The Ural Retro spans 2003–2015 with 8 recorded NHTSA recalls and a 4.5/5 ForCar reliability score. The years to approach with caution are 2006, 2005, 2015 (most owner complaints); the cleanest are 2003, 2004, 2007. It delivers competitive fuel economy and NHTSA-rated safety.
How we score: NHTSA crash-test safety (40%), recall frequency across all years (25%) and the share of owner complaints involving a crash, fire or injury (35%). Based on NHTSA & EPA data — not user reviews.
Overview
The Ural Retro is one of the most popular vehicles in its class, produced from 2003 to 2015 across multiple generations.
How to read a Ural Retro VIN — every digit explained
Every Ural Retro carries a unique 17-character VIN stamped at the factory. Each position is a code — together they spell out where, when and how your car was built. Here's exactly what every digit means.
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Ural and the country it was built in.
- 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 this Retro.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
Digits 4–17 — the engine code (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard, identical on every car. For the full year-code table (2001–2026), country codes and where the VIN is stamped on your Retro, see the complete guide to reading a VIN.
How many recalls does the Ural Retro have?
The Ural Retro has 8 recorded NHTSA recalls across 2003–2015. Pick a year below to see its recalls — then verify open recalls against your specific VIN.
2015 Ural Retro recalls 1
Wheels:rim
What's wrong. Irbit Motorworks of America, Inc. (Irbit) is recalling certain 2012-2017 Ural Gear Up, Ural Patrol (T), Ural Retro, 2012-2015 Ural Tourist (T), and 2015-2017 Ural cT motorcycles. The wheel spokes may have been improperly tightened, which can damage the rims or cause a wheel lock-up.
Risk. Damaged rims or a wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix. Dealers will replace the wheel rims, spokes, tubes, and rim strips, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact Irbit customer service at 1-425-702-8484. This recall excludes wheel rims previously replaced by warranty and/or under NHTSA Recall No. 13V-507.
2014 Ural Retro recalls 1
Wheels:rim
What's wrong. Irbit Motorworks of America, Inc. (Irbit) is recalling certain 2012-2017 Ural Gear Up, Ural Patrol (T), Ural Retro, 2012-2015 Ural Tourist (T), and 2015-2017 Ural cT motorcycles. The wheel spokes may have been improperly tightened, which can damage the rims or cause a wheel lock-up.
Risk. Damaged rims or a wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix. Dealers will replace the wheel rims, spokes, tubes, and rim strips, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact Irbit customer service at 1-425-702-8484. This recall excludes wheel rims previously replaced by warranty and/or under NHTSA Recall No. 13V-507.
2013 Ural Retro recalls 1
Wheels:rim
What's wrong. Irbit Motorworks of America, Inc. (Irbit) is recalling certain 2012-2017 Ural Gear Up, Ural Patrol (T), Ural Retro, 2012-2015 Ural Tourist (T), and 2015-2017 Ural cT motorcycles. The wheel spokes may have been improperly tightened, which can damage the rims or cause a wheel lock-up.
Risk. Damaged rims or a wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix. Dealers will replace the wheel rims, spokes, tubes, and rim strips, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact Irbit customer service at 1-425-702-8484. This recall excludes wheel rims previously replaced by warranty and/or under NHTSA Recall No. 13V-507.
2012 Ural Retro recalls 1
Wheels:rim
What's wrong. Irbit Motorworks of America, Inc. (Irbit) is recalling certain 2012-2017 Ural Gear Up, Ural Patrol (T), Ural Retro, 2012-2015 Ural Tourist (T), and 2015-2017 Ural cT motorcycles. The wheel spokes may have been improperly tightened, which can damage the rims or cause a wheel lock-up.
Risk. Damaged rims or a wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix. Dealers will replace the wheel rims, spokes, tubes, and rim strips, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact Irbit customer service at 1-425-702-8484. This recall excludes wheel rims previously replaced by warranty and/or under NHTSA Recall No. 13V-507.
2007 Ural Retro recalls 1
Power Train:automatic Transmission
What's wrong. On certain motorcycles built with a sidecar and equipped with herzog transmission gear sets, the transmission main shaft is outside of acceptable tolerance due to incorrect manufacturing of transmission main shaft and specific retaining clips. The main shaft and retaining clips may be defective.
