Honda Honda Motorcycle 2003
Model Honda Motorcycle made in 2003 by Honda got 30 consumer complains as well as 4 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to electrical system and engine and engine cooling. Technical service bulletines regarding digital instrument panel and engine and engine cooling.
Model 2003
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIGITAL INSTRUMENT PANEL | |||||
| SB-06-085 | 05/09/2008 | 10032953 | Honda: 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 | 06/16/2010 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 010702 | 07/01/2002 | 637058 | Subject regarding oil check procedure used on 2003 vtx1300s models. *tt | 11/19/2002 | |
| 010802 | 08/01/2002 | 636786 | Subject regarding air fliter finagling on 2003 crf450r models. *tt | 11/13/2002 | |
| EQUIPMENT - OTHER - LABELS | |||||
| 08-040 | 05/31/2008 | 10025523 | Load carrying capacity reduced label for all honda vehicles. *pe | 08/15/2008 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 06/20/2003 | 19575 | 1 | |
| 2001 honda shadow sabre 1100cc motorcycle... starter switch burns out when lights are wired. pushed sale of lights( fog and position lights) from dealers , owners not told of low amprage rate on starter switches! low amp rated switches are used in these motorcycles. leads to start failure, expensive towing,and high maitenance cost. fire. loss of control, and highway accidents possible! headlights are wired thru starter switch!???*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 06/20/2003 | 19575 | 1 | |
| 2001 honda shadow sabre 1100cc motorcycle... starter switch burns out when lights are wired. pushed sale of lights( fog and position lights) from dealers , owners not told of low amprage rate on starter switches! low amp rated switches are used in these motorcycles. leads to start failure, expensive towing,and high maitenance cost. fire. loss of control, and highway accidents possible! headlights are wired thru starter switch!???*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 08/15/2004 | 3 | ||
| Ignition switch failed to operate intermittently when starting. dealer was notified.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 02/28/2004 | 20000 | 1 | |
| While driving 35 mph vehicle stalled. consumer managed to pull over and restarted the vehicle. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Since the first day of purchase, the motorcycle constantly over heated while driving due to coolant leaking the from vehicle. the dealer serviced then problem several times, however the problem still existed. vehicle is 2003 honda reflex 250. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN | |||
| 05/30/2003 | 890 | 0 | 04/02/2003 |
| The motorcycle and many of the same models have a heat issue. the bike does not over heat, but it over heats the driver. in 85 degree weather, the heat coming from the engine vents is unbearabe. it heats the driver from the shins to the crotch. when this first happened, i expectd to pull down my pants and have burns on my legs and crotch area. i took the bike to my dealer and they agree with me, they called honda and honda says they are not doing any thing about it. this issue has been addressed in the major motocycle magazines,a nd is all over the st1300 websites, several people on the sites have sold their motorcycles because of it...i love the bike, other than this problem...at my delaer,they put a lazer heat gun on it sitting at idle. the tank was 110 degrees, hot enought you could not hold your hand on it. the heat coming out of the vents of the engine right in the leg area of the rider was 147 degrees, going up t 187 degrees when the fan kicked on....this is alot of heat to be blowig right on your legs and crotch.....honda did put retro fit heat shields on the bikes when they first came out, but there is still a heatproblem.... | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 05/30/2003 | 4200 | 0 | 12/10/2002 |
| 2003 honda st1300a3. motorcycle emitted too much engine/radiator heat on the riders lower legs. *tt | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 09/06/2003 | 1 | ||
| Honda motorcycle model cb900f. while riding the bike i can smell exauhst fumes. once i arrive at any destination my clothes and body smell horriblly like the fumes as well. i have had sneezing fits as well as a result of what i am breathing on the bike.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 03/08/2003 | 1 | 03/08/2003 | |
| Incurable (unable to fix) exhaust smell from new motorcycle! in right conditions the smell is strong enough to give me a headache and stomach illness. i own a 2003 honda cb900f3 also know as a model 919. many other people have the same problem and honda will not fix the problem. i am selling my motorcycle and purchasing another as a permanent cure to this issue.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 04/21/2003 | 0 | 1 | 04/23/2003 |
| Exhaust has a large amount of blow back that my clothes always smell bad, my riding jacket has been hanging in the house for three months(winter) and still smells. i have also experienced light-headed after some rides. i am planning on buying a different exhaust for that reason only.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2003 | 1 | 07/15/2003 | |
