RoadVitals

2003 Honda VTX1300 Suspension Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Suspension reportsComplaints 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.
11
Latest Jul 31, 2012
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
31%
of 35 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Honda VTX1300 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming suspension

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

SteeringSuspension
Filed Jul 31, 2012

BAD WOBBLE IN STEERING/BEARING BETWEEN 30 AND 50 MPH. WHEN THIS IS GOING ON IN A CURVE YOU NEARLY LOOSE CONTROL IT CONVULSIVE WOBBLE GROWS. NOT HARD TO FIND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS CONDITION EVEN ON THESE BIKES RIGHT FROM THE DEALER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10468388
Incident
Jul 30, 2012
Mileage
16,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Jun 8, 2008

REAR FLANGE BEARING IN VTX 1300 CAME APART, LOOKED AT BEARING WHILE CHANGING REAR TIRE. REPLACE 2004 AND 2003 VTX S BEARING WHILE CHANGING REAR TIRE. REPLACE BEARING # 91052-KZ4-J21. *TR

NHTSA ID
10230287
Incident
Apr 22, 2006
Mileage
270,000 mi
SteeringSuspension
Filed Aug 3, 2006

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2003 HONDA VT1300S. THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS A DECELERATION "WOBBLE" AT 35-45 MPH. IT IS FELT AT THE HANDLEBARS EVEN WHILE HAVING BOTH HANDS ON THEM. MANY VTX OWNERS I KNOW HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT REALLY FEELS AS IF THE STEERING HEAD WOULD COME LOOSE AT ANY POINT AND ALSO IT'S DANGEROUS WHEN RIDING ON CERTAIN ROADS. IT ALSO SHOWS UNEVEN TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT TIRE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10164334
Incident
Aug 3, 2006
Mileage
12,000 mi
SteeringSuspension
Filed Nov 1, 2005

VEHICLE - 2003 HONDA VTX S/R MODEL PROBLEM IS FRONT END WOBBLE AT 45-35 MPH WHEN DECELERATING. I REPLACED FRONT AND REAR TIRES AT JUST OVER 9000 MILES. BEFORE I REPLACED THE FRONT TIRE THE WOBBLE WAS GETTING WORSE. AFTER I REPLACED THE FRONT TIRE I NOTICED THAT THE WOBBLE IS GONE BUT I CAN STILL FEEL A VERY SLIGHT SIDE TO SIDE VIBRATION IN THE HANDLEBARS. *NM

NHTSA ID
10141445
Incident
Oct 1, 2005
Mileage
5,000 mi
SuspensionTires & wheels
Filed Jun 23, 2004

MOTORCYCLE'S TIRES WEAR DOWN UNEVENLY ON THE LEFT SIDE.*MR THE MOTORCYCLE DEVELOPED A TERRIBLE FRONT WHEEL AND FORK WOBBLE DUE TO TIRES (DUNLOP 404) THAT WORE UNEVENLY ON THE LEFT SIDE, AFTER ONLY 6000 MILES ON THE ORIGINAL TIRES, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TREAD WAS DOWN TO 2MM WHILE THE RIGHT WAS ABOUT 5MM. AT 7000 MILES THE LEFT SIDE WAS DOWN TO 1MM AND THE RIGHT WAS 4-5MM. *NM

