Total Complaints
3 filings
SUZUKI VL800 · model year
2003 SUZUKI VL800
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003SUZUKIVL800 carries 3 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 VL800 is exterior lighting with 1 filings, followed by wheels (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (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 14 investigation files overlapping the 2003 VL800. 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.
3
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 |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110609ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUZUKI VALUSIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE SPEED INCREASED TO 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SPUTTER. THE CARBURETOR WAS CLEANED, ADJUSTED THE VALVES AND PLACED A NEW EMISSION SYSTEM, BUT NOT OF THE REPAIRS CORRECTED THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO THE DEALER WHO STATED IT COULD BE THE GASOLINE PUMP FAILING, BUT IT WAS NOT REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33,000.
20081029WHEELS
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SUZUKI VL800. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE AND PARKED THE MOTORCYCLE. HE NOTICED THE SPOKES IN THE REAR WHEELS WERE BROKEN. DAYS LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE SPOKES WERE BROKEN DUE TO POOR MAINTENANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT WAS DRIVEN OCCASIONALLY THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THREE YEARS, ONLY ADDING 1,859 MILES. IN OCTOBER OF 2008, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, IT FELT LIKE THE VEHICLE HAD A FLAT TIRE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT SEVERAL OF THE REAR WHEEL SPOKES WERE BROKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TRANSPORTED BY A U-HAUL TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY HAD NO RECORD OF HIS MOTORCYCLE BEING REPAIRED IN 2005 AND WERE NOT LIABLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,304 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,445. UPDATED 11/17/08 *CN A SPOKE WAS MISSING IN THE REAR WHEEL. UPDATED 11/24/08. *JB
Mileage: 3,445
20060605EXTERIOR LIGHTING
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE LIGHT BAR ON THE MOTORCYCLE THAT HOLDS THE DRIVING AND BLINKER LIGHTS FRACTURED AND WAS REPLACED. AFTERWARDS, THE BAR FRACTURED AGAIN. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY.
Mileage: 6,000
Compare 2003SUZUKIVL800 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 SUZUKI VL800 have?▼
The 2003 SUZUKI VL800 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 SUZUKI VL800?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 SUZUKI VL800 is EXTERIOR LIGHTING with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include WHEELS and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 2003 SUZUKI VL800 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.