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2004 Honda VTX1300

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2004 Honda VTX1300 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 35.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →
78Owner complaints

Model-year median: 35

0Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

2004 Honda VTX1300

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 78 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

  • Steering: 33 reports
  • Suspension: 25 reports
  • Vehicle Speed Control: 9 reports
  • Power Train: 6 reports
  • Wheels: 5 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

    No recall campaigns in this snapshot.

    Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

    Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

    How this year compares

    Owner complaints by model year

    Other model years Selected year
    35
    2003    78
    2004    47
    2005    35
    2006    36
    2007
    Compare all VTX1300 years →

    Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

    What owners reported most

    Steering
    33    Suspension
    25    Vehicle Speed Control
    9    Power Train
    6    Wheels
    5
    All reported categories
    Electrical System
    4    Unknown Or Other
    3    Fuel System, Gasoline
    2    Engine And Engine Cooling
    1    Structure
    1

    Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

    When problems were reported

    Mileage at the reported incident

    52 reports with mileage · 26 unknown

    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.

    • Steering. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Suspension. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

    NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

    3 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

    Power Train complaints

    6 reports
    Clear category filter
    15,000 miles · Jul 10, 2014
    Power TrainSuspension

    REMOVED THE FRONT AND REAR WHEELS TO HAVE NEW TIRES INSTALLED. NOTICED THE FINAL DRIVE FLANGE BEARINGS SEAL TOWARD WHEEL, WAS TORN OPEN AS IF THE SEAL HAD MELTED AND THE BEARINGS WERE DRY AND VERY ROUGH TO TURN. PROBLEM IS, I REPLACED THE BEARINGS AND FELT RESISTANCE WHEN TURNING THE NEW BEARINGS. READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN O…

    Read full complaint

    REMOVED THE FRONT AND REAR WHEELS TO HAVE NEW TIRES INSTALLED. NOTICED THE FINAL DRIVE FLANGE BEARINGS SEAL TOWARD WHEEL, WAS TORN OPEN AS IF THE SEAL HAD MELTED AND THE BEARINGS WERE DRY AND VERY ROUGH TO TURN. PROBLEM IS, I REPLACED THE BEARINGS AND FELT RESISTANCE WHEN TURNING THE NEW BEARINGS. READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN ONE OF THE FORUMS, REMOVED THE NEW BEARINGS AND ORDERED A SECOND SET. MEASURED THE BEARING FIT IN THE FLANGE AND IT WAS .001" TOO CLOSE AT THE TOP AND .002" AT THE BOTTOM. HAD THE FLANGE MACHINED TO CORRECT CLEARANCE AND INSTALLED NEW BEARINGS. JUST LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FROM THE FACTORY, AND I AM VERY GLAD I FOUND THE PROBLEM BEFORE A DEADLY OR COSTLY INCIDENT OCCURRED. *TR

    NHTSA ODI #10609741

    50,000 miles · Jan 28, 2011
    Power Train

    2004 HONDA VTX 1300. BEARING FLANGE FAILURE ON THE REAR WHEEL. APPROX. 50,000 MILES BEFORE IT GOT REAL NOTICEABLE REAL FAST. THE BEARING FLANGE COST 249.00. CANT FIND A CROSS REFERENCE TO THE BEARING USED, SO HAD TO PURCHASE THE WHOLE FLANGE ASSY. *TR

    NHTSA ODI #10379492

    14,483 miles · May 26, 2009
    Power Train

    I HAVE A 2004 HONDA VTX 1300C WITH 14,483 MILES ON IT. I CHECKED THE BEARINGS IN REAR WHEEL AS I WAS PUTTING A NEW TIRE ON. THE BEARINGS ARE SO BAD IT VERY HARD TO TURN THEM BY HAND. I'M 51 YEARS OLD AND PUT OVER 300,000 MILES ON BIKES. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN SUCH A SHORT TIME. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT HONDA WILL NOT C…

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    I HAVE A 2004 HONDA VTX 1300C WITH 14,483 MILES ON IT. I CHECKED THE BEARINGS IN REAR WHEEL AS I WAS PUTTING A NEW TIRE ON. THE BEARINGS ARE SO BAD IT VERY HARD TO TURN THEM BY HAND. I'M 51 YEARS OLD AND PUT OVER 300,000 MILES ON BIKES. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN SUCH A SHORT TIME. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT HONDA WILL NOT CORRECT THIS PROBLEM SO I WILL TRY TO FIND BETTER BEARINGS TO REPLACE THE STOCK ONES THAT FAILED. *TR

    NHTSA ODI #10269960

    31,000 miles · Nov 6, 2006
    Power Train

    REAR FLANGE BEARING IN FINAL DRIVE ON 2004 HONDA VTX 1300 MOTORCYCLE. THIS BEARING BASICALLY CAME APART IN THE REAR END, AND WAS DISCOVERED BY A LOCAL TIRE SELLER. IF I HAD CONTINUED TO RIDE, IT COULD HAVE LOCKED UP THE REAR END, RESULTING IN A VERY BAD ACCIDENT. *JB

    NHTSA ODI #10172681

    Mileage unknown · Jun 10, 2005
    Power Train

    DT: CONSUMER BOUGHT A HONDA MOTORCYCLE VLX 600. WAS NOT ABLE TO RIDE MOTORCYCLE BEFORE PURCHASE. IT HAD FOUR SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. IN FIRST GEAR THE MOTORCYCLE WILL STALL IF IT HAS NOT REVVED TO A HIGH RPMS. CONSUMER STATED HE HAS ALMOST BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND WHEN MOTORCYCLE STALLED DUE TO TRYING TO FOLLOW A SLOW VEHICLE.…

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    DT: CONSUMER BOUGHT A HONDA MOTORCYCLE VLX 600. WAS NOT ABLE TO RIDE MOTORCYCLE BEFORE PURCHASE. IT HAD FOUR SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. IN FIRST GEAR THE MOTORCYCLE WILL STALL IF IT HAS NOT REVVED TO A HIGH RPMS. CONSUMER STATED HE HAS ALMOST BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND WHEN MOTORCYCLE STALLED DUE TO TRYING TO FOLLOW A SLOW VEHICLE. WHEN IT REVVED TOO HIGH AND CONSUMER RELEASED CLUTCH THEN IT SNAPPED AS IF TO RIDE A WHEEL. CONSUMER SAID THAT MOTORCYCLE NEEDED FIVE GEARS,WAS UNSAFE WITH FOUR.*AK

    NHTSA ODI #10124945

    10,100 miles · May 31, 2005
    Power TrainWheels

    REAR WHEEL DRIVE BEARING IS DEFECTIVE OR INSTALLED INCORRECTLY CAUSING PREMATURE BEARING FAILURE. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. REAR WHEAL BEARING FAILURE ON A MOTORCYCLE IS VERY DANGEROUS. REPLACEMENT OF BEARING AND / OR FLANGE ASSEMBLY.

    NHTSA ODI #10122471

    Recall campaigns

    0

    No recalls in this snapshot.

    Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

    Defect investigations

    0

    No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

    An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.