Total Complaints
4 filings
HONDA VT1100 · model year
1998 HONDA VT1100
4 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports. 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 1998HONDAVT1100 carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, 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 1998 VT1100 is vehicle speed control with 1 filings, followed by power train:clutch assembly:pedal/hand lever(motorcycle) (1) and power train:manual transmission (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 79 investigation files overlapping the 1998 VT1100, 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.
4
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE) | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20021009ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THIS IS A PROBLEM WHICH APPEARS TO AFFECT ALL SINGLE PIN CRANK ENGINES PRODUCED BY HONDA BETWEEN 1990 AND 2001. WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE GUIDE PIN PLUG ROTATES AND LOOSENS CAUSING AN OIL LEAK AND SUBSEQUENT SHIFTER RATTLE. THE OIL LEAK IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD SINCE THE LEAK ONLY OCCURS WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE IS MOVING AND THE OIL BLOWS BACKWARDS TO THE REAR TIRE. UNKNOWINGLY, A RIDER COULD END UP IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF THIS IS NOT FIXED DUE TO THE OIL CAUSING THE TIRE TO NOT ADHERE TO THE ROAD, NOT TO MENTION THE POTENTIAL FOR ENGINE FAILURE SHOULD THE LEAK DRAIN THE CRANKCASE. HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AS IT WAS WRITTEN UP IN THE SEPTEMBER 1999 ISSUE OF THEIR PUBLICATION CALLED THE "WRENCH". THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL ISSUED TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM DESPITE THE NUMEROUS MOTORCYCLES NOW ON THE ROAD WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE SHIFTER RATTLE ALTHOUGH BOTHERSOME IS NOT CATASTROPHIC.
19990325POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
MOTORCYCLE JUMPS OUT OF LOW GEAR, CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE TO GO INTO NEUTRAL.*AK
19981216CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
MOTORCYCLE STOPPED AT STOP SIGN, WAITING AND IT TOOK OFF, MOTORCYCLE GAS ENGAGED, EMERGENCY BUTTON PUSHED AND MOTORCYCLE WOULDN'T SHUT OFF. DRIVER LOST CONTROL. CLUTCH AND THROTTLE APPEARED DEFECTIVE, DRIVER SUFFERED INJURIES; BROKEN BACK/PELVIC BONE/TAIL BONE, AND FIVE RIBS. MOTORCYCLE NOT TOTALLED. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, DRIVER UNABLE TO CONTACT. PROVIDER FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
19981216CrashPOWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)
MOTORCYCLE STOPPED AT STOP SIGN, WAITING AND IT TOOK OFF, MOTORCYCLE GAS ENGAGED, EMERGENCY BUTTON PUSHED AND MOTORCYCLE WOULDN'T SHUT OFF. DRIVER LOST CONTROL. CLUTCH AND THROTTLE APPEARED DEFECTIVE, DRIVER SUFFERED INJURIES; BROKEN BACK/PELVIC BONE/TAIL BONE, AND FIVE RIBS. MOTORCYCLE NOT TOTALLED. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, DRIVER UNABLE TO CONTACT. PROVIDER FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Compare 1998HONDAVT1100 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 9 Open
DP26005Defect PetitionOpen
Inadvertent Deployment of Air Bags
PE25017Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status
PE25016Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Loss of Motive Power
PE25018Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Inadvertent Deployment of Side Air Bags
PE25015Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of braking force
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 HONDA VT1100 have?▼
The 1998 HONDA VT1100 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 HONDA VT1100?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 HONDA VT1100 is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE) and POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1998 HONDA VT1100 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 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 1998 HONDA VT1100; 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.