| I have a 2003 honda 919 . seems like when i get off the bike my leather smells like exhaust. it smells this way even when im out of traffic. *ak | |||
| 06/15/2003 | 1 | 03/02/2003 | |
| Exhaust from motorcycle causes me to get tired and light-headed. it also smells really bad. *ak | |||
| EQUIPMENT | |||
| 11/02/2012 | 1 | ||
| There are critical nuts and bolts that must be torqued to specific manufacturer's assembly specifications by all honda powersports dealers that are completing the final assembly process for american honda motor company on new honda motorcycles. if these critical nuts and bolts are not torqued to the manufacturer's specific specifications, then they can come loose if under tightened or they can come loose if overtightened and the treads strip. this can cause a malfunction of the motorcycle thus possibly causing an accident that can result in a serious injury or death. southern honda powersports in chattanooga, tennessee has never used actual torque wrenches (that gauge the pounds of pressure applied when tightening specific nuts and bolts), as required in the final assembly process. these nuts and bolts if not torqued correctly to manufacturer's specifications (i.e. to a specific number of pounds) can come loose thus causing the motorcycle operator to loose control. this critical safety issue at southern honda powersports has been called to american honda motor companys attention on many occasions during the last 5 years by a number of people. even signed, notarized, sworn affidavits by individuals that have assembled new honda motorcycles at southern honda powersports, attesting to the above, have been submitted to american honda motor company. nhtsa has previously established a precedent requiring a safety recall for this identical type motorcycle assembly safety issue, by issuing a safety recall on victory motorcycles, nhtsa id # 12v457000. as a result of the critical safety concerns above, american honda motor company must be required by nhtsa to recall every improperly assembled honda motorcycle sold by southern honda powersports, chattanooga, tn from february 2004 thru current date 2012. *tr . . | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 06/20/2003 | 19575 | 1 | |
| 2001 honda shadow sabre 1100cc motorcycle... starter switch burns out when lights are wired. pushed sale of lights( fog and position lights) from dealers , owners not told of low amprage rate on starter switches! low amp rated switches are used in these motorcycles. leads to start failure, expensive towing,and high maitenance cost. fire. loss of control, and highway accidents possible! headlights are wired thru starter switch!???*ak | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | |||
| 12/01/2003 | 1 | 09/29/2003 | |
| The consumer complained about a fuel injection problem with his vehicle which caused the speed to drop 3 to 5 mph . this occurred while driving 20 to 50 mph. *ak *ph *nm | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE | |||
| 09/13/2003 | 8500 | 1 | 07/21/2003 |
| I received 2nd degree burns on the abdomen after riding a honda motorcycle above 90 degree temperature. *jb | |||
| OTHER | |||
| 11/23/2005 | 53500 | 1 | 02/02/2003 |
| Final drive flange bearing failure,2003 honda vtx 1800 retro model motorcycle, i was replacing a worn tire and inspected the flange bearings,both were no good,ball bearings and seal missing from one and the other did not turn,my dealer replaced them both under my extended warranty. *jb | |||
| 09/03/2004 | 1 | ||
| The consumer stated his friend can start his motorcycle with his keys, both vehicles have the same vin number. *jb | |||
| 07/02/2004 | 100 | 1 | 06/27/2002 |
| Consumer stated that the speedometer was inaccurate. the reading was off by about 10%. consumer contacted the manufacturer, and was told that this was common and that they were allowed 10% deviation. *ak *nm | |||
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 04/28/2003 | 600 | ||
| Erratic engine performance almost causing numerous accidents. while attempting to hold a constant speed and throttle position, the bike will lose power (as if the gas was shutoff). opening the throttle will produce more power, causing the bike to surge forward. after deceleration in gear using compression braking there is no throttle response, with the initial turning of the throttle, for acceleration. turning the throttle open further results in a burst of power not proportional to the twist of the throttle. when accelerating slowly from a stop, the throttle response is weak until approximately 3500 rpms. at approximately 3500 rpms the bike power will increase as if the throttle was opened a lot more. while riding at a low speed (approximately 15-20 mph) the bike will buck (not lug) in 2nd gear. going down to 1st gear causes the bike to accelerate the decelerate. the only way to get around this is to lug the bike in 3rd gear. *nlm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 10/20/2008 | 2321 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda 900f (na). while riding 20 mph on wet road conditions, the shifter fell off and the contact could not change gears. the failure occurred while driving in sixth gear. he was injured while getting off of the bike. the dealer stated that they would inspect the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 2,321. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 02/01/2005 | 20000 | 1 | 07/20/2002 |
