2003 Honda GL1800 recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Structure › Body

  TOLD BY HONDA THE FRAME RECALL WAS DONE IN 2012. IN 2020 I INSPECTED THE FRAME AND THERE ARE CRACKS IN THE FRAME AGAIN WHERE THE RECALL STATED THEY WOULD BE. THE REPLACEMENT FRAME IS CRACKING. BOTH MAJOR CRACKS ARE AT THE WELDS AT THE REAR PASSENGER FOOT PEGS

  Sep 13, 2020 · 90,000 miles
• Structure › Body

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA GL1800. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRAME WAS FRACTURED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FRACTURE WAS LOCATED AT THE MID SECTION OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER TRIKES BY RODNEY LOCATED AT 1672 LINDEN AVE, ZANESVILLE, OH 4370 WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT YET NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V027000 (STRUCTURE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000.

  Jul 16, 2020 · 138,000 miles
• Service brakes

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA GL1800. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED HOWEVER FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT NOTICED THERE WAS NO BRAKE FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO CYCLE SHACK NORTH (1101 INTERSTATE 45 S, CONROE, TX 77301 (936) 756-9711) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING AND THE POSITION CONTROL VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V01000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) WAS COMPLETED IN 2005 AND NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

  Jan 21, 2019 · 42,000 miles
• Structure › Body

  HONDA SAFETY RECALL SERVICE BULLETIN GL1800 #14 REVISED: SEPTEMBER 2008 STATES THAT MY MOTORCYCLE IS ONE OF THE AFFECTED UNITS FOR THE RECALL (I.E. THE FRAME WELDS NEED TO BE REINFORCED). THAT WORK HAS NEVER BEEN DONE. HOWEVER, THE RECORDS FOR DOING A VIN CHECK ONLY GO BACK 15 YEARS, AND A LOCAL HONDA DEALER SAYS NO FIX IS NEEDED.

  Jul 17, 2019
• Engine

  THE ENGINE RUN HOTTER THAN USUAL IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND GOING UP HILL AT HIGHER RPM . ALL FANS ARE RUNNING OK AS EXPECTED BUT STILL WHEN EVER STUCK IN TRAFFIC AT 75 DEGREE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE SEEM TO CREEP UP HIGHER TOWARDS THE RED MARK . THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IF THE ENGINE SPILL COOLANT , I AND MY PASSAGE RISK GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT DUE TO SLIPPERY SURFACE. HAD IT CHECK BY THE PRO AND THEY ARE POINTING AT THE ECM . THIS SHOULD BE FIX AND IS HONDA'S RESPONSIBILITY . MANY OTHER OWNERS HAD PREVIOUSLY COMPLAINED OF SIMILAR ISSUES.

  Sep 14, 2017
• Service brakes

  2003 HONDA GOLDWING. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO MOTORCYCLES SUDDEN POWER LOSS AND BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE ACCIDENT. *SMD *CN

  Dec 19, 2015
• Service brakesCrash

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 HONDA GL1800 MOTORCYCLE. WHILE RIDING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE RIDER LOST CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND CRASHED OFF THE SIDE OF A 25 FOOT HILL WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MANEUVER A BLIND HAIRPIN TURN. THE RIDER WAS FATALLY INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS DESTROYED. PHOTOS FROM THE POLICE REPORT INDICATED THAT DURING THE INCIDENT, ONLY THE FRONT BRAKES WERE APPLIED, AND THE REAR BRAKE DID NOT APPLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE RIDER DESCENDED DOWN A WINDING ROAD FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO BE USED EXCESSIVELY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT…

  Nov 7, 2015 · 8,000 miles
• Steering

  I PURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE ON 11/05/16 FROM IMOTORSPORTS IN ELMHURST ILL. FROM DAY ONE IT HAD A VERY BAD WOBBLE IN THE STEERING AND IF I WAS NOT HOLDING STRONGLY ONTO THE BIKE IT WOULD DEFINITELY CRASH. AFTER ASKING FOR A REPAIR TO THIS WOBBLE IMOTORSPORTS MANAGER JASON SAID THEY WOULD INSTALL A NEW SET OF TIRES ON IT AND THIS SHOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE BIKE ONLY HAD 15,158 MILES ON IT SO I THOUGHT FOR SURE THIS WOULD BE THE ANSWER. JASON TOLD ME THAT AFTER THE BIKE GOT USED TO THE NEW TIRES THAT THE WOBBLE WOULD GO AWAY. THE WOBBLE WOULD OCCUR ANYTIME IT WAS IN MOTION FROM 15-45 MPH. THE WOBBLE NEVER GOT ANY BETTER AND BEING A BIT NAIVE TO PURCHASING A VEHICLE FROM A DEALER THE 30 DAY…

