RoadVitals

2003 Honda VFR800 Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Apr 23, 2013
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
3
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2003 Honda VFR800, 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

  • Electrical880.0%
  • Fuel system110.0%
  • Exterior lighting110.0%

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

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

8
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

MY ISSUE WAS FIRST DISCOVERED IN 2012 WHEN I COULD NOT START MY MOTORCYCLE; MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS AN OLD BATTERY. UPON RESEARCHING ON VFRDISCUSSION.COM I WAS EXPOSED TO NUMEROUS VFR OWNERS WITH STARTING ISSUES THAT WAS RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL AND CHARGING ISSUES, A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MY 2003 MODEL YEAR. FROM THE INFORMATION GATHERED I STARTED TO INVESTIGATE MY MOTORCYCLE TO SEE IF THE ISSUE IS INDEED TRUE. I DID A SERIES OF SUGGESTED ELECTRICAL TESTING WITH A MULTIMETER AND THE RESULTS PROVE NEGATIVE. I PROCEEDED TO REMOVE THE PLASTIC COVERING TO EXPOSE WIRING TO SEE IF I HAVE BURNT CONNECTORS AND WIRING, WHICH I DO. I HAD THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPAIRED WITH NEW STATOR, REGULATOR/RECTIFIER AND BATTERY. AFTER THE REPAIR I WAS ABLE TO RIDE FOR THE SEASON. MY BATTERY WAS CHARGING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS GOOD, NO ISSUES. NOW IN 2013 I AM HAVING THE SAME CHARGING ISSUE AGAIN. THE BATTERY IS NOT CHARGING, NOT ABLE TO START THE MOTORCYCLE. MY CONCERN HERE IS THAT AMERICAN HONDA IS NOT BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT ISSUE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS VFR800 OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ELECTRICAL ISSUES, ISSUES LIKE BURNT STATOR AND WIRING/ CONNECTORS. THIS ELECTRICAL ISSUE HAS LEFT ME STRANDED FAR FROM HOME. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ID 10509240 · filed Apr 23, 2013

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA VFR800. WHILE RIDING 70 MPH, THE HEADLIGHT SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FRONT FAIRING SUB-HARNESS TRANSFERRED THE ELECTRICAL GROUNDING LOAD OF THE HEADLIGHT TO OTHER COMPONENTS AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V359000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING) WAS REFERENCED. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 27,239.

NHTSA ID 10201965 · filed Sep 5, 2007
All 8 reports naming electrical →

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

DT: THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, THERE IS A BUZZING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF VEHICLE, ONE OF THE WIRES COMING FROM THE BATTERY BECAME HOT, CAUSING IT TO MELT. THE FUEL PUMP DOES NOT WORK, CAUSING VEHICLE NOT START, VEHICLE SHUTS OFF AT HIGHER SPEEDS, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHO TRIED TO FIX PROBLEM, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *SC *JB

NHTSA ID 10124600 · filed Jul 8, 2005

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

MY ISSUE WAS FIRST DISCOVERED IN 2012 WHEN I COULD NOT START MY MOTORCYCLE; MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS AN OLD BATTERY. UPON RESEARCHING ON VFRDISCUSSION.COM I WAS EXPOSED TO NUMEROUS VFR OWNERS WITH STARTING ISSUES THAT WAS RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL AND CHARGING ISSUES, A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MY 2003 MODEL YEAR. FROM THE INFORMATION GATHERED I STARTED TO INVESTIGATE MY MOTORCYCLE TO SEE IF THE ISSUE IS INDEED TRUE. I DID A SERIES OF SUGGESTED ELECTRICAL TESTING WITH A MULTIMETER AND THE RESULTS PROVE NEGATIVE. I PROCEEDED TO REMOVE THE PLASTIC COVERING TO EXPOSE WIRING TO SEE IF I HAVE BURNT CONNECTORS AND WIRING, WHICH I DO. I HAD THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPAIRED WITH NEW STATOR, REGULATOR/RECTIFIER AND BATTERY. AFTER THE REPAIR I WAS ABLE TO RIDE FOR THE SEASON. MY BATTERY WAS CHARGING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS GOOD, NO ISSUES. NOW IN 2013 I AM HAVING THE SAME CHARGING ISSUE AGAIN. THE BATTERY IS NOT CHARGING, NOT ABLE TO START THE MOTORCYCLE. MY CONCERN HERE IS THAT AMERICAN HONDA IS NOT BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT ISSUE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS VFR800 OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ELECTRICAL ISSUES, ISSUES LIKE BURNT STATOR AND WIRING/ CONNECTORS. THIS ELECTRICAL ISSUE HAS LEFT ME STRANDED FAR FROM HOME. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ID 10509240 · filed Apr 23, 2013

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

Data on this page last refreshed .