Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Honda VT1100, most frequently naming the engine, fuel system and transmission categories. 4 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
PROBLEMS WITH MOTORCYCLE LEAKING GAS.*MR MOTORCYCLE LEAKED WHEN SITTING IN THE SUN UNTIL IT WAS PLACED IN THE SHADE. MECHANIC HAD THE MOTORCYCLE THREE TIMES AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THE HONDA REP NEVER CONTACTED THE CONSUMER REGARDING HIS MOTORCYCLE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED/RECALLED TO PREVENT A FIRE/ INJURIES. *PH
THERE IS A LOUD TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF MY ENGINE THAT ENDS AT THE RIGHT FRONT HEAD.THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FROM THE FIRST DAY I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY NEW MOTORCYCLE. WHEN YOU FIRST START IT UP IT MAKES A SLIGHT TICKING NOISE AND IT GETS WORSE THE LONGER YOU RIDE IT. I HAVE TRIED TO GET THIS FIXED ON MY WARRANTY AND ALL I HAVE BEEN TOLD IS THAT IT IS A HONDA TRAIT AND JUST ONE OF THERE QUIRKS AND TO JUST "RIDE IT AND ENJOY THE BIKE". IT IS NOT A QUIRK. IT IS A SERIOUS VALVE TRAIN PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CLEARENCES ARE NOT CORRECT WHEN IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY AND AS THE MOTOR GETS HOTTER THE LOOSER THE VALVE TRAIN GETS. I HAVE TALKED TO 2 OTHER HONDA TECHNITIONS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT SAID THAT HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THAT THEY ARE NOT FIXING IT. I HAD ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD PUT IT IN WRITEING FOR ME AND BOTH SAID NO BECAUSE THEY WOULD LOOSE THERE JOBS. I HAVE CHANGED DIFFERENT WEIGHT OF OILS " AS PER HONDAS REQUEST " AND NO CHANGE. IT JUST GETS WORSE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE VT1100C ENGINES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY HONDA TRAINED PERSONAL; TO GO AND TRY THERE DIFFERENT WEIGHTS OF OIL TRYING TO QUIT THIS UP AND IT JUST GETS WORSE THE MORE MILES YOU PUT ON IT.THIS BIKE NEEDS TO BE IN THE SHOP AND TORN DOWN TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I TOOK DELIVERY OF THIS BIKE, MARCH-15-2003. IT IS NOW AUGUST-25-2003 AND I ONLY HAVE 2,600 MILES ON IT. THIS BIKE WAS BOUGHT FOR MY SUMMER TRANSPORTATION AND I AM SCARED TO RIDE IT BECAUSE THE VALVE TRAIN COULD LET LOOSE AND THE ENGINE COULD LOCK UP AND CAUSE AN INJURY OR A DEATH.*AK
THERE IS A LOUD TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF MY ENGINE THAT ENDS AT THE RIGHT FRONT HEAD.THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FROM THE FIRST DAY I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY NEW MOTORCYCLE. WHEN YOU FIRST START IT UP IT MAKES A SLIGHT TICKING NOISE AND IT GETS WORSE THE LONGER YOU RIDE IT. I HAVE TRIED TO GET THIS FIXED ON MY WARRANTY AND ALL I HAVE BEEN TOLD IS THAT IT IS A HONDA TRAIT AND JUST ONE OF THERE QUIRKS AND TO JUST "RIDE IT AND ENJOY THE BIKE". IT IS NOT A QUIRK. IT IS A SERIOUS VALVE TRAIN PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CLEARENCES ARE NOT CORRECT WHEN IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY AND AS THE MOTOR GETS HOTTER THE LOOSER THE VALVE TRAIN GETS. I HAVE TALKED TO 2 OTHER HONDA TECHNITIONS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT SAID THAT HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THAT THEY ARE NOT FIXING IT. I HAD ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD PUT IT IN WRITEING FOR ME AND BOTH SAID NO BECAUSE THEY WOULD LOOSE THERE JOBS. I HAVE CHANGED DIFFERENT WEIGHT OF OILS " AS PER HONDAS REQUEST " AND NO CHANGE. IT JUST GETS WORSE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE VT1100C ENGINES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY HONDA TRAINED PERSONAL; TO GO AND TRY THERE DIFFERENT WEIGHTS OF OIL TRYING TO QUIT THIS UP AND IT JUST GETS WORSE THE MORE MILES YOU PUT ON IT.THIS BIKE NEEDS TO BE IN THE SHOP AND TORN DOWN TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I TOOK DELIVERY OF THIS BIKE, MARCH-15-2003. IT IS NOW AUGUST-25-2003 AND I ONLY HAVE 2,600 MILES ON IT. THIS BIKE WAS BOUGHT FOR MY SUMMER TRANSPORTATION AND I AM SCARED TO RIDE IT BECAUSE THE VALVE TRAIN COULD LET LOOSE AND THE ENGINE COULD LOCK UP AND CAUSE AN INJURY OR A DEATH.*AK