Risk. Transmission damage, excessive gear wear, hard shifting, and possible failure can occur resulting in rear wheel lock up increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix. The motorcycles will be inspected and if the transmission has defective shafts and retaining clips, the complete transmission will be replaced free of charge. The recall began on july 24, 2007. Owners may contact irbit at 1-888-990-8484.
2005 Ural Retro recalls 1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
What's wrong. On certain motorcycles equipped with hydraulic rear and/or sidecar brake systems, the brakes can overheat causing possible rear and/or sidecar wheel lock-up.
Risk. Overheated brake systems will result in insufficient braking power. Wheel lock-up may result in a loss of control of the motorcycle which could result in a crash.
Fix. Dealers will replace the rear and/or sidecar brake components free of charge. The recall began on may 25, 2006. Owners may contact irbit motorworks (ural) at 1-888-990-8484.
2004 Ural Retro recalls 1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
What's wrong. On certain motorcycles equipped with hydraulic rear and/or sidecar brake systems, the brakes can overheat causing possible rear and/or sidecar wheel lock-up.
Risk. Overheated brake systems will result in insufficient braking power. Wheel lock-up may result in a loss of control of the motorcycle which could result in a crash.
Fix. Dealers will replace the rear and/or sidecar brake components free of charge. The recall began on may 25, 2006. Owners may contact irbit motorworks (ural) at 1-888-990-8484.
2003 Ural Retro recalls 1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
What's wrong. On certain motorcycles equipped with hydraulic rear and/or sidecar brake systems, the brakes can overheat causing possible rear and/or sidecar wheel lock-up.
Risk. Overheated brake systems will result in insufficient braking power. Wheel lock-up may result in a loss of control of the motorcycle which could result in a crash.
Fix. Dealers will replace the rear and/or sidecar brake components free of charge. The recall began on may 25, 2006. Owners may contact irbit motorworks (ural) at 1-888-990-8484.
Best and worst years for the Ural Retro
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint volume across 13 tracked years, the worst years are 2006, 2005, 2015 and the best (fewest complaints) are 2003, 2004, 2007.
ForCar aggregate — our own analysis of complaint volume, not published by NHTSA.
| Year | Owner complaints | Top issue | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Retro | — | Best | |
| 2004 Retro | — | Best | |
| 2005 Retro | Service Brakes | Avoid | |
| 2006 Retro | — | Avoid | |
| 2007 Retro | — | Best | |
| 2008 Retro | — | Average | |
| 2009 Retro | — | Average | |
| 2010 Retro | — | Average | |
| 2011 Retro | — | Average | |
| 2012 Retro | — | Average | |
| 2013 Retro | — | Average | |
| 2014 Retro | — | Average | |
| 2015 Retro | — | Avoid |
What are the most common Ural Retro problems?
The most-reported Ural Retro problems are Service Brakes (1 reports) — out of 3 owner complaints NHTSA holds for the model. Here's how they break down:
Most-reported components — tap a category to read what owners actually experienced:
Service Brakes 1 Read
2005 ural retro motorcycles were recalled due to a design defect that caused the rear hydraulic brakes to over heat and lock up the wheel. The original owner had recall work completed by dealer but it did not solve the recall issue. I am the second owner of the bike and tried to get ural usa to complete the recall work they refused. Bike has had non functional, unsafe brakes from the original date of purchase and even after recall work was completed...updated7-8-15*bf updated 7/9/2015*js updated 10/25/2017*cn
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, all model years. Bar = share of total complaints. Full reports searchable on NHTSA.gov.
Ural Retro specifications & dimensions
The 2015 Ural Retro. Full dimensions below — engine, horsepower and trim decode from your VIN. For the original factory build — MSRP, trim and standard equipment — rebuild the Ural Retro window sticker.
| Specs cache warming… |
Source: NHTSA vPIC / Transport Canada vehicle specifications. Metric values converted to imperial; generation ranges approximate.
Ural Retro cargo space, seating & interior room
How much the Retro holds — passengers and cargo. Seating, cargo and interior dimensions vary by trim and seat configuration — decode your VIN for the exact build.
Exact seating capacity, third-row availability, legroom and headroom decode from your VIN or vary by trim — the original factory equipment & options list shows what each trim included.
