2015 Honda GL1800 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 2015 Honda GL1800, 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
- Steering450.0%
- Brakes337.5%
- Exterior lighting112.5%
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
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
TO WHOM IT CONCERNS, I AM INQUIRING IF NHTSA HAS HAD ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT HONDA GL1800 MOTORCYCLES HAVING THE WOBBLE IN THEIR STEERING HANDLEBARS? I SEE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS STEERING DEFECT ON THE INTERNET AND I HAD EXPERIENCED FIRST HAND WITH MY 2015 GL1800. I CONTACTED HONDA ABOUT THIS SERIOUS HANDLEBAR WOBBLE THAT IT WAS GETTING SO BAD BETWEEN 30-45MPH THAT IT WAS CAUSING TAKING CORNERS AT THESE SPEEDS THE ENTIRE MOTORCYCLE SHAKE TERRIBLY AND ALMOST OUT OF CONTROL. HONDA SAID THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM EVEN UNDER MY PURCHASED 5-YEAR WARRANTY POLICY. I WENT AROUND AND AROUND WITH THEM WITH NO HELP. I HAD TO TAKE SOME OF THE INTERNET GOLDWING FORUMS SUGGESTIONS: FORK BRACE, NEW MATCHED AND BALANCED TIRES, AND THE MOST RECOMMENDED SOLUTION TO GO WITH AFTERMARKET TAPERED BEARINGS REPLACING HONDA'S ROUND BALL-TYPE BEARINGS. THIS IN FACT FIXED THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED HONDA AGAIN TO GIVE THIS FEEDBACK AND THEY WOULDN'T PAY FOR THE PARTS OR LABOR THAT FIXED THE 'DEATH WOBBLE'. HONDA JUST DON'T WANT TO ADMIT THEY HAVE A VERY SERIOUS ENGINEERED FLAW! THE INTERNET IS FULL OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS SPECIFIC DANGEROUS HANDLEBAR SHAKING/WOBBLE. HONDA WILL NOT OWE UP TO THIS POTENTIAL DEADLY ENGINEERED BEARING PROBLEM. I FEEL IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND FORCE HONDA TO DO A RECALL TO FIX THESE BEARINGS BEFORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED, IF NOT ALREADY. I HAVE ALL MY PAPERWORK ON CONTACTING HONDA AND THE OLD REPLACED BEARINGS THAT ARE VERY LOOSE. THE FIXED COST ABOUT $400 WITH THE LOCAL MOTORCYCLE SHOP'S DISCOUNT THEY GAVE ME FOR ALL THE TROUBLES. THE SHOP SAID THEY HAVE DONE SO MANY OF THESE GL1800 OVER YEARS ALREADY HERE IN OUR SMALL COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA GL1800 GOLDWING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRE GAUGE INDICATED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS LOW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HANDLE BAR SHIMMIED AND MOVED UNCONTROLLABLY WHILE MAKING TURNS AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT NO FAILURES WERE FOUND. THROUGH RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME DEFECT FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,730.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2015 Honda GL1800 Motorcycle. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the contact depressed the hand brake lever on the handlebar and the rear brake foot pedal to slow for traffic. The contact stated that the rear wheel locked up and caused the motorcycle to stall. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, while using the front and rear brakes to stop the motorcycle, the rear wheel locked up. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V700000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact that the recall repair had been completed in 2016. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HONDA GL1800 GOLDWING F6B MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE, THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED ALL THE WAY DOWN. THE CONTACT HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED EVER SINCE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED IN AUGUST OF 2018. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS DRIVEN TO WORLD OF POWERSPORTS (2700 W PIONEER PKWY, PEORIA, IL 61615) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE WAS REPAIRED PER AN UNKNOWN RECALL BY A DIFFERENT DEALER IN 2015. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT OBLIGATED TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,300. *TR*JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
The speedometer is faded and the lense is cloudy and the driver is unable to see the speed of the vehicle during the day at all.
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 .