Most Common Problems With Yamaha Kodiak 700

The 2022 version of the Yamaha Kodiak 700 will give you comfort during all-day offroad rides. Yes, Yamaha defines this ATV as the symbol of performance and value. Almost any ATV enthusiast would like to have his hands on the Yamaha Kodiak 700.   

The Yamaha Kodiak 700 is a reliable and durable quad. With its durable frame, it can withstand harsh conditions and aggressive riding. But it is not perfect in every aspect. Many owners have encountered issues with the quad. And we will talk about the most common problems with the Yamaha Kodiak 700 in this article.

Common Problems of Yamaha Kodiak 700:

You definitely want to find out the most common problems of the Yamaha Kodiak 700 before going to buy it, right? If that is so, you should stick to this article at the very end.   

The Overheating Issue with the Engine

Being a one-cylinder quad, the Yamaha Kodiak 700 may create more noise than two-cylinder quads. Hence, this can be a major issue for many. Not only does it create sounds but also produces less power. It has a 686cc liquid-cooled SOHC 4-stroke engine. The power may seem adequate. But many would want a little more power while hitting rough trails.

However, neither power nor noise is more bothersome than its overheating problem. The Yamaha Kodiak 700 may get overheated from time to time. If you experience such an issue, you can either add a radiator or an extra muffler to the rear rack of the ATV to solve this.     

Dust and Dirt Can Penetrate the Filter

The filter is not capable of blocking dust or dirt completely. At least it is not our opinion, it is reported by many owners of the Yamaha Kodiak 700. They said – dust, sand, dirt can easily get through the air filter. When there is too much dirt jammed up, it can damage the internal parts of the engine like pistons, valves, cylinder walls, and etc. 

All these will eventually result in poor engine performance, excessive oil consumption, and engine failure. A common solution to this problem will be applying filter grease around the outer edges. After that, securely place the filter in position. This will prevent the debris from passing through the filter better than before. Also, check the airbox frequently if you often ride in dusty conditions.    

Smokes on Startup

Not just smoke, in the beginning, ATV may not turn on. Hence, this is a common problem across all Yamaha Kodiak 700 models. If you are unlucky, you may notice smoke coming out when you start Yamaha Kodiak 700. Hence, this issue might be caused for having defective valves. 

The best way to solve this issue will be to take the ATV to a Yamaha dealer and let them diagnose it. Otherwise, you can also check the clearance level of the engine valve to see if it actually needs any reconciliation.

Sometimes, the engine may not start due to this smoke problem. In any case, you will need the following tools if you decide to fix the problems by yourself – 

• Phillips screwdriver
• 4 mm Allen
• 10- and 12-mm sockets
• Test lead kit
• Volt/OHM meter       

Difficult to Start in Cold Weather

Owners of 2016 and more recent Yamaha Kodiak models have reported that the engine will not start in cold weather, despite the electric starting system working properly. Sometimes, the decompression spring got broken while manufacturing. This is the main culprit of this problem. The best solution to this problem is to contact a nearby Yamaha dealer immediately.

In July 2016, Yamaha ordered the owners of the damaged Kodiak and Grizzly units to withdraw and advised them to contact their Yamaha dealer to resolve the issue so that they could return the defective part and replace it with a high-quality decompression spring.  

Poor Acceleration

The poor air filter design of the Yamaha Kodiak 700 deprives its engine. The result is – poor performance during acceleration. Furthermore, if the air filter gets stuck, it will not allow enough air to enter the intake or combustion chamber of the engine. Eventually, accelerating the ATV will be hard for an overly rich mixture of air and fuel. 

In addition, poor acceleration may also occur when bad gas gets blocked. This can make the engine run erratically, which will result in poor acceleration.

Problems in Steering

You can consider this as an impulsive issue. This issue may not be found anymore as it was seen on specific models of the Yamaha Kodiak 700 for specific years. This particular issue was seen in the Kodiaks that were made in the year 2008, 2009, and 2010. So this is the least of your worries.

However, the problem is quite serious if you measure the impact. Riders would lose control of the ATV for crash hazards when there is a defect in the steering column support. We guess changing the support assembly was the only solution to this problem.  

Makes Noise in 2WD or 4WD

Unless your Yamaha Kodiak 700 goes into some modification, you don’t need to worry about this issue. A poor modification sometimes loosens the bearings and axles. As a result, you will hear a clunking noise when you gas on the Yamaha Kodiak 700 hard. 

Whether your ATV is in 2WD or 4WD mode, noise may come from a snapped axle; at least this is from initial speculation. However, you may blame it’s a fault in transmission instead of finding the real reason. Therefore, disconnect the driveshaft first before pinpointing the exact cause.   

General Pros and Cons of Yamaha Kodiak 700

Okay! Now let’s check out the general pros and cons of the Yamaha Kodiak 700

Watch the following video to know more about the ins and outs of the Yamaha Kodiak 700 –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-olvXSHUOA8

Quote Reviews:

Most users of the Yamaha Kodiak 700 found no issues and they are quite happy with it. We asked for some suggestions to buy the Yamaha Kodiak 700. Most of the reviews were positives. One owner said – 

“Yes, I have 2016 I bought new in 2015. Not a lot of hours on it but I have used it for some food plotting and for what you have described with no issues.”  

Following this, another user said with more details. He said –

“My neighbors all have the Grizzly. Theirs are nicer for trail riding on open paths. The Kodiak seems smaller. It’s definitely got a lower saddle. I think it’s easier to get on and off all day than theirs.”

Another user who has both Kodiaks and Grizzlys gave priority to the Kodiak. His speech was something like below – 

“We had an 04 Kodiak and loved it. We have a couple of Grizzlys (660 and 700 w/ EPS) and really love them. I wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on the Kodiak. Depending on your use, the EPS can be worth the extra coin.”

Conclusion

Our duty was to find and reveal the most common problems with Yamaha Kodiak 700. The veterans of Yamaha may not agree to all these problems that we have enlisted here. They might say any issue of this ATV is caused because of the negligence or abuse of the rider. Most of the concerns were apparent only in the older variants of the Kodiak. You may not find any issue with the new model. While some issues were one-timers, some were permanently addressed and recalled by Yamaha.

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