| Dt: owns a honda goldwing which has been modified into a conversion motor bike which turned this into a 3 wheel vehicle. consumer felt there was an issue with the brakes. the brake pads destroyed the rotors. consumer did not have a sensor like those on a car ,but there was only 4-5,000 miles before the rotor were destroyed. because honda was a dual braking system ,so if losing the rear still has the front brakes, the motor bike conversion front brakes were not modified but rear brakes were converted. the design of the soft rotors was a problem, and they used a iron rotor with a motorcycle disc pad which was strong and hard which destroyed the rotor. when this occurred the pads began to wear as well. has been to dealer to replace rotors and pads, but they were replaced with the same defective rotors and pads. *ak | |||
| STEERING | |||
| 08/16/2003 | 217 | 1 | 07/19/2003 |
| While driving at 40 mph, the front wheel came off without notice. *ak the handlebar was not properly secured to the steering shaft. (freeplay from left to right) this caused the driver to lose balance and control of the scooter. *scc *jb | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 10/15/2002 | 50 | 2 | 10/12/2002 |
| 2003 honda vtx1300s... during deceleration at about 40-45 mph the front end of the motorcycle will start to shake vigorously. took it to the dealer and they over torqued the head bearing which quieted it down a little. i feel this is not a good fix, but instead a rig of some sort to say that this bike does not have any problem with the front end shakes. i, along with others who own this bike, have brought this up to our dealers and to honda themselves and they claim there is nothing wrong with the bike. *jb | |||
| STRUCTURE | |||
| 1 | |||
| The motor cycle was taken to the dealer. dealer stated that speedometer was 10% inaccurate. the speedometer was replaced on 6/13/2003. speedometer is still inaccurate. honda sabre 2003. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 05/01/2004 | 0 | 10 | 04/13/2004 |
| (1) front end wobbles excessivly between 30 and 45 miles per hour (2) so far no crashes but the wobble is dangerous (3) have not been able to correct problem. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 217 | 1 | |
| While driving driving at 30 mph rear suspension broke , causing motorcycle to crash.*ak | |||
| 07/13/2003 | 2000 | 1 | |
| Rear suspension of 2003 honda 954 collapsed. welded plate for rear suspension broken at weld.*ak | |||
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||
| 11/02/2012 | |||
| There are critical nuts and bolts that must be torqued to specific manufacturer's assembly specifications by all honda powersports dealers that are completing the final assembly process for american honda motor company on new honda motorcycles. if these critical nuts and bolts are not torqued to the manufacturer's specific specifications, then they can come loose if under tightened or they can come loose if overtightened and the treads strip. this can cause a malfunction of the motorcycle thus possibally causing an accident that can result in a serious injury or death. southern honda powersports in chattanooga, tennessee has never used actual torque wrenches (that guage the pounds of presure applied when tightening specific nuts and bolts), as required in the final assembly process. these nuts and bolts if not torqued correctly to manufacturer' | |||
| WHEELS - RIM | |||
| 10/16/2003 | 1 | 3 | 10/16/2003 |
| Severe wheel/tire bounce between 35 and 60 mph. dealer trued and balanced front and rear wheels/tires. helped situation some, but is still noticable at cruising speeds. causes stress and discomfort when riding as well as being potentially hazardous if wheel/tire fails. technician said after the 3rd service, that's the smoothest riding 750 i've ever been on. i don't think he really wanted to deal with it on saturdays. i feel honda should evaluate this situation more seriously to prevent possible injuries or death to their riders.*ak | |||
Car dealers selling
| State | City | Zip | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CT | BERLIN | MICKEY FINNS HONDA | ||
| FL | PENSACOLA | 32506 | PENSACOLA MOTORSPORTS | 8504566655 |
| FL | SARASOTA | 34234 | HAP;S HONDA | 941-365-3443 |
| GA | LAGRANGE | 30240 | WEATHERS HONDA SALES | 706-884-7327 |
| IL | MOLINE | 61625 | FUN MART CYCLE CENTER | 309-762-9624 |
| KY | CORBIN | 40701 | TRI-COUNTY CYCLES | 606-528-4792 |
| MT | MISSOULA | 59803 | FIVE VALLEY HONDA | 406-251-5900 |
| OH | CANTON | 44705 | HARDING PARK CYCLE | 330-454-6171 |
| OH | CLEVELAND | 44109 | MOTOR SALES | |
| TX | TROUP | 75789-0611 | MOTOR TRIKE INC | 1-800-90TRIKE |