Honda VTX1300 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 231 consumer complaints across the 5 model years of the Honda VTX1300 (2003–2007) that have at least 5 complaints. 2004 has the most, with 78. Across all years, the part named most often is steering (124 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst VTX1300 years →
All VTX1300 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 36 | 3,900 | 1 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2006 | 35 | 6,800 | 0 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 47 | 6,400 | 0 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 78 | 4,860 | 0 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2003 | 35 | 3,000 | 0 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Steering124 49%
- Suspension58 23%
- Vehicle speed control16 6.3%
- Wheels13 5.1%
- Fuel system13 5.1%
- Electrical system13 5.1%
- Transmission and drivetrain11 4.3%
- Other or unknown7 2.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2007: “My 2007 Honda vtx-1300c has a wobble which is only noticeable when decelerating from 50 miles per hour. I found out that most if not all of the Honda vtx series motorcycle have had cheap bearings put in the front forks. Usually the bad bearings wear out within a year's time, but since I bought the bike used in 2020 this problem was never fixed. This problem is easily corrected by putting in tapered bearings in!”
NHTSA complaint #11350735, filed 2020-08, 14,500 miles2005: “I have a 2005 Honda vtx 1300c and while decelerating, usually between 45 and 30 miles per hour, the handle bars and front end violently start to wobble from side to side. If I do not apply steady pressure on the handle bars, I could have an accident. This is extremely dangerous. I balanced and installed new tires, checked wheel bearings and tire pressure.”
NHTSA complaint #10459516, filed 2012-05, 19,800 miles2006: “My steering on my 2006 vtx1300c shakes when you let go of one side of the handlebars. If you take pressure off the grips with both hands the bike shakes violently. I just had two brand new tires put on the bike thinking it may have been one of the tires causing the issue. The problem continued even after the new tires were installed.”
NHTSA complaint #10463522, filed 2012-06, 9,450 milesOther Honda models
24,617 complaintsHonda Civic
16,239 complaintsHonda CR-V
16,058 complaintsHonda Odyssey
12,865 complaintsHonda Pilot
9,393 complaintsHonda Ridgeline
2,216 complaintsHonda Fit
2,201 complaintsHonda HR-V
1,871 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology