ON A HONDA VTX 1800C MOTORCYCLE, THE SPRING HOOK BROKE THAT HOLDS THE SPRING TO KEEP THE KICKSTAND IN PLACE. AS A RESULT, THE KICKSTAND FALLS TO THE GROUND WHICH TURNS OFF THE ENGINE. THIS HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC, RESULTING IN THE ENGINE STOPPING AND THE MOTORCYCLE COMING TO A STOP UNEXPECTEDLY. AUTOMOBILES BEHIND ME ALMOST RAN INTO THE REAR END OF THE MOTORCYCLE. HONDA MOTORCYCLES IS AWARE OF THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE THAT OCCURS WITH THE KICKSTAND SPRING HOOK. *LA
2002 Honda VTX1800 complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2002 record →
WHILE DECELERATING THERE IS A POPPING NOISE IN THE REAR CYLINDER. MECHANIC SAYS OIL IS GETTING INTO THE ENGINE.*AK
DECOMPRESSION LOBE ON THE FRONT CYCLINDER HAS FAILED ON MY 2002 VTX1800R. DECOMPRESSION LOBE IS STUCK IN OPEN POSTIION AND CAUSED SPARK PLUGS TO FOUL QUITE REGULARLY (EVERY 5K MILES). HAVE HAD PEOPLE TELL ME THEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR MOTORCYCLES AND HONDA WOULD NOT REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. MY WARRANTY WAS ONLY OUT 2 WEEKS BEFORE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED. ONLY FIX FIX PROBLEM IS CAM REPLACEMENTM WHICH RUNS ABOUT $350. I CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA DIRECTLY AND THEY DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF HAVING THIS PROBLEM IN ANY OTHER MOTORCYCLES, DESPITE PERSONALLY KNOWING OF ANOTHER PERSON WHO FILED A COMPLAINT THRU THEM ALSO. AMERICAN HONDA REFUSED TO TAKE MY COMPLAINT OVER THE PHONE AND KEPT TELLING ME IT WAS A DEALER ISSUE. AMERICAN HONDA CLAIMS THERE IS NO DATABASE FOR DEFECT COMPLAINTS FROM CUSTOMERS. A FULL RECALL AND INSPECTION OF ALL 2002 VTX 1800'S SHOULD BE PEFORMED TO CHECK AND DIAGNOSE ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE DECOMPRESSION LOBES/CAMS. BIKE RUNS VERY RICH AND CAUSES HIGH EMISSIONS CONTENT AT LOW RPM'S.*AK
THE TIRES WERE COMPLETELY CRACKED, THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM OCCURRED BECAUSE THE CONSUMER DID NOT RIDE THE BIKE ENOUGH.*JB
WITHIN THE FIRST 500 MILES AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW, THE SPARK PLUGS WERE DETERMINED TO BE FOULED FROM CARBON. A DETERIORATION IN PERFORMANCE WAS NOTED, ALONG WITH A SMELL OF GASOLINE FROM BEHIND THE VEHICLE AS IF IT WERE RUNNING RICH. THE VEHICLE ALSO BACKFIRES ON DECELLERATION. WHILE MY VEHICLE CONTINUES TO BE USABLE, OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED A NEED FOR COMPLETE ENGINE REBUILDING TO FIX CAM TIMING INACCURACIES, SCUFFED CYLINDER BORES FROM INCORRECTLY SEATING RINGS (CAUSING OIL BURNING AND CARBON FOULING OF THE COMBUSTION CHAMGER). SOME OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE LOSS OF USE OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO SPARK PLUG FAILURE. I HAVE WRITTEN LETTERS TO THE MANUFACTURER WHO RESPONDED BY PHONE AND DETERMINED THAT MY VEHICLE IS "NORMAL". THIS, WITHOUT VIEWING THE VEHICLE OR HAVING IT LOOKED AT BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. I FEEL IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE VEHICLE FAILS TO OPERATE WHICH I BELIEVE POSES A DANGER TO MY SAFETY IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN IN HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC.
EVERY 600 MILES THE PLUGS FOUL. BIKE WONT EVEN START. DEALER HAS OTHER VTX'S WITH SAME PROBLEM. DOESNT NO HOW TO FIX PROBLEM. HE STATED THAT HONDA INC. HAS BEEN NO HELP.
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN LEANING THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE LEFT THERE IS A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING HANDLE. CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. MR PROBLEM IS U-JOINTS IN THE DRIVE SHAFT.
THE VEHICLE ENGINE IS FOULING ITS SPARK PLUGS AFTER SOME SMALL PERIOD OF RIDING TIME CAUSING AN EXTENSIVE INCREASE IN BAD EXHAUST EMISSIONS. THERE IS A GASOLINE SMELL BEHIND THE MOTORCYCLE. AS WELL AS DEGRADED FUEL MILEAGE AND OVERALL PRODUCT PERFORMANCE. THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED TO BE THAT THE HONDA ASSEMBLY LINE INSTALLED THE ENGINE CAMSHAFTS OFF BY ONE TOOTH, WHICH WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THE ENGINE TO FOUL. *JG
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING THE MOTORCYCLE LOSS POWER. CAUSE UNKNOWN DEALER NOTIFIED.*JB
THE DUNLOP TIRES IN THE MOTORCYCLE ARE CUPPING CAUSING THE MOTORCYCLE TO VIBRATE AT HIGH SPEEDS AND WHEN MANUVERING AROUND TURNS, THE MANUFACTURER DECLINES TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM ALTHOUGH THE MOTORCYCLE IS UNDER WARRANTY, MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE DEFECTIVE TIRES DO NOT POST ANY SAFETY RISK AND THAT THERE ISNT MUCH THEY CAN DO SINCE THERE HASNT BEEN AN OFFICIAL RECALL. NLM
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED MOTORCYCLE WILL START TO LOSE POWER ,AND THEN STALL OUT. CONTACTED DEALER,AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK
VEHICLE IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD. VEHICLE STALLED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHEN SPARK PLUGS FAILED. THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. SPARK PLUGS WERE WET WITH FUEL, SOMEWHAT CARBONIZED. THE ENGINE AT TIMES RUNS ON ONE CYLINDER. *JG
RADIATOR ON MOTORCYCLE KEEPS BURNING OUT. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED RADIATOR, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. SOLUTION WAS NOT YET FOUND.*AK
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2002 Honda VTX1800 → · Every VTX1800 year → · How the figures are calculated →