Total Complaints
4 filings
HONDA VT1100 · model year
2003 HONDA VT1100
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003HONDAVT1100 carries 4 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 2003 VT1100 is engine and engine cooling:engine with 2 filings, followed by power train:manual transmission (1) and fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly (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 2003 VT1100, 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.
4
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20031024FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
PROBLEMS WITH MOTORCYCLE LEAKING GAS.*MR MOTORCYCLE LEAKED WHEN SITTING IN THE SUN UNTIL IT WAS PLACED IN THE SHADE. MECHANIC HAD THE MOTORCYCLE THREE TIMES AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THE HONDA REP NEVER CONTACTED THE CONSUMER REGARDING HIS MOTORCYCLE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED/RECALLED TO PREVENT A FIRE/ INJURIES. *PH
20030825ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THERE IS A LOUD TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF MY ENGINE THAT ENDS AT THE RIGHT FRONT HEAD.THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FROM THE FIRST DAY I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY NEW MOTORCYCLE. WHEN YOU FIRST START IT UP IT MAKES A SLIGHT TICKING NOISE AND IT GETS WORSE THE LONGER YOU RIDE IT. I HAVE TRIED TO GET THIS FIXED ON MY WARRANTY AND ALL I HAVE BEEN TOLD IS THAT IT IS A HONDA TRAIT AND JUST ONE OF THERE QUIRKS AND TO JUST "RIDE IT AND ENJOY THE BIKE". IT IS NOT A QUIRK. IT IS A SERIOUS VALVE TRAIN PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CLEARENCES ARE NOT CORRECT WHEN IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY AND AS THE MOTOR GETS HOTTER THE LOOSER THE VALVE TRAIN GETS. I HAVE TALKED TO 2 OTHER HONDA TECHNITIONS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT SAID THAT HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THAT THEY ARE NOT FIXING IT. I HAD ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD PUT IT IN WRITEING FOR ME AND BOTH SAID NO BECAUSE THEY WOULD LOOSE THERE JOBS. I HAVE CHANGED DIFFERENT WEIGHT OF OILS " AS PER HONDAS REQUEST " AND NO CHANGE. IT JUST GETS WOR
Mileage: 1
20030825ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THERE IS A LOUD TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF MY ENGINE THAT ENDS AT THE RIGHT FRONT HEAD.THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FROM THE FIRST DAY I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY NEW MOTORCYCLE. WHEN YOU FIRST START IT UP IT MAKES A SLIGHT TICKING NOISE AND IT GETS WORSE THE LONGER YOU RIDE IT. I HAVE TRIED TO GET THIS FIXED ON MY WARRANTY AND ALL I HAVE BEEN TOLD IS THAT IT IS A HONDA TRAIT AND JUST ONE OF THERE QUIRKS AND TO JUST "RIDE IT AND ENJOY THE BIKE". IT IS NOT A QUIRK. IT IS A SERIOUS VALVE TRAIN PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CLEARENCES ARE NOT CORRECT WHEN IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY AND AS THE MOTOR GETS HOTTER THE LOOSER THE VALVE TRAIN GETS. I HAVE TALKED TO 2 OTHER HONDA TECHNITIONS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT SAID THAT HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THAT THEY ARE NOT FIXING IT. I HAD ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD PUT IT IN WRITEING FOR ME AND BOTH SAID NO BECAUSE THEY WOULD LOOSE THERE JOBS. I HAVE CHANGED DIFFERENT WEIGHT OF OILS " AS PER HONDAS REQUEST " AND NO CHANGE. IT JUST GETS WOR
Mileage: 1
20030324POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
2003 HONDA MOTORCYCLE SABRE 1100 CC. THE "PIVOT BOLT" AND "ACORN NUT" THAT HOLD THE SHIFT PEDAL AND LINKAGE IN PLACE COMES TOTALLY LOOSE AND VIRTUALLY FALLS OFF EVERY 50 MILES. THIS HAPPENED ON MY FIRST RIDE ON THE NEW MOTORCYCLE. TWENTY-FIVE MILES OUT, THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT SHIFTING RIGHT. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THE SHIFT PEDAL HANGING BY THE LAST THREAD ON THE BOLT. I GOT OFF THE ROAD, USED THE HANDY TOOL KIT HONDA PROVIDES, AND TIGHTENED EVERYTHING UP. IF IT HAD COME ALL THE WAY OFF, IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE RENDERED THE MOTORCYCLE INOPERABLE, LEAVING ME STRANDED BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I ATTRIBUTED MY MISFORTUNE TO THE BOLT NOT BEING TIGHTENED PROPERLY DURING THE MANUFACTURING ASSEMBLY AND/OR DEALER ASSEMBLY. WHEN I GOT HOME, I DISASSEMBLED THE PEDAL, AND PROPERLY LUBRICATED AND REASSEMBLED THE PEDAL AND LINKAGE AS PER FACTORY SPECS. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, 50 MILES LATER IT WAS HANGING BY THE LAST THREAD AGAIN. I CAUGHT IT JUST B
Mileage: 25
Compare 2003HONDAVT1100 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 2003 HONDA VT1100 have?▼
The 2003 HONDA VT1100 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 HONDA VT1100?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 HONDA VT1100 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY.
Is the 2003 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 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.