2006 Honda VTX1800N 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 2006 Honda VTX1800N, 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
- Brakes150.0%
- Powertrain (other)150.0%
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS A BRAKE INTERLOCK THAT APPLIES 2 OF THE FRONT BRAKE'S 6 PISTONS WHEN THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. ON ANY SLICK SURFACE OR ON SOFT SURFACES, THE FRONT BRAKE CAN LOCK WITH A LIGHT TOUCH TO THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL ONLY, CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL, AND THE MOTORCYCLE FALLING OVER. HONDA CALLS IT A SAFETY DEVICE. IT ALMOST KILLED ME ON A WET ROAD ONE DAY. I STEPPED ON THE REAR BRAKE TO TEST THE TRACTION AVAILABLE, AND SINCE THE REAR WHEEL DIDN'T SKID, I PRESSED A BIT HARDER, UNAWARE OF THE BRAKE CONNECTION SYSTEM. BOTH WHEELS IMMEDIATELY LOCKED, AND BEFORE I COULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, IN A SPLIT SECOND THE BIKE WENT DOWN ON THE RIGHT SIDE, TRAPPING MY FOOT UNDER IT AND REMOVING SKIN FROM MY LEG, ANKLE, ELBOW, AND HAND, AS I WAS DRAGGED ALONG, CRASHING INTO A WOODEN POST BY THE ROAD, AND BREAKING THE HEADLIGHT OFF AS WELL AS THE BRAKE LEVER AND MASTER CYLINDER FOR THE FRONT BRAKE AND OTHER NASTY SCRATCH DAMAGE. THIS MOTORCYCLE WEIGHS OVER 750 POUNDS, AND IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT FROM UNDER IF IT FALLS ON YOU, HENCE THE BODILY INJURY. THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO ENGINEER AND SUPPLY A KIT TO ELIMINATE THE BRAKE CONNECTION SYSTEM. THE APPLICATION OF REAR BRAKE ALONE ON A REGULAR MOTORCYCLE STABILIZES THE BIKE AND ALLOWS FOR FEEL OF REAR TRACTION, TELLING THE OPERATOR IF IT IS SAFE TO APPLY THE FRONT BRAKE, AND HOW HARD YOU CAN APPLY BOTH OR ONE OF THE MOTORCYCLE BRAKES. THIS SYSTEM DEFEATS SAFETY OF SEPARATELY APPLIED FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WHICH HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ON MOTORCYCLES FOR SAFETY AND CONTROL REASONS. IT MUST BE RECALLED AND CHANGED. THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO ONE OF MY FRIENDS ON A GRAVEL ROAD AT ABOUT 15 MPH. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I AM THE UNFORTUNATE OWNER OF A HONDA VTX 1800N THAT HAS THE ALL TO WELL KNOWN REAR FLANGE BEARING DEFECT. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED BY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TO NHTSA AND ON SEVERAL OTHER WEBSITES YET NHTSA HAS IGNORED THE PROBLEM. AFTER RESEARCHING IT I FOUND ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS AS WELL: HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2004/HONDA/VTX1300 NOTE THAT THE 1800 AND 1300 REAR END ARE SIMILAR (JUST THE GEAR RATIO IS DIFFERENT). I HOPE THIS ISSUE WILL BE LOOKED AT AND A RECALL ISSUED. *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 .