Front brake handle frozen, cannot squeeze . This will not allow me to operate mt front brakes.
2020 Vespa Gts 300
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 Gts 300 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 8 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.
- Service Brakes. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. 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.
Service Brakes complaints
7 reportsWhile I was driving the rear brakes started to a bite stiff .. when I went to stop I had to apply more pressure then usually.. i felt like the abs started and all of of sudden the brake lever stiffened up and i couldn't press the brakes any longer . I lost my rear brakes .. I'm glad I had my front brakes and I was able to get h…
Read full complaint
While I was driving the rear brakes started to a bite stiff .. when I went to stop I had to apply more pressure then usually.. i felt like the abs started and all of of sudden the brake lever stiffened up and i couldn't press the brakes any longer . I lost my rear brakes .. I'm glad I had my front brakes and I was able to get home driving slowly. But the rear brakes are locked up . I looked up my year 2020 gts 300 model it shows that there is a recall for that situation but when I type in my vin it says it's not a recall on the vin but it's the same issue and year that it's affected ?
- During one of my rides my rear brake malfunctioned. - If needed, yes it is available for inspection. - Due to the malfunction of the brake I almost crashed. Luckily I was able to stop my scooter (Vespa) using only front brake. - Yes the problem was confirmed by independent service. - Problem was inspected and confirmed by o…
Read full complaint
- During one of my rides my rear brake malfunctioned. - If needed, yes it is available for inspection. - Due to the malfunction of the brake I almost crashed. Luckily I was able to stop my scooter (Vespa) using only front brake. - Yes the problem was confirmed by independent service. - Problem was inspected and confirmed by official service. - No warning lamps or any sort of messages were displayed on my speedometer. ABS and ASR light stitched off as it should after 5kph (3.1mph). My Vespa has only approx. 900 mi and it is strange to have that kind of issues this "early".
While driving scooter, rear brake lever became immovable. First time it happened, I used both hands and squeezed it very hard and hear an audible pop/crack and the lever released. Checked over scoot and had no leaks, and lever felt normal, so continued to ride. Approx a month later after sitting for 18 days, went to ride it a…
Read full complaint
While driving scooter, rear brake lever became immovable. First time it happened, I used both hands and squeezed it very hard and hear an audible pop/crack and the lever released. Checked over scoot and had no leaks, and lever felt normal, so continued to ride. Approx a month later after sitting for 18 days, went to ride it and it was locked up again. Squeezed lever hard and broke free again, no signs of leaking. Drove to work that afternoon, and by the time I left to come home 5 hours later, it was locked up again. Broke free again and drove home. At that point I started looking online on the Vespa groups to see if anybody else has had this issue and came across this thread describing the same problem going back to 2018 https: [XXX] . At this point I quit riding it and waited until the handle locked up again and then took to the Vespa dealer who confirmed an ABS module failure and replaced it. Although my local dealer said he had never seen this issue before, when he spoke to his rep on my behalf (I was out of warranty, but only 1600 miles on the scoot) it was relayed to me that he was familiar with the issue. Vespa ultimately warrantied the part at no charge, I just had to pay labor. I have worked in vehicle repair for almost 15 years, and have never seen an ABS unit fail and prevent the brakes from being engaged. I believe this to be a large design flaw that should be addressed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
After the Vespa has sat for a couple days, the rear (right) brake lever locks up and is unable to be pulled after the ABS light goes out. Usually, I can pull pressure to the lever and it will free up. This started happening around the end of August 2022. Today, 12-3-2022, I tried to ride the Vespa after sitting for a few days…
Read full complaint
After the Vespa has sat for a couple days, the rear (right) brake lever locks up and is unable to be pulled after the ABS light goes out. Usually, I can pull pressure to the lever and it will free up. This started happening around the end of August 2022. Today, 12-3-2022, I tried to ride the Vespa after sitting for a few days and the lever is totally locked up and will not free itself. The Vespa is totally unridable now that the brakes do not work. I have spoken to my dealer and Piaggio USA on the phone and they verified that it may be the ABS unit that has failed but the dealer is pretty far away and I am unable to ride the Vespa. This is a serious safety issue. The Vespa only has about 900 miles on it and it is out of warranty.
2020 VESPA GTS 300. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BRAKE ISSUES. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIR UNDER RECALL, THE BRAKES STILL FELT DANGEROUS. *JS
OUT OF SEEMINGLY NOWHERE, FRONT BRAKES REDUCED TO 10% AND REAR BRAKES TO 50%. IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO DEALER. RECALL PART IS IN IT'S 3RD WEEK OF WAITING. *TR
Official recalls
120V617000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Oct 6, 2020
Piaggio Group Americas. Inc. (Piaggio) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Vespa GTS 300 and GTV 300 scooters. Improperly galvanized brake pipe terminals can result in excessive front and/or rear brake levers travel during braking.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Reduced braking efficiency can lengthen the distance needed to stop the scooter, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Piaggio will notify owners, and dealers will test the O-Ring, replace the brake fluid and bleed the brake system, or replace the brake pipes based on the vehicle's age, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2020. Owners may contact Piaggio customer service at 1-212-380-4433. Piaggio's number for this recall is PP2ZZQ2003_GTS/GTV.
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.
Illustration