Your vehicle report
2002 Honda GL1800
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 182
- Received Oct 2001 to Oct 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Head gasket leaks coolant into engine24 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed10 complaints · 5.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Heater blows cold air, defroster fails9 complaints · 5.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #15V700000American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2010 and 2012-2015 GL1800, 2001-2005 GL1800A and 2013-2015 GL1800B motorcycles. The rear brakes of the affected motorcycles may drag after the brakes are released.
- Recall #11V567000Honda is recalling certain model year 2001-2010, and model year 2012 GL1800 goldwing motorcycles. Under certain conditions, there is a possibility that the combined braking system's secondary master cylinder may cause the rear brake to drag.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 2 crashes, 0 fires, 3 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 8 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 3 |
| 2002 | 108 |
| 2003 | 29 |
| 2004 | 9 |
| 2005 | 7 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 6 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 182 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 24 | 13% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 10 | 5.5% | – | |
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 9 | 5.0% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 7 | 3.9% | – | NHTSA recall #05V027000 |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 6 | 3.3% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 6 | 3.3% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission | 3 | 1.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #15V700000October 23, 2015145,219 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2010 and 2012-2015 GL1800, 2001-2005 GL1800A and 2013-2015 GL1800B motorcycles. The rear brakes of the affected motorcycles may drag after the brakes are released.
A rear brake that drags may increase the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, extended riding with the rear brake dragging could generate enough heat to result in a fire.
Remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary brake master cylinder and the rear brake master cylinder, and flush the brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on December 7, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-866-784-1870. Honda's number for this recall is JV6. Note: This recall supercedes recall 14V-472.
NHTSA recall #11V567000December 1, 2011126,000 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
Honda is recalling certain model year 2001-2010, and model year 2012 GL1800 goldwing motorcycles. Under certain conditions, there is a possibility that the combined braking system's secondary master cylinder may cause the rear brake to drag.
Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash, and riding the motorcycle with the rear brake dragging may generate enough heat to cause the rear brake to catch fire.
Remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the secondary master cylinder and if necessary, replace it, free of charge. The safety recall began on january 6, 2012. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-866-784-1870.
NHTSA recall #05V027000January 31, 200534,919 vehicles affected
structure: frame and members
On some motorcycles, certain frame welds do not meet manufacturing specifications. High loads created when riding on rough road surfaces or through potholes Can cause the affected welds to crack.
The welded area could break, resulting in rear suspension collapse or lower cross member separation, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, reinforce the welds on 2001-2002 motorcycles free of charge. On 2003-2004 motorcycles, the units will be repaired, no inspection will be necessary. The recall began on february 9, 2005. Owners may contact Honda at 1-866-784-1870.
NHTSA recall #05V010000January 24, 200536,046 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic
Certain motorcycles equipped with combined-brake systems have a proportioning control valve (pcv) that mechanically proportions brake force when the rear brake is applied. A seal in some pcvs is improperly shaped, and brake fluid leakage may occur.
If the motorcycle continues to be used after a leak occurs, the rear brake would eventually become inoperative. A loss of rear brake force could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear brake forleakage. If leakage is confirmed, the dealer will replace the pcv free of charge. The recall began on january 31, 2005. Owners may contact Honda at 866-784-1870.
NHTSA recall #03V350000September 26, 20038,196 vehicles affected
structure: frame and members: underbody shields
On some motorcycles, certain frame welds do not meet manufacturing specifications. High loads created when riding on rough road surfaces or through potholes Can cause the affected welds to crack.
The welded area could break, resulting in rear suspension collapse or lower cross member separation, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and reinforce the welds on all frames. Owner notification began during october 2003. Owners should contact Honda at 1-866-784-1870.
NHTSA recall #02V340000December 23, 2002660 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
On certain motorcycles, the bank angle sensors designed to shut off the fuel pump and the engine electrical power in the event the motorcycle falls over, were installed using the wrong size screws allowing the screws to eventually detach from their mounting point.
If the sensor detaches, the engine will stop unexpectedly. Sudden loss of engine power, especially while turning, could cause a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the mounting screw size and, if necessary, install screws of the correct size. Owner notification began december 23, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Honda at 1-800-289-8226.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Honda GL1800.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN