2003 Honda VTX1300
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Honda › VTX1300 › 2003
These records cover every 2003 Honda VTX1300. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
35 complaints
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Steering · Suspension
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
- Power train · Power train › Driveline
I own a 2003 honda vtx1300s motorcycle. this bike IS shaft drive. while riding through town the swing arm separated from the rear wheel do to the spot welds braking on the drive shaft side of the motorcycle. this caused the bike to twist wildly do to the rear wheel only being supported on one…
I own a 2003 honda vtx1300s motorcycle. this bike IS shaft drive. while riding through town the swing arm separated from the rear wheel do to the spot welds braking on the drive shaft side of the motorcycle. this caused the bike to twist wildly do to the rear wheel only being supported on one side of the swing arm. this bike only has 7,200 miles on it and IS garaged & well kept. I was traveling 25 mpg on a city street and got stopped without accident. if I had been traveling at speed on a highway or county road there no doubt that I would have been injured. at this time honda claims no re-calls and no responsibility to repair. I have not abused this motorcycle and feel someone IS going to get hurt if not already. *tr
- Suspension
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
- Steering · Suspension
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…
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
- Steering
2003 honda vtx 1`300s front frok wobble as bike slows down. The severity changes as the speed decreases. The problem has existed since I purchased the bike with 9,000 miles on it. It now has 19,000 and the wobble shows no signs of going away. *nm
- Steering
When ridding my motorcycle at a speed of 50 and letting off the gas, at around 45 mph I get a wobble real bad from the front end and it IS really dangerous around a turn and can cause an accident. Talked to many honda owners and they all have the same problem. after changing the steering bearing it IS fixed, they said. *nm
- Steering
2003 honda vtx 1300r motorcycle has front end wobble at speeds below approx. 45 mph. *nm
- Steering · Suspension
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
- Tires › Tread/belt
The dunlop tires on my motorcycle have "c" shaped cuts in them. I am on my 2ND set of tires with this defect in my tire. I have been told the tired did not "laminate" properly. I tried to resolve this with dunlop but had no success and can not afford to replace the tires again as they are making me pay for the defective tires. *Jb
- Steering
The vtx 1300 has a severe wobble on deceleration from 45 - 40 mph that requires the rider to maintain a firm grip on the bars. I have spoken with 4 different honda dealers and they all say they have never heard of this problem. I belong to a vtx riders group and I have ridden 4 other vtx 1300 and…
The vtx 1300 has a severe wobble on deceleration from 45 - 40 mph that requires the rider to maintain a firm grip on the bars. I have spoken with 4 different honda dealers and they all say they have never heard of this problem. I belong to a vtx riders group and I have ridden 4 other vtx 1300 and they all have the same wobble. I have found one rider that replaced the factory steering head ball bearing with a roller bearing and that corrects this problem. I believe the factory ball bearing IS inadequate to support the weight of this vehicle. This problem has been apparent since the day I purchased the motorcycle on july 12, 2003.
- Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
New vehicle purchased in sept 2002. a honda motorcycle, model year 2003 vtx1300 retro was purchased and later was found to have red speedometer lights for night riding. the lights are dim and difficult to see at night, which makes the speedometer useless at night. I have asked the dealership…
New vehicle purchased in sept 2002. a honda motorcycle, model year 2003 vtx1300 retro was purchased and later was found to have red speedometer lights for night riding. the lights are dim and difficult to see at night, which makes the speedometer useless at night. I have asked the dealership about changing the lights and there are no separate parts available. I called the american honda in california, the importer, and they referred me back to the dealer, to see if they are working correctly. the problem IS that they are red diodes and by nature are hard to see. there IS no way to change the color or intensity. I have a class b license and a motorcycle rating. I have no vision restrictions on my license. I have passed the vision tests without glasses. I have a difficult time reading the speedometer at night.
- Vehicle speed control
When I bought my vtx 1300 I assumed the bike was in proper working condition, I have since relized that the speedometer IS reading 10% hight than actual. The dealer said that honda made it that way and theres nothing they can do. *Ak
- Electronic stability control › Automatic (asc)
Front end wobbled off motorcycle at 40-45 mph since the motorcycle was new. *ak
- Wheels › Rim
Front wheel wobble. *jb
- Steering
There has been a wobble in the front of my 2003 honda vtx 1300 retro from the first day I owned it. I have had the wheels trued and new tires installed. It IS better but it still wobbles. I have taken it to several dealers and the stock response IS "we have never heard about a problem like this."…
There has been a wobble in the front of my 2003 honda vtx 1300 retro from the first day I owned it. I have had the wheels trued and new tires installed. It IS better but it still wobbles. I have taken it to several dealers and the stock response IS "we have never heard about a problem like this." or "honda says to hold onto your handle bars tighter." this IS not acceptable from a company that has built it's reputation on quality. This IS an ongoing issue.*ak
- Vehicle speed control
The speedometer on this vehicle IS off about 10 percent, reading on the high side. This IS a safety concern as the necessary constant mental calculations are a distraction while driving in busy traffic. Driving according to the indicated speed puts one at very increased danger of being rear-ended while obstructing traffic. There IS also the legal liability of incorrectly adjusting for the indicated speed.*ak
- Wheels
Front end wobble between 35 - 40 mph upon deceleration. *nm
- Suspension · Tires
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
- Suspension › Front
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…
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
- Suspension › Front
Front end wobbled on my 2003 honda vtx 1300 retro motorcycle. *ak
- Steering › Steering wheel/handle bar
Wobble or shaking in the front forks of my 2003 honda vtx 1300 at 40-45 mph. dealer says he can find no problem. This IS a continuous problem, not specific to any one date. *jb
- Steering › Steering wheel/handle bar
I have over 17,000 miles my 2003 honda vtx 1300s. I have had to replace the front and rear tires several times due to what seemed to be normal wear patterns. he front tire wear IS unacceptable. there IS obviously more wear on the left side of the tire. this has caused less than ideal riding…
I have over 17,000 miles my 2003 honda vtx 1300s. I have had to replace the front and rear tires several times due to what seemed to be normal wear patterns. he front tire wear IS unacceptable. there IS obviously more wear on the left side of the tire. this has caused less than ideal riding situations and handling due to half of the tire being worn down and the other half having plenty of tread remaining. I expressed my concerns to my dealer/repair facility while ordering my last two front tires. I was told, "honda says that the problem IS with the roads and not the motorcycle". my dealer/repair facility refuses to accept any responsibility or offer any solutions to the obvious problem with my motorcycle.*ak
- Suspension · Tires
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…
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
- Vehicle speed control
2003 honda vtx motor cycle speedohmeter IS in correct, about 8% faster than acture speed. *jb
- Vehicle speed control
1. Was not informed by the dealership at time of purchase, that the speedometer/odometer IS inaccurate by approx. 10%. 2. Constant travel (esp highways) at speeds unsafe for flow of traffic has resulted in car and truck drivers to tailgate, get upset and cut me off (shifting lanes back and…
1. Was not informed by the dealership at time of purchase, that the speedometer/odometer IS inaccurate by approx. 10%. 2. Constant travel (esp highways) at speeds unsafe for flow of traffic has resulted in car and truck drivers to tailgate, get upset and cut me off (shifting lanes back and forth), and flashing lights at me from behind (very upsetting at night). Everyone know there are added risks when driving a motorcycle and the defective speedometer unnecessarily adds to the potential for injury. 3. I have spoken to honda, both dealership and national customer service. They are aware of the defect. The say all vehicles have inaccuracies and while they admit the issue, suggest driving a little faster than the posted speed limit in order to keep up with the traffic flow. As a result, nothing has been done. *jb
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10128559Dealer 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.
- 10128531Dealer 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.
- 10032953Honda: 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.
- 10025523Load carrying capacity reduced label for all honda vehicles.
- 10018337Cooling fan ground. Honda the wrench.
- 10013766Don't straight edge it when performing periodic valve inspection.
- 10009060Trippy trip switch. Honda. The wrench.
Every Honda VTX1300 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.