HONDA CB900F · model year

2003 HONDA CB900F

4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2003HONDACB900F carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2003 CB900F is engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control:crankcase (pcv) with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (1) and fuel/propulsion system (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 77 investigation files overlapping the 2003 CB900F, and 9 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1

Recent Complaints

20140703FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

AFTER ANY AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT ON THE MOTORYCLE, AN UNBEARABLE ODOR FROM THE EXHAUST SIMILAR TO STAGNANT SEWAGE EMANATES FROM THE EXHAUST. THIS HAS OCCURRED THROUGHOUT OWNERSHIP AND IS WIDELY REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS. HONDA NOR A LOCAL DEALER DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE WHEN CONTACTED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND ANY CAUSE OF THE ODOR. THE ODOR CAUSES SEVERE HEADACHES, LIGHTHEADEDNESS, AND NAUSEA. THE ODOR EMANATES AT IDLE, AT SPEED, DURING COLD STARTS, WARM STARTS, AND AT SHUTDOWN. THE ODOR IS NOTICEABLY STRONGER WHEN THE ENGINE REACHES OPERATING TEMPERATURE. *TR

Mileage: 24,000

20140703ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

AFTER ANY AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT ON THE MOTORYCLE, AN UNBEARABLE ODOR FROM THE EXHAUST SIMILAR TO STAGNANT SEWAGE EMANATES FROM THE EXHAUST. THIS HAS OCCURRED THROUGHOUT OWNERSHIP AND IS WIDELY REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS. HONDA NOR A LOCAL DEALER DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE WHEN CONTACTED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND ANY CAUSE OF THE ODOR. THE ODOR CAUSES SEVERE HEADACHES, LIGHTHEADEDNESS, AND NAUSEA. THE ODOR EMANATES AT IDLE, AT SPEED, DURING COLD STARTS, WARM STARTS, AND AT SHUTDOWN. THE ODOR IS NOTICEABLY STRONGER WHEN THE ENGINE REACHES OPERATING TEMPERATURE. *TR

Mileage: 24,000

20040615ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

WHILE RIDING THIS MOTORCYCLE, EXHAUST FUMES WILL PERMEATE THE BACK OF THE RIDERS CLOTHING, BACK PACKS AND PASSENGERS, LEAVING A NASUATING ODOR THAT IS UNBEARABLE TO BE AROUND. THIS OCCURS WITH RIDING TRIPS THAT ARE AS SHORT AS 15 MINUTES. PASSENGERS COMPLAIN THAT THEY CAN SMELL EXHAUST FUMES WHILE RIDING, CAUSING HEADACHES, NASUA AND DIZZINESS. SPOKE WITH THE DEALER ABOUT KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL, AND THEY KNEW OF NONE. CHECK OUT BIKE AND FOUND NO DEFECTS. SPOKE WITH "JARED" AT AMERICAN HONDA IN CA (866-784-1870), AND HE STATED THAT HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT HAVE NO PLANS TO FIX BECAUSE THERE ARE NO DEFECTS WITH THE BIKE, THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY THE UNDERTAIL EXHAUST AND THAT IT IS THER NATURE OF THE BIKE. WHEN I INQUIRED IF ANY OTHER UNDERTAIL EXHAUST SYSTEM MOTORCYCLES PRODUCED BY HONDA HAD SIMILAIR PROBLEMS, HE SAID THEY DID NOT! THAT IT IS ONLY THE 919/HORNET 900. IF YOU GO TO ANY ONLINE OWNERS FORUM WORLDWIDE, YOU WILL FIND THAT THIS PARTICULAR MODEL SUFFERS

20040529ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)

EXCESSIVE UNBURNED FUEL VAPOR/FUMES EMITTED FROM EXHAUST OF MOTORCYCLE "03 HONDA 919 FROM FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP THROUGH 2000 MILES. (6 MONTHS) PROTECTIVE RIDING GEAR SATURATION, AND INHALATION/LIGHTHEADEDNESS HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED. HAD PERFORMED LAB TESTING OF MANUFACTURES OIL HAVING SHOWN EXCESS FUEL/ CRANKCASE OIL DILUTION, AND EXTREMELY REDUCED VISCOSITY (FIRST INTERVAL 40WT DOWN TO ~20WT) WITH OIL WELL BELOW SPECIFICATION, AND BEFORE RECOMMENDED DRAIN INTERVALS. HAVE DOCUMENTED LAB DATA RECORD TO SUPPORT. UNBURNED FUEL ODOR APPEARS TO BE INTERMITTANT, HOWEVER SHORTENED OIL DRAIN INTERVALS SEEMS TO HELP REMEDY SOMEWHAT. PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VIEW THIS LINK: HTTP://WWW.STINKISSUE.COM/#SOLUTION. AS I HAVE FOUND, THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, AND ONLY REFLECT A PORTION OF THE OWNERS OF THIS MOTORCYCLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED NEAR-MISS INCIDENTS FROM SAME. THANKYOU. *LA

Mileage: 10

Compare 2003HONDACB900F to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 9 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2003 HONDA CB900F have?
The 2003 HONDA CB900F has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 HONDA CB900F?
The most-complained component for the 2003 HONDA CB900F is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV) with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE and FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.
Is the 2003 HONDA CB900F safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.