2003 Honda CB900F Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2003 Honda CB900F, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine375.0%
- Fuel system125.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
AFTER ANY AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT ON THE MOTORYCLE, AN UNBEARABLE ODOR FROM THE EXHAUST SIMILAR TO STAGNANT SEWAGE EMANATES FROM THE EXHAUST. THIS HAS OCCURRED THROUGHOUT OWNERSHIP AND IS WIDELY REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS. HONDA NOR A LOCAL DEALER DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE WHEN CONTACTED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND ANY CAUSE OF THE ODOR. THE ODOR CAUSES SEVERE HEADACHES, LIGHTHEADEDNESS, AND NAUSEA. THE ODOR EMANATES AT IDLE, AT SPEED, DURING COLD STARTS, WARM STARTS, AND AT SHUTDOWN. THE ODOR IS NOTICEABLY STRONGER WHEN THE ENGINE REACHES OPERATING TEMPERATURE. *TR
WHILE RIDING THIS MOTORCYCLE, EXHAUST FUMES WILL PERMEATE THE BACK OF THE RIDERS CLOTHING, BACK PACKS AND PASSENGERS, LEAVING A NASUATING ODOR THAT IS UNBEARABLE TO BE AROUND. THIS OCCURS WITH RIDING TRIPS THAT ARE AS SHORT AS 15 MINUTES. PASSENGERS COMPLAIN THAT THEY CAN SMELL EXHAUST FUMES WHILE RIDING, CAUSING HEADACHES, NASUA AND DIZZINESS. SPOKE WITH THE DEALER ABOUT KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL, AND THEY KNEW OF NONE. CHECK OUT BIKE AND FOUND NO DEFECTS. SPOKE WITH "JARED" AT AMERICAN HONDA IN CA (866-784-1870), AND HE STATED THAT HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT HAVE NO PLANS TO FIX BECAUSE THERE ARE NO DEFECTS WITH THE BIKE, THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY THE UNDERTAIL EXHAUST AND THAT IT IS THER NATURE OF THE BIKE. WHEN I INQUIRED IF ANY OTHER UNDERTAIL EXHAUST SYSTEM MOTORCYCLES PRODUCED BY HONDA HAD SIMILAIR PROBLEMS, HE SAID THEY DID NOT! THAT IT IS ONLY THE 919/HORNET 900. IF YOU GO TO ANY ONLINE OWNERS FORUM WORLDWIDE, YOU WILL FIND THAT THIS PARTICULAR MODEL SUFFERS FROM THIS PROBLEM IN THE US, EUROPE, AUSTRAILIA AND JAPEN. OWNERS SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING A SAFETY/HEALTH PROBLEM WITH A MOTORCYCLE THAT COMES FROM THE FACTORY WITH A DESIGN FLAW.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
AFTER ANY AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT ON THE MOTORYCLE, AN UNBEARABLE ODOR FROM THE EXHAUST SIMILAR TO STAGNANT SEWAGE EMANATES FROM THE EXHAUST. THIS HAS OCCURRED THROUGHOUT OWNERSHIP AND IS WIDELY REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS. HONDA NOR A LOCAL DEALER DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE WHEN CONTACTED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND ANY CAUSE OF THE ODOR. THE ODOR CAUSES SEVERE HEADACHES, LIGHTHEADEDNESS, AND NAUSEA. THE ODOR EMANATES AT IDLE, AT SPEED, DURING COLD STARTS, WARM STARTS, AND AT SHUTDOWN. THE ODOR IS NOTICEABLY STRONGER WHEN THE ENGINE REACHES OPERATING TEMPERATURE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .