2002 Honda GL1800: complaints, problems and recalls

WHEN STUCK IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC GOING INTO THE CITY THE COOLANT TEMP GAUGE WENT DEEP INTO THE RED. WITH NOWHERE SAFE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD I WAS FORCED TO PROCEED WITH THE FEAR OF THE ENGINE BOILING OVER. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE AT THE GL1800 WEB SITES IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY FAULTY MANUFACTURING. HONDA DESIGNED THE RADIATOR FANS TO BLOW THE AIR FOWARD UP TO A SPEED OF 15 MPH. ANY FASTER THAN THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED TO SHUT OFF AND ALLOW THE AMBIENT AIR TO PUSH THROUGH THE RADIATORS IN THE NORMAL DIRECTION. APPARENTLY THIS WAS DONE TO TR…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,427 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000621 at NHTSA ↗

MOTORCYCLE CONSISTENTLY OVERHEATS WHEN DRIVING AT 10-15 MPH FOR 3-5 MINUTES. THIS APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY A COOLING FAN WHICH BLOWS AIR FORWARD INSTEAD OF BACKWARD. WHEN THE COOLING FAN FORWARD AIR SPEED EQUALS THE AMBIENT FRONT-TO-BACK AIRFLOW SPEED, THERE IS A NET ZERO AIRFLOW OVER THE RADIATOR WHICH CAUSES THE MOTORCYCLE TO OVERHEAT. THIS OVERHEATING COULD CAUSE INJURY IF THE OVERHEATING CAUSES COOLANT TO ESCAPE THROUGH THE VENT TUBE WHICH WOULD EXPEL COOLANT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE REAR TIRE. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000813 at NHTSA ↗

TRANSMISSION POPS IN AND OUT OF GEAR WHILE DOWN SHIFTING SOMETIMES, LOCKING REAR TIRE USUALLY ENTERING A TURN. PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN CONTINUALLY WORSE. TOOK TO DEALER WHERE WARRANTY MANAGER FOUND SAME PROBLEMS WHILE RIDING. THIS MOTORCYCLE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 4 WEEKS ON 7/21/02. THERE HAS BEEN WORK DONE TO THE BIKE AS OF 7/16/02. VERY DISAPPOINTING SERVICE. *PH *JB **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**764307

Owner-reported narrative. 120 miles reported. Look up ODI 10006921 at NHTSA ↗

MOTORCYCLE OVERHEATS, FORCING DRIVER TO PULL OVER IN TRAFFIC, MOST USUALLY, HEAVY TRAFFIC CONDITIONS.

Owner-reported narrative. 440 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007617 at NHTSA ↗

FRONT TIRE ON MOTORCYCLE WAS CUPPING.ALSO, SLIGHT WOBBLE IN FRONT END. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10014546 at NHTSA ↗

MOTORCYCLE TEMPERATURE CLIMBED INTO THE RED/ FLUID LEAK. MR. WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAD RAISED, THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND DISCOVERED 1/2 OF FLUID COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE RADIATOR, AFTER 10 MINUTES THE MOTORCYCLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT DOWN. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10019633 at NHTSA ↗

LOW SPEED WOBBLE, DEFECTIVE STEERING HEAD BEARING, EXCESSIVE FRONT TIRE WEAR, UN-STEADY BRAKING. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10026002 at NHTSA ↗

IN THE PAST MONTH MULITPLE HONDA GL1800 FRAME BREAKAGES HAVE OCCURRED. THE BREAKAGE CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO DROP DOWN WITH THE LOWEST PROTION CONTACTING THE GROUND AND THE REAR WHEEL CONTACTING THE FENDER. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WHILE CORNERING, AN ACCIDENT IS LIKELY TO OCCUR. 7 BREAKAGES HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED TO DATE WITH VIN NUMBERS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. OTHERS HAVE BEEN MENTIONED, BUT ARE NOT VERIFIABLE AT THIS TIME. HONDA CORP. HAS BEEN QUIETLY REPLACING THE MOTORCYCLES SO THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF BREAKAGES COULD BE MUCH HIGHER. I FEEL AT THIS TIME THA…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10030226 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2002-12-23 (December 23, 2002)

ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE BANK ANGLE SENSORS DESIGNED TO SHUT OFF THE FUEL PUMP AND THE ENGINE ELECTRICAL POWER IN THE EVENT THE MOTORCYCLE FALLS OVER, WERE INSTALLED USING THE WRONG SIZE SCREWS ALLOWING THE SCREWS TO EVENTUALLY DETACH FROM THEIR MOUNTING POINT.

Consequence: IF THE SENSOR DETACHES, THE ENGINE WILL STOP UNEXPECTEDLY. SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, ESPECIALLY WHILE TURNING, COULD CAUSE A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE MOUNTING SCREW SIZE AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL SCREWS OF THE CORRECT SIZE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 23, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-289-8226.

Reported: 2003-09-26 (September 26, 2003)

ON SOME MOTORCYCLES, CERTAIN FRAME WELDS DO NOT MEET MANUFACTURING SPECIFICATIONS. HIGH LOADS CREATED WHEN RIDING ON ROUGH ROAD SURFACES OR THROUGH POTHOLES CAN CAUSE THE AFFECTED WELDS TO CRACK.

Consequence: THE WELDED AREA COULD BREAK, RESULTING IN REAR SUSPENSION COLLAPSE OR LOWER CROSS MEMBER SEPARATION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REINFORCE THE WELDS ON ALL FRAMES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DURING OCTOBER 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HONDA AT 1-866-784-1870.

Reported: 2005-01-24 (January 24, 2005)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Reported: 2005-01-31 (January 31, 2005)

ON SOME MOTORCYCLES, CERTAIN FRAME WELDS DO NOT MEET MANUFACTURING SPECIFICATIONS. HIGH LOADS CREATED WHEN RIDING ON ROUGH ROAD SURFACES OR THROUGH POTHOLES CAN CAUSE THE AFFECTED WELDS TO CRACK.

Consequence: THE WELDED AREA COULD BREAK, RESULTING IN REAR SUSPENSION COLLAPSE OR LOWER CROSS MEMBER SEPARATION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REINFORCE THE WELDS ON 2001-2002 MOTORCYCLES FREE OF CHARGE. ON 2003-2004 MOTORCYCLES, THE UNITS WILL BE REPAIRED, NO INSPECTION WILL BE NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 9, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-866-784-1870.

Reported: 2011-12-01 (December 1, 2011)

HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2001-2010, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 GL1800 GOLDWING MOTORCYCLES. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE COMBINED BRAKING SYSTEM'S SECONDARY MASTER CYLINDER MAY CAUSE THE REAR BRAKE TO DRAG.

Consequence: UNEXPECTED BRAKING INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH, AND RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE WITH THE REAR BRAKE DRAGGING MAY GENERATE ENOUGH HEAT TO CAUSE THE REAR BRAKE TO CATCH FIRE.

Remedy: HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SECONDARY MASTER CYLINDER AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE IT, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 6, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-866-784-1870.

Reported: 2015-10-23 (October 23, 2015)

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2010 and 2012-2015 GL1800, 2001-2005 GL1800A and 2013-2015 GL1800B motorcycles. The rear brakes of the affected motorcycles may drag after the brakes are released.

Consequence: A rear brake that drags may increase the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, extended riding with the rear brake dragging could generate enough heat to result in a fire.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary brake master cylinder and the rear brake master cylinder, and flush the brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on December 7, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-866-784-1870. Honda's number for this recall is JV6. Note: This recall supercedes recall 14V-472.