RoadVitals

2003 Triumph Bonneville America

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

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.
4
Latest Jan 29, 2006
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Jun 2, 2004
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
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

Overview

Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Triumph Bonneville America, most frequently naming the other / unspecified category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 91 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Other / unspecified4100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
04V262000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

Jun 2, 2004
2,792 units potentially affected
The defect: ON SOME MOTORCYCLES, UNDER CERTAIN ASSEMBLY CONDITIONS, THE ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY CABLE TO THE STARTER MOTOR MAY COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE OIL COOLER RETURN PIPE. THIS COULD CAUSE THE INSULATION ON THE STARTER CABLE TO DEGRADE.
The risk: SHOULD THE STARTER MOTOR CABLE INSULATION BECOME WORN, A 12-VOLT ELECTRICAL SHORT WOULD OCCUR, INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE OR NOT ALLOWING THE MOTORCYCLE TO START.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL EXAMINE THE CABLE FOR SIGNS OF CONTACT WITH THE OIL COOLER PIPE. THE CABLE WILL BE RE-POSITIONED. THE RECALL BEGAN NOVEMBER 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TRIUMPH AT 1-678-854-2010.
TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES (AMERICA) LTDView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Other / unspecified
Filed Jan 29, 2006

I HAVE A 2003 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T100. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS PURCHASED IN FEBRUARY 2004 AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 7000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE PROBLEM. ON A TRIP FROM PITTSBURGH PA TO DUMFRIES, VA, SPOKES ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE REAR WHEEL FAILED. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. UPON FINDING THE FAILED SPOKES, I CONTACTED THE NEAREST TRIUMPH DEALER. THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE THE BROKEN SPOKES UNDER WARRANTEE, BUT WOULD NOT COMPLETELY RE-LACE THE WHEEL. THEY CAUTIONED BE TO EXPECT MORE FAILURES IN THE FUTURE, BUT SAID THAT TRIUMPH HAD A POLICY OF NOT RE-LACING WHEELS, ONLY REPLACING A PATTERN OF SPOKES AROUND THE FAILED ONES.*AK

NHTSA ID
10148951
Incident
Oct 5, 2005
Mileage
7,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Oct 16, 2005

BROKEN SPOKE ON REAR WHEEL. *JB

NHTSA ID
10139814
Incident
Jan 6, 2005
Mileage
6,700 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Oct 6, 2005

TRIUMPH T100 BONNEVILLE, 2003 MODEL. 18,838.5 KM. (APPROX. 11,800 MILES) REAR WHEEL SPOKE FAILED JUST ABOVE THE BEND IN THE SPOKE AS IT LEAVES THE HUB FLANGE ON THE LEFT ,(BRAKE) SIDE. THE BREAK IS CLEAN WITH NO DIRT OR SHINY SPOTS INDICATING AN INITIAL CRACK, IT APPEARS TO HAVE JUST SNAPPED. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTED INCIDENTS LIKE THIS ON THE "DELPHI FORUMS" WEBSITE FOR THE NEW TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE. THERE IS A VERY REAL RISK OF A PUNCTURE AND SUDDEN DEFLATION IN THIS KIND OF INCIDENT WHICH COULD POSSIBLY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT WITH DAMAGE OR INJURY. *NM

NHTSA ID
10138931
Incident
Oct 5, 2005
Mileage
11,700 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Aug 14, 2005

I HAVE HAD TWO REAR WHEEL SPOKE FAILURES ON MY 2003 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE T100 MOTORCYCLE, ONE IN JULY 2005 AT APPROXIMATELY. 9000 MILES AND ONE IN AUGUST 2005 AT APPROXIMATELY. 9300 MILES. BOTH WERE A LEFT-OUTER SPOKE AND BOTH BROKE AT THE SAME SPOT, VERY NEAR THE HUB. I HAVE SINCE READ ABOUT APPROXIMATELY. FIFTY IDENTICAL INCIDENTS, ON A TRIUMPH USER'S WEBSITE (THE NEW BONNEVILLE FORUM ON DELPHI FORUMS). SOME OF THE FAILURES CAUSED INSTANT DEPRESSURIZATION OF THE (TUBE TYPE) TIRE, AND SOME CAUSED A SEVERING OF THE REAR BRAKE LINE. *NM

NHTSA ID
10132768
Incident
Aug 14, 2005
Mileage
9,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

COM1-35109

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool 2026-07 and dealers should begin using it immediately.

COM2 - 34886

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool 2026-06.1 and dealers should begin using it immediately.

COM5 - 34490

Dealer notice announcing the availability of Technical Bulletin 264.

COM6 - 34491

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Dealer notice announcing the availability of Triumph Diagnostic Tool version 2026-06 and dealers should begin using it immediately.

TB264

Technical Bulletin 264 provides instructions that relates to: Triumph Diagnostic Tool - New Motorcycle Connection and Diagnostics Workflow, Triumph Diagnostic Tool - End of Support for Microsoft Windows 10.

COM4 - 34435

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Dealer notice advising the availalbility of TDT version 2026-05.2 which resolves the ABS as Not Connected issues in SmartScan, on Tracker 400 & Thruxton 400 models.

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.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Triumph Bonneville America by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2011000—
2010000—
2009000—
2008000—
2007000—
2006000—
2005000—
2004110—
2003Viewing410—
2002210—

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.