer plate may not keep the retainer bolt where it should. This could, in turn, lead to a loose camshaft, which could potentially result in an engine stall. Yamaha's safety recall report even goes so far as to note that this could increase the risk of a loss of control of the scooter, as well as "a crash with severe injury or death."

According to the company's records, approximately 2,715 units could be affected, which represents around 30% of the population. There are some potential warning signs that owners may notice ahead of time, including the engine making strange noises, performing poorly, and possibly exhibiting hard starting. If left untreated, this could progress to engine stalling. Yamaha's recall report lists eight separate parts that may be involved in this recall, including the camshaft retainer plate, several gaskets, an o-ring, and more.

The replacement camshaft retainer plate has a slightly different design and is also marked differently so that technicians can easily differentiate between it and the unit addressed by this recall. So far, Yamaha has not determined a specific affected VIN range, but plans to update that information as soon as possible. The company also notes that it plans to maintain a repair campaign to address this issue for around the next 15 years or so, or until all affected units are repaired.

Yamaha USA's plan, as announced to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, involves dealer notification between November 20 and 24, 2025. That date range is also when Yamaha USA stated that it intended to notify affected owners between those dates, as well.

Yamaha's recall number for this campaign is 990184, and owners can contact Yamaha Customer Service in the US at 1-800-962-7926. Additionally, owners may contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline regarding campaign 25V778 at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-888-275-9171) or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

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