Total Complaints
8 filings
HONDA GL1800A · model year
8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 4 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002HONDAGL1800A carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2002 GL1800A is structure:frame and members with 3 filings, followed by service brakes (2) and electrical system (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 79 investigation files overlapping the 2002 GL1800A, and 9 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
Total Complaints
8 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
THIS CONCERNS AN ONGOING SAFETY RECALL FOR REAR BRAKE LOCKUP ON GL1800 GOLDWING. I OWN A 2002 MODEL. THREE TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH, MY REAR BRAKE HAS LOCKED UP, ONE TIME CAUSING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL AND DROP THE BIKE, BEING SLIGHTLY INJURED, WITH A SCRAPE TO THE RIGHT ARM. HONDA HAS THUS FAR NOT REIMBURSED ME FOR REPAIRS THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN UNENDING SAFETY RECALL. DEALER SAID I HAD TO PAY, SINCE HONDA HAS ALLEGEDLY DONE THE RECALL, CLAIMING FLUID CONTAMINATION, EVEN THOUGH THEIR OWN DEALER HAS FLUSHED AND BLED THE SYSTEM TWICE IN THE LAST MONTH. TWICE, THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE RIDING IN FORWARD MOTION, ONCE REAR BRAKE LOCKED UP AFTER PARKING BIKE IN DEALER'S LOT, SO THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME, WITHOUT WARNING. THE NHTSA IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE WATCHDOG OVER THESE ISSUES, AND IS AWARE OF THIS RECALL, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THIS RESOLVED? HOW MANY 1800 GOLDWING OWNERS WILL BE INJURED, POSSIBLY KILLED BEFORE THIS IS FIXED. HONDA HAS KNOWN THIS FOR AT LEAST 8 YEARS, AND THERE IS BIK
Mileage: 47,400
FOLLOWING BRAKE RECALL REPAIR COMPLETED IN LATE 2016 BY HONDA DEALER, MOTORCYCLE HAS EXPERIENCED SAME FAILURE OF REAR CALIPER/BRAKES HYDRAULICALLY SEIZING TO A COMPLETE STOP OF BIKE. THE HONDA RECALL(S) (2 RECALLS) IS STILL NOT ADEQUATE TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE SECONDARY MASTER CYLINDER AND REAR BRAKES WITH GOLDWINGS.
Mileage: 46,000
I RIDE A 2002 HONDA GOLDWING GL1800A. IN MID JUNE THE STARTER SWITCH STUCK AND THE STARTER FAILED. WHILE CHECKING THE STARTER THE HONDA DEALER FOUND MY FRAME WAS BROKEN IN TWO ON ONE SIDE AND CRACKED ON THE OTHER JUST BEHIND THE PASSENGER FOOT REST. IF THE SECOND SIDE HAD BROKEN THE TRUNK, BACKREST, SADDLE BAGS WOULD HAVE FALLEN OFF MOST LIKELY CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I SHIPPED MY MOTORCYCLE TO LAWRENCEVILLE HONDA IN LAWRENCEVILLE, GA WHERE I BOUGHT THE BIKE, FOR FRAME REPLACEMENT WHICH THEY RECOMMENDED. WHEN THEY CONTACTED CORPORATE HONDA THEY WERE TOLD THAT SINCE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY ONE MONTH THEY WOULD PROVIDE A FRAME AND LIMITED TOTAL SUPPORT OF $4,000.00. LAWRENCEVILLE HONDA ESTIMATED THE TOTAL COST OF FRAME REPLACEMENT TO BE BETWEEN $6,500.00 AND $8,000.00. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT SEVERAL OTHER FRAMES HAVE BROKEN IN THE SAME PLACE. I CALLED HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS REFUSED ANY FURTHER HELP. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT THE FRAME NOT BE WELDED. THE ONL
Mileage: 157,200
2002 ,1800 GOLDWING MOTORCYCLE . I WAS CHECKING THE BIKE OVER AND FOUND A CRACK IN THE FRAME . THE CRACKS IS RIGHT BEHIND BOTH PASSENGER FLOORBOARDS. RIGHT NOW THE BIKE IS AT A HONDA MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIP . WAITING TO SEE WHAT HONDA IS GOING TO DO. *TR
Mileage: 64,760
VEHICLE IS A 2002 HONDA GOLDWING GL1800 MOTORCYCLE. WHEN APPLYING THE REAR BRAKE, IT CAUSES THE ENTIRE MOTORCYCLE TO VIOLENTLY SHUDDER. THE SHUDDER WORSENS AS THE AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE RISES. DUE TO THE TECHNIQUE OF TURNING ON A MOTORCYCLE BY LEANING, THIS CAUSES A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. HONDA HAS TRIED APPROXIMATELY 4 FIXES OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS, NONE HAVE WORKED. THEIR STANCE NOW IS THAT THE BRAKE SHUDDER IS INHERENT TO THIS PARTICULAR MOTORCYCLE AND THEIR "FIX" IS TO SIMPLY INSERT THAT STATEMENT INTO THE OWNER'S MANUALS GOING FORWARD. THAT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. THE SHUDDER IS EASILY DUPLICATED ON MY MOTORCYCLE AND YOUR ENGINEERS ARE WELCOME (AND ENCOURAGED) TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES WHETHER THEY WOULD CONSIDER THIS TO BE ACCEPTABLE. I DO KNOW SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM.
I HAVE A 2002 HONDA GOLDWING THAT CONTINUES TO GET HOT AND BOIL OVER IN FRONT OF THE REAR TIRE WHILE IN TRAFFIC. I ALSO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF 5 MORE GOLDWING DOING THE SAME THING. ALL OF THESE BIKES HAVE HAD THE ECM CHANGED OUT.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH MOTORCYCLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED MOTORCYCLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
CRACK IN 2002 ABS HONDA GOLD WING MOTORCYCLE FRAME ON LEFT LOWER FRAME. *AK
Mileage: 18,050
Inadvertent Deployment of Air Bags
Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status
Loss of Motive Power
Inadvertent Deployment of Side Air Bags
Loss of braking force
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2002 HONDA GL1800A; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.