RoadVitals

2002 Triumph Bonneville

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.
7
Latest Jul 14, 2008
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.
0
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.
1
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 7 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 Triumph Bonneville, most frequently naming the other / unspecified category. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 96 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 / unspecified7100.0%

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

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.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE06019ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

BROKEN SPOKE/TIRE DEFLATION

Opened May 17, 2006
Closed Sep 19, 2006

THIS PE WAS OPENED ON THE BASIS OF 6 OWNER ALLEGATIONS CONCERNING REAR WHEEL SPOKE BREAKAGE WITH RESULTING REAR TIRE INNER-TUBE PUNCTURING.NO CRASHES WERE OR HAVE BEEN ALLEGED.AFTER GATHERING INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS ISSUE FROM SUBJECT VEHICLE OWNERS, TRIUMPH DEALERS, AND TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES LTD, WE FIND NO DEFECT TREND CURRENTLY EXISTS CONCERNING THIS SUBJECT.SHOULD CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE AS A RESULT OF OUR CONTINUED MONITORING, WE WILL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTIO IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

WHEELS

Recent owner complaints

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

Other / unspecified
Filed Jul 14, 2008

BROKEN SPOKE/ NIPPLE. I HAD NOTICED MY REAR TIRE FLAT ON MY MOTORCYCLE IN THE GARAGE, WHEN I LOOKED TO SEE HOW IT BECAME FLAT I FOUND A BROKEN SPOKE/NIPPLE. A PIECE OF THE SPOKE NIPPLE HAD PUNCTURED THE INNER TUBE AND CAUSED THE FLAT. WHEN THE LOCAL MOTORCYCLE REPAIR SHOP FIXED THE PROBLEM, THEY ACTUALLY FOUND ANOTHER BROKEN SPOKE AND REPLACED IT WHEN THEY FOUND IT. I KNOW OF MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THESE SAME ISSUES AND SEVERAL FRIENDS WITH THE SAME MOTORCYCLE TO HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. NOBODY HAS GOTTEN HURT YET, BUT I BELIEVE THAT DAY IS COMING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10234268
Incident
Apr 23, 2006
Mileage
15,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Jul 14, 2008

WHILE RIDING MOTORCYCLE ON HIGHWAY, LET REAR OUTER SPOKE ON REAR TIRE BREAKS SUDDENLY AND CATASTROPHICALLY ONCE AT 6200 MILE, SECOND AT 23,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. FIRST BROKEN SPOKE DAMAGES BRAKE FLUID HOSE AND REAR WHEEL RIM. SECOND BROKEN SPOKE CAUSES IMMEDIATE FLAT TIRE SENDING BIKE ALMOST OUT OF CONTROL AT 60+ MPH. I FEEL ANGRY AND FORTUNATE TO REMAIN UNSCATHED. I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE EXISTING SPOKES. FIRST BROKEN SPOKE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. 2ND. SPOKE BREAK OUT OF WARRANTY PERIOD, NOTHING DONE. MANUFACTURER SHOWS NO CONCERN, BUT HAS FINALLY REDESIGNED THE REAR HUB OF NEW MODELS, PROBABLY IN RESPONSE TO THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS. SHOULD BE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ME THINKS... *TR

NHTSA ID
10234157
Incident
Jul 12, 2008
Mileage
23,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Aug 22, 2007

BROKEN SPOKE ON REAR WHEEL CAUSING FLAT TIRE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10200505
Incident
Aug 20, 2007
Mileage
7,600 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed May 3, 2006

BROKEN LEFT REAR OUTER SPOKES ON REAR WHEEL. *JB

NHTSA ID
10156753
Incident
Jun 5, 2005
Mileage
12,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Aug 11, 2005

I HAVE HAD 3 SPOKES BRAKE ON MY 2002 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE MOTORCYCLE. ALL THREE WERE ON THE REAR WHEEL, LEFT OUTER SIDE. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN ALWAYS BEEN RIDDEN MODESTLY FOR IT'S 6,000 MILES. THE SPOKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED PROFESSIONALLY. THE BROKEN SPOKES ARE AVAILABLE. *JB *AK

NHTSA ID
10132324
Incident
Jun 1, 2005
Mileage
12,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Jul 8, 2005

RIDING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS HAD A REAR SPOKE BREAK. THIS CAUSED A FLAT TIRE AND A BUSTED REAR BRAKE LINE. I ORDERED A SPOKE FROM TRIUMPH AND HAD MY LOCAL BMW DEALER REPLACE IT. *AK

NHTSA ID
10127882
Incident
Jul 24, 2004
Mileage
16,585 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Jun 11, 2005

2002 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE BREAKING LEFT REAR OUTER SPOKES AND FLATTENING REAR TIRE AT SPEED, I HAVE DOCUMENTED 24 MOTORCYCLES, 36 SPOKES ALL THE SAME PART NUMBER, SOMEWILL IS GOING TO GET HURT. *AK

NHTSA ID
10125001
Incident
Jun 4, 2005
Mileage
10,000 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 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2014110—
2013000—
2012000—
2011000—
2010000—
2009000—
2008200—
2007000—
2006301—
2005301—
2004111—
2003401—
2002Viewing701—
2001701—
2000100—

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.