Total Complaints
8 filings
HONDA GL1500 · model year
1996 HONDA GL1500
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996HONDAGL1500 carries 8 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, 1 injury, 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 1996 GL1500 is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:pads with 1 filings, followed by steering: steering wheel/handle bar (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (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 1996 GL1500, 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.
8
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050521SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
SELF APPLYING REAR BRAKE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. MUST STOMP BRAKE PEDAL TO RELEASE. UNPREDICTABLE OCCURANCE.
Mileage: 55,000
20050222EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
THE TURN SIGNALS ON ALL HONDA GOLDWINGS MOTORCYCLE ARE DESIGNED TO CANCEL AFTER 7 SECONDS OR AFTER 110 YARDS OF TRAVEL. THIS MEANS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE CONSUMER HAD TO TURN ON THE SIGNALS MANY TIMES BEFORE TURNING. THE CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS VERY DISTRACTING AND DANGEROUS. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE SIGNALS DO NOT CANCEL IF SPEED IS BELOW 15 MPH. *AK *BF *NM
20021211SUSPENSION
THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE SUSPENSION AND BEARING WAS GETTING WORSE, AND HAS BEEN PRESENT FOR 4-5 YEARS. THE CONSUMER STATES THAT HE HAD TAKEN THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY WONT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION WAS SHOT AND IS WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY BUT THEY STATED THAT IT WAS NOT MAKING NOISE DUE TO THE SUSPENSION/BEARING(S) BUT THE TIRES. (THE NOISE EXISTED IN THE PAST 3 SETS OF TIRES) THE CONSUMER IS AFRAID TO BE RIDING AND POSSIBLY GETTING HURT OR KILLED INCLUDING A PASSENGER. *SCC
20010425SUSPENSION:REAR
MOTORCYCLE NEVER HANDLED PROPERLY. IN SEPTEMBER CONSUMER WAS ALMOST STOPPED WHEN REAR OF MOTORCYCLE LOCKED THE WHEEL. THIS RESULTED FROM SWING ARM BECOMING BENT, AND DISCONNECTED PARTIALLY FROM FRAME OF MOTORCYCLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
19981127ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILED.
19980915ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
BALANCE SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED WHILE ON THE ROAD, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF. CLIENT WAS THROWN OFF MOTORCYCLE AND LANDED ON HIS BACK, PUNCTURING A LUNG.
19980908STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE AT 40 MPH, THE STEERING HEAD BEARING LOOSENED UP,CAUSED A VIOLENT SHAKE IN THE FRONT WHEEL. WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF MOTORCYCLE. HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. *AK *SLC
19960730SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
STOCK BRAKE PADS FADED WHEN THEY ARE HOT AND BRAKES PRODUCED A SQUEALING NOISE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
Compare 1996HONDAGL1500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 9 Open
PE25017Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status
PE25016Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Loss of Motive Power
PE25018Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Inadvertent Deployment of Side Air Bags
PE25008Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Engine failure
EA25004Engineering AnalysisOpen
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 HONDA GL1500 have?▼
The 1996 HONDA GL1500 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 HONDA GL1500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 HONDA GL1500 is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1996 HONDA GL1500 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.