Total Complaints
5 filings
HONDA GL1500 · model year
1997 HONDA GL1500
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997HONDAGL1500 carries 5 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 1997 GL1500 is service brakes, hydraulic with 1 filings, followed by interior lighting (1) and tires (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 1997 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.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
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 | 1 |
| INTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040902ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD. THE STARTER AND ENGINE STAYED ON AT THE SAME TIME. ENGINE FAILED TO SHUT DOWN. THIS CAUSED THE MOTORCYCLE TO JERK FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. *AK
20040902ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD. THE STARTER AND ENGINE STAYED ON AT THE SAME TIME. ENGINE FAILED TO SHUT DOWN. THIS CAUSED THE MOTORCYCLE TO JERK FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. *AK
19990611TIRES
TIRE DELAMINATED DURING NORMAL WEAR AND USE, REFUSED BY DEALER TO ADMIT DEFECT. SAID DUNLOP WOULD NOT WARRANTY TIRE, NO REPLACEMENT. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 16X180 )
19980130INTERIOR LIGHTING
GLARE FROM SUNLIGHT DURING DAWN/DUSK MAKES READING INSTRUMENTS IMPOSSIBLE. *AK
19970718SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
RIGHT FOOT BRAKE IS SOME WHAT ACKWARD POSITION. YOU MUST ROTATE YOUR FOR YOUR ANKLE TO ITS FULLEST DOWNWARD POSITION IN ORDER TO GET PROPER BRAKING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.
Compare 1997HONDAGL1500 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 1997 HONDA GL1500 have?▼
The 1997 HONDA GL1500 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 HONDA GL1500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 HONDA GL1500 is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include INTERIOR LIGHTING and TIRES.
Is the 1997 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.