NHTSA ID
10079888
Incident
Jan 1, 1901
Suspension
Filed Jun 18, 2004

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA VTX 1300 S RETRO. I FIRST NOTICED THE FRONT END WOBBLE AT 450 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT STARTS BETWEEN 38 TO 45 MILES PER HOUR. YOU CAN REALLY NOTICE IT WHEN YOU HOLD A CONSTANT SPEED OF 40 MILES PER HOUR. AT THIS SPEED THE HANDLE BARS SHAKE RIGHT IN YOUR HANDS. IF YOU INCREASE THE SPEED TO 50 AND LET GO OF THE BARS YOU CAN SEE THE BARS SHAKE BACK AND FORTH WITH ABOUT 5 TO 8 INCHES OF SIDE TO SIDE PLAY UNTIL YOU GET DOWN TO AROUND 35 MPH. EVEN WITH YOUR HANDS ON THE BARS YOU CAN FEEL THE SIDE TO SIDE MOTION AT THESE SPEEDS. I TOOK IT TO MY DEALER AND HE SAID HE NEVER HEARD ABOUT IT AND THEN HE TOOK OFF THE FRONT WHEEL AND CHECKED THE WEIGHTS ON THE TIRES AND TRUENESS. HE ADDED MORE WEIGHTS AND IT STILL DID IT. I KNOW HAVE 2600 MILES ON THIS BIKE WITH THE PROBLEM STILL HERE. I TOOK IT TO 2 OTHER HONDA DEALERS AND THEY WILL NOT EVEN LOOK AT IT BECAUSE I DID NOT BUY IT THERE BUT THEY SAID ANY OTHER PROBLEMS OTHER THAN THAT THEY CAN " HELP " ME WITH. THE MORE MILES THAT GETS ON THIS BIKE THE WORSE IT GETS. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. EVERYONE THAT I TALK TO THAT HAS THIS TYPE OF BIKE IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
10078420
Incident
Sep 7, 2003
Mileage
580 mi
Suspension
Filed Jun 18, 2004

FRONT END WOBBLED ON MY 2003 HONDA VTX 1300 RETRO MOTORCYCLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10078414
Incident
Jun 17, 2004
SuspensionTires & wheels
Filed Jun 3, 2004

THE FRONT WHEEL OF MY HONDA VTX 1300 HAS A MAJOR WOBBLE WHEN I RUN 40 TO 50 MPH. A WHILE BACK (6 OR 7 MONTHS AGO) I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM WHEN I BROUGHT IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THE BIKE WAS NOT MADE TO RIDE WITH NO HANDS. END OF STORY. THE REASON WHY I WAITED SO LONG IS UNTIL NOW I DID NOT KNOW WHO TO TURN TO. RECENTLY I WAS READING ON A WEB SITE JUST FOR HONDA VTX CRUISERS THAT I WAS NOT ALONE BY A LONG SHOT WITH THIS PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW WERE TO GO SO I AM LOOKING TO FOR AN ANSWER FROM YOU INSTEAD OF THE ONE THE DEALER GAVE ME. PS. THE DATE I GAVE BELOW WAS ONLY TO PROCEED. I DON'T KNOW THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED THE WOBBLE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10074748
Incident
Nov 25, 2001
Suspension
Filed Jun 1, 2004

HAVE FRONT END WOBBLE ON HONDA VTX 1300 03 AT 40MPH VERY UNSAFE HONDA SAYS THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS AND DONT SEAM TO WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

NHTSA ID
10074573
Incident
Jun 1, 2004
Mileage
3,000 mi
Suspension
Filed May 31, 2004

EXCESSIVE FRONT END WOBBLE. AT SPEEDS AROUND 40 MPH, THE FRONT END WOBBLES EXCESSIVELY, MANY HONDA VTX RIDERS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO THE DEALERS. HOWEVER, ITS ALWAYS THE SAME ANSWERS, "NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS, OR HONDA RECOMMENDS THAT YOU NOT LET GO OF THE HANDLE BARS. I REPLACE MY TIRE AT 8500 MILES AND HAD THE RIMS CHECKED. STILL SAME PROBLEM... CHECK OUR WEB SITE HTTP://WWW.VTXOA.COM/FORUMS/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?T=16810&HIGHLIGHT=WOBBLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10074522
Incident
Apr 1, 2003
Suspension
Filed Mar 24, 2003

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT END OF HIS MOTORCYCLE. HE STATED THAT THE MOTOR CYCLE POPS WHEN IT GOES OVER ANY BUMPS OR POT HOLES. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR HIS BIKE. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10012317
Incident
Mar 24, 2003

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .