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Honda GL1800Model year report

2002 Honda GL1800 Problems

Complaints
182filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
15,000miles, 46 complaints with mileage
Recalls
6campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2002 Honda GL1800 (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2002 Gold Wing 1800 report engine overheating in slow traffic far more than anything else, typically within the first few thousand miles and usually with the temperature gauge climbing toward the red at low speeds. Reports of cracked frame welds and rear brake problems make up most of the remaining complaints, and these tend to appear at higher mileage or after several seasons of use.

  1. Engine cooling

    Overheating in slow or stop-and-go traffic

    • 100 complaints (55%)
    • median 3,545 mi at 1.6 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2001–2006

    Owners describe the coolant temperature gauge climbing toward the red when riding at low speed, commonly in the 10-30 mph range in traffic, residential streets, or on long uphill grades. Several say they had to pull over and wait for the engine to cool, and some note coolant escaping through the overflow tube near the rear tire. According to complaints, dealers often responded that the bike was designed for touring rather than stop-and-go riding, and some owners report an engine control module replacement or cooling campaign that did not fully resolve the symptom. Mostly reported under 15,000 miles, often during warm weather and slow traffic.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ride the bike at low speed in traffic on a warm day and watch the temperature gauge; ask the seller whether the engine control module and cooling campaign work was completed and whether the fan switches have been checked.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My 2002 gl1800a has a cracked weld on the frame under the seat area and is not safe to ride. The motorcycle also overheats in slow traffic on warm days, causing me to have to pull over and let it cool down.”

    NHTSA complaint #10030967, filed 2003-08, 2,590 miles

    “My 2002 Honda GL1800 has been into the dealer 6 times for repair of engine overheating. I have had the engine overheating recall work conducted twice on the bike. The first repair under the recall actually actually acerbated the overheating problem. The second recall repair only slightly improved the bike over its original delivered state. American Honda refuses to do any further repairs that could rectify the problem. It appears that some of the GL1800 motorcycles have this inherent defect and others do not. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10059069, filed 2004-02, 400 miles
  2. Body and structure

    Cracked frame welds and rear frame tubes

    • 27 complaints (15%)
    • median 45,750 mi at 4.6 yrs old (14 state mileage)
    • filed 2002–2019

    Complaints describe cracks found in frame welds and rear frame tubes, often below the seat, behind the passenger footrest, or near the rear suspension mounts, sometimes discovered during routine servicing. Owners say the cracks can spread and affect handling, and some report the dealer replacing the frame or sub-frame. Several mention that their bike was not covered by the frame weld campaign even though the same area was affected. Reported from a few thousand miles up to very high mileage, often found on inspection rather than at failure.

    Recall 05V027000Recall 03V3500004 related service bulletins

    What to check: Have the frame inspected closely around the weld areas under the seat, behind the passenger footrests and at the rear frame tubes; ask whether the frame weld recall work was done and whether the frame has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Discovered frame crack on my 2002 Honda gl 1800. The crack is located behind the left passenger foot rest and below the battery. The 2002 goldwing has 105,000 miles and is normally ridden two up. The bike has never been in an accident. The bike is currently at the Honda dealer waiting for american Honda to ok replacing the frame.”

    NHTSA complaint #10236931, filed 2008-08, 105,000 miles

    “Upon inspection, the rear frame tubes have cracked on both sides of my '02 Honda GL1800 bike. The tubes have not completely separated yet, but the cracks extend about 1/3 around the tube beginning at the weld area. Bike-handling irregularity has been reported by others with this failure when the cracks have opened further.”

    NHTSA complaint #10246770, filed 2008-10, 60,000 miles
  3. Tires

    Front tire cupping, wobble and uneven wear

    • 47 complaints (26%)
    • median 5,000 mi at 1.8 yrs old (11 state mileage)
    • filed 2002–2023

    Complaints describe uneven or cupped wear on the front tire, vibration or a front end wobble at roughly 35-45 mph, and premature wear on both tires. Some owners link the cupping to the recommended front tire pressure and report that neither the dealer nor the tire maker accepted responsibility. Others describe a front end shake that persisted after front end parts were replaced. Typically reported within the first several thousand miles, often after a tire change or long trip.

    What to check: Inspect the front tire for cupping or uneven wear and ask about tire pressure practice, tire brand and age; ride at 35-45 mph to check for front end wobble.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Front tire on gl 1800 motorcycle. Honda recommends 36 PSI in the front tire this causes cupping of the tire and a bad vibration in front which could lead to accident and death! Bridgestone tires recommend 38 to 40 PSI in this tire, yet Honda has 36 in their owners guide. Honda nor bridgestone claims responsibility.”

    NHTSA complaint #10103999, filed 2004-12, 6,500 miles

    “Front wheel wobble when reducing speed between 55 and 20 MPH. Induced also by the use of cruise control when it decreases speed. Near loss of control when it happens unexpected. Much worse on rough surfaces. Dealer unable to repair under warrenty because factory will not pay as a authorized fix ????”

    NHTSA complaint #10180986, filed 2007-01, 34,918 miles
  4. Brakes

    Rear brake drag and rear brake loss

    • 6 complaints (3%)
    • median 5,000 mi at 3.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2003–2019

    Owners describe the rear brake pedal sinking or the rear brake failing to slow the bike, and some report the rear brake dragging after release or a chattering, vibrating feel when the brakes are applied at low speed. Complaints mention master cylinder replacement, sometimes more than once, and repeat failures after repair. Service bulletins describe a secondary master cylinder recall and note that brake fluid replacement at the specified interval is part of the remedy. Reported from a few thousand miles to well over 60,000 miles, in some cases recurring after a prior repair.

    Recall 15V700000Recall 11V567000Recall 05V01000010 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the secondary master cylinder recall was completed and when the brake fluid was last changed; test the rear brake for drag, a sinking pedal, or vibration after release.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Consumer had a Honda goldwing,2002. When using the rear brakes it set up a bad grabbing vibration in the front of the motorcycle. Consumer contacted the manufacturer, who said there was no solution for the current defect. Everything in the front end has been replaced yet the problem persist. The customer service center explained that there was nothing more they could do.”

    NHTSA complaint #10099904, filed 2004-12, 5,000 miles

    “Stuck in traffic ,stop and go for 30 min at low speed , brakes when applied suddendly chattered like ABS would , speed was about 5 miles an hr, brake pedal was right to the top and hard , thru out day came and went , cooled down while parked was ok later till I went to park and started again ,off and on on ride home.”

    NHTSA complaint #10030626, filed 2003-08, 2,300 miles

Buying note. Check the frame welds and the front tire carefully, confirm whether the rear brake and frame weld recalls were completed, and test the bike in slow traffic on a warm day to see how the temperature gauge behaves.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 182 consumer complaints for the 2002 Honda GL1800. 46 of the complaints include a mileage, and 78% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 15,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns and 26 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Equipment (1), Exterior lighting (1), Vehicle speed control (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Engine cooling: “Engine overheating - I purchased the bike in july of 2002. I experienced overheating almost immediately. I took it to an authorized dealer in temecula california and had it checked out. They kept it for approximately one week and determined that there was no problem. I then contacted the Honda cooperation and was told to take it back in. I did. Again nothing. I am not overseas and have been here since oct 2002. I haven't ridden the bike and won't ride again as I am in the marine corps stationed abroad until 2005. …”

NHTSA complaint #10041622, filed 2003-10, 9,000 miles

Body and structure: “2002 Honda goldwing GL1800 frame cracks. Found while servicing at home, the frame cracked on both lower sides near the rear suspension mount. Reported it to the dealer, they picked up the bike for inspection & warranty claim on sat 10/4. I am waiting to hear from Honda on the matter.”

NHTSA complaint #10041251, filed 2003-10, 18,000 miles

Tires: “Problems with tire equipment on 2002 Honda goldwing. The consumer added a cb radio and antenna at a cost of $800.00 dollars and another seat for $900.00. This was to accommodate the consumer's height of 6'5 , since the motorcycle is for maximum height of 5'10 . Midway through their first trip, the consumer noticed the front tire had begun to wear unevenly and developed a cupped pattern on the edge of the tire. After the trip, consumer pointed this out to the mechanic. He stated this was a normal pattern. At 7,400 miles, consumer replaced the front tire. …”

NHTSA complaint #10048238, filed 2003-12, 2,000 miles

Suspension: “2002 Honda GL1800 motorcycle. The rear suspension adjustment motor does not engage until the number on the indicator display reaches 7 or 8. This means that there is no suspension lift until that point, (7 or 8), is reached. Honda maintains the unit is working properly. If it were working properly the bike should begin rising when the display reads 1. I have read that there have been many complaints of this defect, but Honda will not repair the item, I suspect because it is a costly repair, and obviously widespread. …”

NHTSA complaint #10199752, filed 2007-08, 16,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

78% of the 46 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 4,500 and 34,918 miles.

43%0–1020%10–2515%25–509%50–752%75–1002%100–1509%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (46 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 15,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

’01108’03’05’07’09’15’18’23
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2002 Honda GL1800 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 26 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 26 bulletins →

Other model years of the Honda GL1800

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2021722,0003———Not enough data
201988,0002———Not enough data
2018347,2662——33 · FewerRising
2016510,7511———Not enough data
2015814,0002———Not enough data
201475,5002———Not enough data
201391,2502———Not enough data
2012311,0004——50 · TypicalStable
2010246,5164———Stable
2008478,0004——51 · TypicalFalling
20072012,6144———Stable
20062211,0005———Rising
20051812,5002———Stable
20041030,0004———Not enough data
200310111,7506——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200218215,0006——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20018438,0005——Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Honda GL1800 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Honda GL1800?

Owners of the 2002 Gold Wing 1800 report engine overheating in slow traffic far more than anything else, typically within the first few thousand miles and usually with the temperature gauge climbing toward the red at low speeds. The issues reported most often: Overheating in slow or stop-and-go traffic; Cracked frame welds and rear frame tubes; Front tire cupping, wobble and uneven wear.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2002 Honda GL1800 have?

NHTSA recorded 182 consumer complaints for the 2002 Honda GL1800 as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2002 Honda GL1800 is reported most often?

Engine cooling is named most often, in 115 complaints (63% of the total), followed by body and structure with 30.

Has the 2002 Honda GL1800 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2002 Honda GL1800 reported?

Among the 46 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 15,000 miles and the middle half falls between 4,500 and 34,918 miles; 78% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.