IllustrationWHILE RIDING MY 2003 VFR800 TODAY THE BIKE SHUT DOWN. AND RESTARTED DURING THE RIDE. THE DASH WENT BLANK AND STILL IS BLANK. (NO READING, NO POWER). I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE HURT OR KILLED BY THIS SHUT DOWN WHILE MOVING? *KB
2003 Honda VFR800A
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 VFR800A years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
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: 2 of 3 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 1 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
What owners actually said
3 reportsON THE WAY TO WORK THIS MORNING, THE MOTORCYCLE DIED. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO RESTART FAILED. UPON INSPECTION, DETERMINED THERE WAS FUEL, GOOD BATTERY, GOOD STARTER. FUEL INJECTION INDICATOR LIGHT WAS FLICKERING. UPON INSPECTION OF THE UNDER SEAT COMPARTMENT, LOCATED A MELTED WIRE AT THE 30 AMP ACCESSORY FUSE RELAY. ABOUT A YE…
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ON THE WAY TO WORK THIS MORNING, THE MOTORCYCLE DIED. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO RESTART FAILED. UPON INSPECTION, DETERMINED THERE WAS FUEL, GOOD BATTERY, GOOD STARTER. FUEL INJECTION INDICATOR LIGHT WAS FLICKERING. UPON INSPECTION OF THE UNDER SEAT COMPARTMENT, LOCATED A MELTED WIRE AT THE 30 AMP ACCESSORY FUSE RELAY. ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THE BIKE CUT OUT A FEW TIMES. AT THAT TIME, TROUBLESHOOT TO THE SAME WIRE, HOWEVER, APPLICATION OF DIELECTRIC GREASE AND ISOLATION FROM CHAFFING ALLEVIATED THE PROBLEM. UPON INSPECTION THIS MORNING, THE SHIELDING HAD COMPLETELY MELTED OFF THE WIRE, EXPOSING THE BARE ELEMENTS. THE 30 AMP FUSE BLOCK GOT SO HOT AS TO DEFORM NOT ONLY THE BLOCK ITSELF, BUT TO ALSO DEFORM THE FUSE (WHICH DID NOT BLOW AND STILL CARRIES A CURRENT). HAD THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE ON THE ROAD IT WOULD MOST CERTAINLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. ROADS IN THE UK DO NOT HAVE SHOULDERS. I AM CONFIDENT THAT MYSELF OR OTHERS WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ANYWHERE BUT IN MY SMALL VILLAGE. AFTER READING MANY POSTS AT HTTP://WWW.VFRDISCUSSION.COM/FORUM/INDEX.PHP?SHOWTOPIC=18560 IT APPEARS THIS IS A SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM. PLEASE SEE THE PICTURES IN THIS FORUM FOR A ROUGH IDEA OF THE PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP HERE IN THE UK, AS WELL AS HONDA MOTORS UK AND WILL UNDOUBTEDLY GET NO RECTIFICATION OF THIS PROBLEM FROM THEM. I AM A MEMBER OF THE US AIR FORCE STATIONED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, EXACERBATING THE ISSUE OF GETTING THE FAULT REPAIRED. *NM
THE WIRING FOR THE OXYGEN SENSORS WERE CROSSED ON THE 2003 HONDA VFR800/A.*MR SINCE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NEW IT WOULD STALL OCCASIONALLY. IT WOULD ALSO ACCELERATE UP AND DOWN BETWEEN 4000 AND 5000 RPM'S. THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS CROSSED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMED THAT THIS PROBL…
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THE WIRING FOR THE OXYGEN SENSORS WERE CROSSED ON THE 2003 HONDA VFR800/A.*MR SINCE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NEW IT WOULD STALL OCCASIONALLY. IT WOULD ALSO ACCELERATE UP AND DOWN BETWEEN 4000 AND 5000 RPM'S. THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS CROSSED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS ISOLATED TO THE EUROPEAN VFR'S BUT THE CONSUMER HAD A US BIKE. *NM
Official recalls
105V010000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Jan 24, 2005
CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES EQUIPPED WITH COMBINED-BRAKE SYSTEMS HAVE A PROPORTIONING CONTROL VALVE (PCV) THAT MECHANICALLY PROPORTIONS BRAKE FORCE WHEN THE REAR BRAKE IS APPLIED. A SEAL IN SOME PCVS IS IMPROPERLY SHAPED, AND BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE MAY OCCUR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE MOTORCYCLE CONTINUES TO BE USED AFTER A LEAK OCCURS, THE REAR BRAKE WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME INOPERATIVE. A LOSS OF REAR BRAKE FORCE COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR BRAKE FORLEAKAGE. IF LEAKAGE IS CONFIRMED, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PCV FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 31, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 866-784-1870.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.