2002 Honda VFR800

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers2
000
Electrical System2
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Electrical System › Wiring1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Electrical System › Wiring07V359000
Filed Aug 15, 20076,952 vehiclesHonda (american Honda Motor Co.)

Defect. ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE FRONT FAIRING SUB-HARNESS (SECTION OF THE WIRING HARNESS) TRANSFERS THE ELECTRICAL GROUNDING LOAD OF THE HEADLIGHTS, FRONT TURN SIGNALS, INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND VARIOUS RELAYS TO THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS VIA AN 18-PIN CONNECTOR. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THE GROUND WIRE TERMINALS INSIDE THE CONNECTOR CAN OVERHEAT, RESULTING IN MELTING OF THE CONNECTOR AND A LOSS OF POWER TO VARIOUS CIRCUITS.

Risk. AS A RESULT, A LOSS OF CRITICAL LIGHTING OR ENGINE POWER COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RE-DESIGNED SUB-HARNESS. IF DAMAGE IS FOUND, THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS WILL ALSO BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. AN INTERIM LETTER WAS MAILED TO OWNERS ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2007. OWNERS WERE RE-NOTIFIED ON NOVEMBER 10, 2007, TO TAKE THEIR MOTORCYCLES TO DEALERS TO HAVE THE PARTS INSTALLED. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-866-784-1870.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic05V010000
Filed Jan 24, 200536,046 vehiclesHonda (american Honda Motor Co.)

Defect. 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.

Risk. IF THE MOTORCYCLE CONTINUES TO BE USED AFTER A LEAK OCCURS, THE REAR BRAKE WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME INOPERATIVE. A LOSS OF REAR BRAKE FORCE COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR BRAKE FORLEAKAGE. IF LEAKAGE IS CONFIRMED, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PCV FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 31, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 866-784-1870.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 17, 2008OK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA VFR800. THE CONTACT MAILED IN A WARRANTY CARD NOTIFYING THE HONDA MANUFACTURER THAT HE NOW OWNS THE MOTORCYCLE. THE WARRANTY INFORMATION WAS ENTERED INTO HONDA'S SYSTEM INCORRECTLY AND NOW IT STATES THAT THE MOTORCYCLE IS STOLEN. THERE IS A NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V359000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING) ON THE VEHICLE, WHICH THE DEALERS ARE REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE DUE TO THEIR ERROR. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE.

Electrical System
Filed May 23, 200717,000 milesTX

I OWN A 2002 HONDA VFR 800 MOTORCYCLE THAT HAS INCURRED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT 2 DEALERS WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR. THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND WHEN TRYING TO USE TURN SIGNALS. THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AND THE ENGINE DIED...A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. NOW THE MOTORCYCLE STILL DID THE SAME THING, JUST THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE PRACTICALLY NON FUNCTIONING ,THEY CAME ON SOMETIMES WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP BUT THE ENGINES STILL DIED WHENEVER I USE THE TURN SIGNALS. *AK ANY HELP YOU MAY PROVIDE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED, THE MORE RESEARCH I DO ON THE INTERNET REVEALS THAT THIS PARTICULAR BIKE HAS HAD AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, MANY RESULTING IN DANGEROUS PERHAPS DEADLY CONSEQUENCES.

Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Filed Oct 3, 20069,000 milesKS

MOTORCYCLE ENGINE DIED WHILE RUNNING. I DID TROUBLESHOOT TO FIND AN ELECTRICAL 30 AMP FUSE WIRE INSULATION SCORCHED AND BURNED THROUGH. COPPER CONDUCTOR HAD BECOME VERY HOT. *JB

Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Sep 11, 200620,054 milesIA

HAD STARTING PROBLEMS AND WENT TO CHECK THE BATTERY. FOUND THAT THE FUSE HOLDER, A CONNECTOR AND THE SMALL WIRE BETWEEN THE TWO HAD DISCOLORED TO A BROWN. THERE WERE SIGNS OF MELTING ON THE WIRE INSULATION. THE PART HAS NOT FAILED TO DATE BUT GETS VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH WHEN THE VEHICLE ENGINE IS RUNNING. *JB

Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Filed Feb 17, 200656,000 milesCA

30AMP MAIN FUSE HOLDER MELTING. ENGINE STOPPED ON FREEWAY. *NM

Electrical System
Filed Jul 25, 200543,000 milesFL

DT: THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED 4 SEPARATE ELECTRICAL FAILURES, IT HAS CAUSED HEADLIGHT AND ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED HONDA THEY HAVE REPAIRED THE ISSUE UNDER WARRANTY. THE GROUND WIRE HAS BURNED 3 TIMES AT DIFFERENT POINTS. THE 1ST TIME AUG 2002. FIRST TIME IT ONLY HAD 18,000 MILES. *JB

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2003
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20063100Routine
20053100Routine
20043200Routine
20038200Routine
2002 — this page6200Routine
19992000Routine

Compare every VFR800 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Aug 15, 2007. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.