Illustration2013 gl 1800 anti dive device failure causing bumps while riding.
2013 Honda GL1800
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all GL1800 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 7 of 9 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Service Brakes complaints
2 reportsMY BIKE WAS BROUGHT INTO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP IN NOVEMBER 2015 FOR REAR BRAKE RECALL SERVICE. MY BIKE WAS OPERATING FINE PRIOR TO THE RECALL WORK BEING DONE. IN JULY 1, 2016 AFTER NOT RIDDEN MY BIKE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS MY REAR BRAKE LOCKED UP ON ME AS I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY - I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BECAUSE THE BIKE IMME…
Read full complaint
MY BIKE WAS BROUGHT INTO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP IN NOVEMBER 2015 FOR REAR BRAKE RECALL SERVICE. MY BIKE WAS OPERATING FINE PRIOR TO THE RECALL WORK BEING DONE. IN JULY 1, 2016 AFTER NOT RIDDEN MY BIKE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS MY REAR BRAKE LOCKED UP ON ME AS I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY - I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BECAUSE THE BIKE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO SLOW DOWN WHEN I DEPRESSED MY CLUTCH; SINCE MY I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO USE MY BRAKES LEVER THAT WOULD HAVE TRIGGERED MY REAR BRAKE LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE A CAR ALMOST REAR ENDED ME! SO I BRING MY BIKE INTO MY LOCAL DEALER (FRIENDLY HONDA OF SLIDELL, LA) ON JULY 6, 2016 AND THE INSPECTED MY BIKE AND WORKED WITH AMERICAN HONDA TO ADDRESS MY ISSUE. I WAS ADVISED BY MY LOCAL DEALER WHEN I PICKED UP MY AUGUST 3, 2016 THAT MY REAR BRAKE ROTOR WAS WARPED AND DAMAGED. THEY REQUESTED AMERICAN HONDA REPLACE THE ROTOR SINCE IT WAS CAUSED BY THEIR BRAKE RECALL . AMERICAN HONDA DENIED THEIR REQUEST. I CALLED AMERICAN HONDA TWICE TO PROTEST THE WAY MY BIKE IS NOW OPERATING WHEN I USE MY REAR BRAKES - THE BIKE SHUTTERS AND VIBRATES WHENEVER I USE MY REAR BRAKES WHICH IN MY OPINION OF BEING A VERY EXPERIENCED MOTORCYCLE RIDER OF 15+ YEARS. I FEEL THAT AMERICAN HONDA HAS PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER OF POSSIBLY LOSING CONTROL OF MY BIKE WHEN I'M RIDING ON THE ROAD. I SPOKE WITH TWO FOLKS AT AMERICAN HONDA (FELIX AND MATT WHO IS THE SUPERVISOR - EMPLOYEE ID MT98) AND I'VE RECEIVED ZERO RELIEF FOR THE UNSAFE CONDITION MY BIKE IS IN NOW. I PURCHASED MY BIKE BRAND NEW IN NOVEMBER 2014 AND THE BIKE ONLY HAS 10,784 MILES ON IT.
Official recalls
218V045000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
Jan 9, 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2010 and 2012-2016 Honda GL1800 Gold Wing motorcycles. These motorcycles have air bag inflators assembled as part of the air bag module that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the rider resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Honda Motorcycle Customer Support at 1-866-784-1870. Honda's number for this recall is KJ1.
15V700000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder
Oct 23, 2015
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2010 and 2012-2015 GL1800, 2001-2005 GL1800A and 2013-2015 GL1800B motorcycles. The rear brakes of the affected motorcycles may drag after the brakes are released.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A rear brake that drags may increase the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, extended riding with the rear brake dragging could generate enough heat to result in a fire.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary brake master cylinder and the rear brake master cylinder, and flush the brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on December 7, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-866-784-1870. Honda's number for this recall is JV6. Note: This recall supercedes recall 14V-472.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE15014 · Inconsistent Throttle Control
Opened Apr 20, 2015 · Closed Nov 13, 2015
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control
This PE was opened after NHTSA received 10 owner complaints alleging vehicle control was compromised due to inconsistent throttle control in MY 2012-14 Honda GL1800 motorcycles.Typically during the first five minutes of operation (cold engine), riders would experience a pronounced engine stumble when operating the bike at low speeds and minimal throttle applications.Riders were concerned that this scenario would result in a crash if the stumble were to occur while making a sharp turn at low speed.Since opening this investigation we discussed the issue with Honda motorcycle dealers and service personnel and subject vehicle owners / complainants.We test rode one complaint GL1800 and monitored web forum activity.Based on the information gathered, the issue of low speed engine stumble in these motorcycles does not appear to jeopardize safety.The absence of crashes in a population of vehicles with up to 4 years in service indicates riders are able to instinctively correct for any control issue that may accrue from a low speed cold engine stumble.In the absence of a actionable defect trend, we are closing this PE.We continue to monitor complaints and other information sources for any data that may alter this finding.If such information is found, we will respond accordingly.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID using the following complaint identification numbers: 10785837,10783109,10781852,10760402,10670092,10662128,10653041,10643482,10641998,10639635,10639538,10639483,10633401,10633110,10632624,10632569,10631910,10621114,10577493,10572733,10550566,10549745,10548741,10548568,10546436,10532817,10532620,10532347,10532553,10532249,10531538,10523914,10523890,10523515,10523017,10512486