HONDA RVT1000R · model year

2003 HONDA RVT1000R

1 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2003HONDARVT1000R carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 1 fatality. 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 RVT1000R is fuel system, gasoline with 1 filings. 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 RVT1000R, 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.

1
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

1 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1

Recent Complaints

20051006CrashFireFatalFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

DT: THE CONSUMER STATES THAT HIS CHILD OWNED A 2003 HONDA RC 51 1000R THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND EXPLODED WHILE BEING RIDDEN. THE OWNER WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 55 TO 65. THE DRIVER WAS KILLED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE OWNER WAS TWENTY YEARS OF AGE. THERE ARE WITNESSES THAT HAVE STATED THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING DOWN ASPHALT, STRAIGHT ROAD WHEN HE LOOKED LIKE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS OUT OF CONTROL. THERE WAS A PUFF OF SMOKE AND THEN THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE BIKE AND HIT A CULVERT AND WAS FOUND UNCONSCIOUS. THE FATHER OF THE DRIVER STATES THAT THE DRIVER DIED WHILE IN THE HOSPITAL DUE TO BLUNT TRAUMA AND INTERNAL INJURIES. AT THIS POINT THE INVESTIGATORS HAVE FOUND NO HARD EVIDENCE OF THE COMPONENT, BUT THE FUEL SYSTEM LOOKS SUSPICIOUS. THE FATHER OF THE DRIVER HAS FOUND ONLINE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF FUEL SYSTEMS LEAKING AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE FATHER HAS CONTACTED HONDA AND THEY GAVE NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT THE CAUSE COULD HAVE BEEN. THE FATHER DOES HAVE

Mileage: 1,500

Compare 2003HONDARVT1000R to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 9 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2003 HONDA RVT1000R have?
The 2003 HONDA RVT1000R has 1 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 HONDA RVT1000R?
The most-complained component for the 2003 HONDA RVT1000R is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2003 HONDA RVT1000R 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.