Passenger & cargo volume from EPA fueleconomy.gov (largest configuration). Seats, legroom and headroom from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
Ural Retro tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What MPG does the Ural Retro get?
MPG cache warming… reload in a moment.
What engines does the Ural Retro have? Power & range
Powertrain data warming… reload in a moment.
How much does a Ural Retro cost to own?
A Ural Retro depreciates at about an average rate. A typical example keeps roughly 46% of its value after five years — losing about 54% to depreciation. Check what a used Retro is worth today or browse current used-market prices before you buy or sell. Fuel, maintenance and insurance add to the total cost to own.
| Age | Value retained | Est. resale value | Lost to depreciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 80% | $24,000 | −$6,000 |
| Year 2 | 70% | $21,000 | −$9,000 |
| Year 3 | 61% | $18,300 | −$11,700 |
| Year 4 | 53% | $15,900 | −$14,100 |
| Year 5 | 46% | $13,800 | −$16,200 |
What goes into the five-year cost to own:
- Depreciation — the biggest cost: this Retro loses about 54% of its value over five years. See the full depreciation curve by age.
- Fuel — based on EPA economy at roughly 15,000 miles a year.
- Maintenance & repairs — routine service, tires and wear items as the Retro ages.
- Insurance — varies by driver, state and trim; get a quote for your exact figure.
Resale & depreciation are ForCar estimates from typical segment value-retention curves — not a live market quote. Fuel from EPA fueleconomy.gov at ~15k mi/yr.
Is the Ural Retro safe?
NHTSA crash-test ratings aren't published for the Retro yet — see the top-rated safest cars instead.
Tired of ads? Go Pro.
- Zero ads — clean, fast pages
- Exact mileage-adjusted car values
- Full research reports + PDF
- Market charts & price-drop alerts
- …and much more
How many miles does a Ural Retro last?
A well-maintained Ural Retro typically lasts 250,000–300,000+ miles. It's exceptionally durable — with routine maintenance many owners report 250k+ on the original powertrain. Its ForCar Reliability Score is 4.5/5.
Check your Ural Retro’s VIN — history, recalls & specs
Title records, open recalls, build details and paint code — straight from the VIN. Free.
Check this Retro’s VIN free →All Ural Retro model years
A year-by-year snapshot of the Ural Retro — recalls, best EPA fuel economy and NHTSA safety. Tap a year for full details.
| Year | Recalls | Best MPG | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Retro | 1 recall | — | — |
| 2014 Retro | 1 recall | — | — |
| 2013 Retro | 1 recall | — | — |
| 2012 Retro | 1 recall | — | — |
| 2011 Retro | 0 | — | — |
| 2010 Retro | 0 | — | — |
| 2009 Retro | 0 | — | — |
| 2008 Retro | 0 | — | — |
| 2007 Retro | 1 recall | — | — |
| 2006 Retro | 0 | — | — |
| 2005 Retro | 1 recall | — | — |
| 2004 Retro | 1 recall | — | — |
| 2003 Retro | 1 recall | — | — |
Recalls = NHTSA campaigns that year · MPG = best EPA combined · Safety = NHTSA overall stars (tested years).
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Retro?
By owner-complaint volume, 2006, 2005, 2015 drew the most reports. 2003, 2004, 2007 have the cleanest records.
How many recalls does the Retro have?
8 recorded NHTSA recalls across 2003–2015. Always check open recalls by your VIN.
How many miles does a Retro last?
A well-maintained Retro typically reaches 200,000–300,000 miles with regular maintenance.
Is the Retro reliable?
Our ForCar Reliability Score for the Retro is 4.5/5, based on NHTSA safety, recall history and complaint severity.
What's the Ural Retro warranty?
New Ural models carry a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic (bumper-to-bumper) warranty and a 5 years / 60,000 miles powertrain warranty. Coverage can vary by model year and market — confirm with a Ural dealer.
Where is the Ural Retro made?
The assembly plant is encoded in the VIN — the 11th character. Decode your Retro's VIN above to see exactly where it was built; Ural may build it at more than one plant depending on the year.
How much ground clearance does the Retro have?
Ground clearance varies by trim and drivetrain — AWD/4WD versions often sit higher. Decode your VIN or check the specific trim for the exact figure.