  Nov 5, 2016 · 15,180 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• Southern Honda PowersportsClosed

  NHTSA opened Audit Query (AQ) 12-001 to determine whether Southern Honda Powersports (Southern Honda) of Chattanooga, Tennessee, had complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 (Safety Act) and its implementing regulations. The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a motor vehicle or equipment manufacturer notify its dealers of defects related to motor vehicle safety and non-compliances with federal motor vehicle safety standards.In turn, a dealer may not sell and deliver a new vehicle subject to a recall unless the recall remedy has been performed.(see 49 U.S.C. 30120(i); 49 C.F.R. 573.11)NHTSA issued an information request to Southern Honda on May 14, 2012 to which they responded on July 6, 2012.NHTSA?s inquiry led it to believe that Southern Honda had failed to complete the requirements of five recalls…

  AQ12001 · opened May 14, 2012 · closed May 13, 2013
• FRAME CROSSMEMEBER WELD FAILURESClosedLed to recall 05V027000

  HONDA IS AMENDING THE SCOPE OF 03V-350 TO ADD 34,919 POTENTIALLY AFFECTED GL1800 GOLD WING MOTORCYCLES.THE INITIAL RECALL RANGE INCLUDED FRAMES MANUFACTURED WITH ONE OF A NUMBER OF WELDING PROCESSES.HONDA BELIEVED, ON THE BASIS OF DATA AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME, THAT ONLY THOSE GL'S BUILT WITH THAT ONE PROCESS WERE AT RISK OF FAILURE.WITH THE ORIGINAL RECALL (IN SEPTEMBER, 2003), HONDA INTRODUCED YET ANOTHER WELD PROCESS.SUBSEQUENTLY, HONDA BECAME AWARE OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING GL'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL RECALL, BUILT USING ANOTHER EARLY WELDING PROCESS.THUS, HONDA HAS DECIDED TO RECALL ALL GL1800'S BUILT PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 20, 2003 REGARDLESS OF WHAT WELD PROCESS WAS BEING USED AT THE TIME.THIS RECALL EXPANSION AFFECTS THE 2001, 2002, 2003 AND 2004 MODEL YEARS AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF AFFECTED U.S. GL1800 MOTORCYCLES INCREASES FROM 8,196 TO 43,115.

  RQ04009 · opened Sep 21, 2004 · closed Feb 2, 2005
• REAR SUSPENSION COLLAPSEClosedLed to recall 03V350000

  THE SUBJECT MOTORCYCLES, INTRODUCED WITH THE 2001 MODEL YEAR, UTILIZE AN ALUMINUM FRAME INDIVIDUALLY WELDED BY HONDA EMPLOYEES IN THE COMPANY?S MARYSVILLE, OHIO ASSEMBLY PLANT.NHTSA/ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AFTER LEARNING THAT SOME 2002 MODEL YEAR GL1800?S WERE EXPERIENCING REAR SUSPENSION COLLAPSE WHEN THE LOWEST CROSSMEMBER WOULD COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME.IT APPEARED THE CROSSMEMBER WAS SEPARATING DUE TO SUB-STANDARD WELDING OF THE CROSSMEMBER TO THE FRAME. ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2003 HONDA BRIEFED ODI STAFF AND ADVISED THAT THE SUBJECT WELD FAILURES RESULTED FROM A COMBINATION OF PRODUCTION LINE CHANGES THAT TOOK EFFECT ON MARCH 1, 2002.THESE CHANGES WERE:1) FEW, IF ANY, REINFORCING TIG WELDS APPLIED TO THE CROSSMEMBER MIG WELDS; 2) A RELATIVELY INEXPERIENCED WELDER BEGAN WELDING FRAMES AS OF THAT DATE; AND 3) A LESS ROBUST WELD QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTION WAS…

  PE03039 · opened Aug 11, 2003 · closed Oct 10, 2003
• MOTORCYCLE COOLANT SPRAY ONTO REAR TIREClosed

  SEE THE ATTACHED REPORT WITH ODI'SFINDINGS.

  PE02077 · opened Oct 15, 2002 · closed Mar 28, 2003