Aprilia is a Italian carmaker founded in 1845, now part of Piaggio Group. The cars themselves are another matter: across 1 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 1 country — Italy 100%. 37 models are tracked here (1994–2026). Reliable? yes, and comfortably so — 4.4 out of 5 across 37 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Aprilia
Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle and scooter brand owned by Piaggio Group, headquartered in Noale, Veneto. Aprilia was founded after WWII in 1945 by Cavaliere Alberto Beggio, originally as a bicycle manufacturer; motorcycle production began in 1968 with a 50cc moped under son Ivano Beggio's leadership. Aprilia was acquired by Piaggio Group in 2004. Aprilia is one of the most successful motorcycle racing manufacturers of the modern era, with 54 World Championship titles across 125cc Grand Prix, 250cc Grand Prix, World Superbike (WSBK) and other classes. Max Biaggi (4× 250cc World Champion 1994-1997) and Loris Capirossi (3× World Champion) raced for Aprilia. The RSV4 superbike and Tuono V4 hyper-naked anchor Aprilia's street-bike lineup, while the SXV / RXV represent enduro and supermoto offerings. The RS 660 mid-displacement supersport launched in 2020. Aprilia's parent Piaggio Group trades on the Borsa Italiana under PIA. Recall data for every Aprilia VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Aprilia VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Cavaliere Alberto Beggio founded Aprilia in 1945 in Noale to manufacture bicycles. His son Ivano Beggio took over in 1968 and shifted the company to motorcycles, beginning with a 50cc moped. The 1985 AF1 125cc replica racer captured the Italian small-displacement market, and the 1990 RSV 250 Grand Prix machine launched Aprilia's WGP/WGP/MotoGP racing dominance. The 2004 acquisition by Piaggio Group consolidated Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Vespa, Gilera and Derbi under one Italian motorcycle conglomerate.
| Aprilia | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1845 |
| Founded by | Rinaldo Piaggio (parent), Aprilia 1945 (Cavaliere Alberto Beggio) |
| Headquarters | Noale, Italy |
| Owned by | Piaggio Group |
| Slogan | «Be a Racer» |
| Assembled in | 1 countries |
Technology it is known for: V4 65-degree engine architecture (RSV4), Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC), Multimedia Platform, Magneti Marelli ECU electronics, Öhlins suspension (Factory variants).
This page covers Aprilia, the Piaggio Group sport-bike brand — not Aprilia Racing (the separate MotoGP race team within Aprilia Racing srl) or any unrelated Aprilia trademark uses.
Where Aprilia cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 45 vehicles on record, 1 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | ZD4 | 2000–2024 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Aprilia beginning ZD4 was assembled in Italy.
All Aprilia models 37
Every Aprilia model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Aprilia Motorcycles 37
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aprilia RS 660 | 2025–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia RSV4 | 2010–2026 | 6 | 2 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia RS 457 | 2025–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Tuono | 2010–2026 | 4 | 5 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Tuareg | 2022–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia RS | 2021–2024 | 3 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia SR 50 | 1994–2025 | 2 | 3 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia RS50 | 1994–2006 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia RSV 1000 R | 1994–2006 | 1 | 7 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Shiver 750 | 2007–2016 | 3 | 2 | — | 3.5/5 |
| Aprilia RSV4 R | 2010–2015 | 1 | 1 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Shiver | 2018–2020 | 1 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Dorsoduro | 2010–2020 | 4 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory | 2016–2016 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia RSV Mille R | 1994–2003 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Caponord | 1994–2020 | 2 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia RS250 | 1994–2006 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Tuono 1000 | 1994–2011 | 1 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 | 2007–2016 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Scarabeo 500 | 1994–2010 | 4 | 22 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia SXV 450 | 2007–2011 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR | 2016–2016 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Scarabeo 200 | 2007–2010 | 4 | 2 | — | 3.5/5 |
| Aprilia RSV 1000 | 1994–2011 | 5 | 8 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia SXV 550 | 2007–2011 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Atlantic 500 | 1994–2007 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia RXV 450 | 2007–2011 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia RSV Mille | 1994–2003 | 1 | 1 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Sport City 250 | 2007–2011 | 1 | 1 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Scarabeo 150 | 1994–2007 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Tuono V4 R | 2015–2015 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia SL 1000 | 1994–2003 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Atlantic 200 | 1994–2007 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Sportcity | 2007–2015 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Pegaso 650 | 1994–2000 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia Rally 50 | 1994–2007 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Aprilia ETV 1000 Caponord | 1994–2007 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
Aprilia by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Aprilia | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 43 campaigns | Most recalled: Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder |
| Owner complaints | 53+ filed | Most reported: Scarabeo 500 |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Get a Aprilia window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Aprilia's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Aprilia window stickers →How to read a Aprilia VIN
Every Aprilia built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Aprilia and the country it was built in (real Aprilia codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- ItalyZD4
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. Run it through our free VIN lookup to turn those digits into a model year, an assembly plant and a country of origin.
Who owns Aprilia, and what you get
Aprilia belongs to Piaggio Group. Aprilia competes in the global premium street-motorcycle segment against Ducati, BMW Motorrad, KTM and Triumph, with positioning emphasizing motorsport-derived engineering and Italian craftsmanship. Within Piaggio Group, Aprilia handles sport and racing motorcycles while Vespa handles scooters and Moto Guzzi handles cruisers and grand-touring. The RS 660 / Tuono 660 mid-displacement platform launched 2020 expanded Aprilia into the growing 600-700cc segment dominated by Yamaha MT-07 and Honda CB650R.
| Aprilia | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Italy |
| Ownership | Piaggio Group |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | Italy |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Aprilia models actually start to break →
Aprilia — frequently asked
Is Aprilia italian?
Aprilia is a Italian company, headquartered in Noale and founded in 1845. The cars are a separate question: 100% of the Aprilia vehicles in our records were assembled in Italy.
Where are Aprilia cars made?
Across 1 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: Italy (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Aprilia?
Aprilia is part of Piaggio Group.
How many Aprilia models are there?
We track 37 Aprilia models spanning 1994–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Aprilia warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Aprilia reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Aprilia model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.
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