2003 HONDA MOTORCYCLE SABRE 1100 CC. THE "PIVOT BOLT" AND "ACORN NUT" THAT HOLD THE SHIFT PEDAL AND LINKAGE IN PLACE COMES TOTALLY LOOSE AND VIRTUALLY FALLS OFF EVERY 50 MILES. THIS HAPPENED ON MY FIRST RIDE ON THE NEW MOTORCYCLE. TWENTY-FIVE MILES OUT, THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT SHIFTING RIGHT. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THE SHIFT PEDAL HANGING BY THE LAST THREAD ON THE BOLT. I GOT OFF THE ROAD, USED THE HANDY TOOL KIT HONDA PROVIDES, AND TIGHTENED EVERYTHING UP. IF IT HAD COME ALL THE WAY OFF, IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE RENDERED THE MOTORCYCLE INOPERABLE, LEAVING ME STRANDED BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I ATTRIBUTED MY MISFORTUNE TO THE BOLT NOT BEING TIGHTENED PROPERLY DURING THE MANUFACTURING ASSEMBLY AND/OR DEALER ASSEMBLY. WHEN I GOT HOME, I DISASSEMBLED THE PEDAL, AND PROPERLY LUBRICATED AND REASSEMBLED THE PEDAL AND LINKAGE AS PER FACTORY SPECS. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, 50 MILES LATER IT WAS HANGING BY THE LAST THREAD AGAIN. I CAUGHT IT JUST BEFORE IT FELL OFF. I NOW HAVE IT BOLTED ON USING A STANDARD "HARDWARE-STORE" SELF-LOCKING NUT. I RODE 150 MILES YESTERDAY WITH NO PROBLEM. I NOW THINK THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW OR ASSEMBLY ERROR IN USING THE WRONG TYPE OF BOLT AND NUT. I CANNOT BLAME IT ON SLOPPY ASSEMBLY AS IT CAME LOOSE AGAIN AFTER I METICULOUSLY ASSEMBLED EVERYTHING MYSELF. TO HAVE THIS CRITICAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT CONSISTENTLY COME LOOSE IN 25-50 MILES OF RIDING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I AM SURE YOU WOULD AGREE. I AM SUBMITTING THIS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. I HAVE NOTIFIED HONDA AS WELL. *JB
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
AIR BAGS
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, American Honda announced three recalls for various 2001-11 Honda models. As of August 4, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and VIN status inquiry has been updated.
AIR BAGS
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, American Honda announced three recalls for various 2001-11 Honda models. As of July 23, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and service bulletins 14-040, Safety Recall: Accord, Civic, and Others ? Front Passenger?s Airbag Inflator Can Be Over-Pressurized, 14-045, Recall: Front Driver?s Airbag Inflator May Produce Excessive Pressure After Long-Term Exposure to High Absolute Humidity Recall, and 14-046, Recall: Front Passenger?s Airbag Inflator May Produce Excessive Pressure After Long-Term Exposure to High Absolute Humidity have been posted to ISIS. However, due to the large number of affected units, American Honda is still in the process of populating the VIN status inquiry function on iN, which is expected to take several days. When this process is complete, American Honda will notify all dealers again via iN message. Until that time, the existing acknowledgement procedure must be used for all potentially affected vehicles.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY REDUCED LABEL FOR ALL HONDA VEHICLES. *PE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
HONDA: WARRANTY EXTENSION-VEHICLE WARRANTY MILEAGE. CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ALLEGING THAT THE ODOMETERS ON CERTAIN 2002-2006 HONDA MODELS WERE OVERSTATING MILEAGE. FEDERAL COURT PROVIDED FINAL APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT ON 12/29/07. NO MODELS LISTED. *PE
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003Viewing | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.