The contact reported on a 2008 Honda Goldwing GL1800 Motorcycle. The contact is an Attorney and stated that the motorcycle was traveling at an undetermined speed and the braking system malfunctioned causing the operator to lose control of the motorcycle and drive off the road, down an embankment, and crash into a tree. During the crash, both the operator and the passenger of the motorcycle suffered fatal injuries. Prior to the crash, a fellow motorcyclist was told that the braking system of the motorcycle was not operating properly. A police report was taken at the scene. The cause of the crash was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The VIN indicated an open recall for the federal safety agency campaign number 15v700000(service brakes). The failure mileage was unknown.
The worst 2008 Honda GL1800 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Brakes11
- Transmission9
- Steering8
- Tires7
- Suspension6
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes11
- Transmission9
- Steering8
- Tires7
- Suspension6
- Lights4
- Airbags2
- Electrical2
- Engine2
- Acceleration1
- Body1
- Fuel system1
- Seats1
- Visibility1
Recalls 4
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2006-2009 and 2012 Honda GL1800 (Goldwing) motorcycles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, if not included in "Zone A," Honda is recalling certain 2006-2009 Honda GL1800 (Goldwing) motorcycles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, if not included in Zone A or Zone B above, Honda is recalling certain 2006-2008 Honda GL1800 (Goldwing) motorcycles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the operator resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Honda Motorcycle Customer Support at 1‑866‑784‑1870. Honda's number for this recall is KE5.
Recall number 17V031000 · Recall details
Air bags
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor, Inc.) is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Honda GL1800 (Gold Wing) motorcycles manufactured February 8, 2006, to May 14, 2009 originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 Honda GL 1800 (Gold Wing) motorcycles manufactured May 10, 2007, to May 14, 2009 originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Motorcycles not originally sold or ever registered in either Zones A or B are not subject to this safety recall. These motorcycles are equipped with an air bag inflator assembled as part of the air bag module, used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the rider resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag module containing the inflator, free of charge. Honda distributed an interim notification to owners on July 19, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑866‑784‑1870. Honda's number for this recall is KA8.
Recall number 16V347000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- What is wrong
- American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2010 and 2012-2015 GL1800, 2001-2005 GL1800A and 2013-2015 GL1800B motorcycles. The rear brakes of the affected motorcycles may drag after the brakes are released.
- Risk
- A rear brake that drags may increase the risk of a vehicle crash. Additionally, extended riding with the rear brake dragging could generate enough heat to result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary brake master cylinder and the rear brake master cylinder, and flush the brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on December 7, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑866‑784‑1870. Honda's number for this recall is JV6. Note: This recall supercedes recall 14V‑472.
Recall number 15V700000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- What is wrong
- Honda is recalling certain model year 2001-2010, and model year 2012 gl1800 goldwing motorcycles. Under certain conditions, there is a possibility that the combined braking system's secondary master cylinder may cause the rear brake to drag.
- Risk
- Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash, and riding the motorcycle with the rear brake dragging may generate enough heat to cause the rear brake to catch fire.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the secondary master cylinder and if necessary, replace it, free of charge. The safety recall began on january 6, 2012. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1‑866‑784‑1870.
Recall number 11V567000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 2008 Honda GL1800
Defect investigations
Southern Honda Powersports
the federal safety agency opened Audit Query (AQ) 12-001 to determine whether Southern Honda Powersports (Southern Honda) of Chattanooga, Tennessee, had complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 (Safety Act) and its implementing regulations. The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a motor vehicle or equipment manufacturer notify its dealers of defects related to motor vehicle safety and non-compliances with federal motor vehicle safety standards.In turn, a dealer may not sell and deliver a new vehicle subject to a recall unless the recall remedy has been performed.(see 49 U.S.C. 30120(i); 49 C.F.R. 573.11)the federal safety agency issued an information request to Southern Honda on May 14, 2012 to which they responded on July 6, 2012.the federal safety agency?s inquiry led it to believe that Southern Honda had failed to complete the requirements of five recalls that required inspections and/or repairs of motorcycles prior to their sale or delivery.the federal safety agency believes that 329 motorcycles affected by recalls had not been inspected and/or repaired prior to their sale and delivery between 2007 and 2012.The agency is unaware of any deaths or injuries involving these vehicles.the federal safety agency concluded that it had a potential civil penalty claim against Southern Honda for violations of the Safety Act.Southern Honda denied any violations of the Safety Act.In order to settle this matter, Southern Honda agreed to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $125,000, to be paid in five annual installments.This AQ is closed.
AQ12001
Technical service bulletins for the 2008 Honda GL1800 17
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Honda is launching a safety recall of 2012-2015 GL1800/a and 2013-2015 GL1800B/bd motorcycles, and is...
- Dealer message - on december 11, several sections of s/b GL1800 #23 were revised to include information...
- Newsletter - the repair procedure for the secondary master cylinder (SMC) recall is very involved, so make...
- Dealer message
- Honda is launching a safety recall of 2012-2015 GL1800/a and 2013-2015 GL1800/b/bd motorcycles, and is...
- Dealer message - the service bulletin in support of the safety recall of 2001-2015 GL1800/a and GL1800B/bd...
- Honda is launching a safety recall of 2001-2015 GL1800/a and GL1800B/bd motorcycles
- Honda is launching a safety recall on model year 2001 through 2015 GL1800/a and GL1800B/bd motorcycles to...
- Technician newsletter - navi map update cards, oil filter installation
- Dealer message
What 2008 Honda GL1800 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda goldwing. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v700000 (service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Hall's motorsports birmingham (2878 us-31, pelham, al 35124, (205) 664-4999) was contacted and confirmed the parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
V6 transmission started having problems getting stuck and popping out of 5th gear took to motorcycle factory woodbridge va where I bought it they said no problem later it is now completely wasted transmission and needs what everybody knows that it was a bad design and needs work at least 4-5 k to fix that may show up again
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 honda goldwing. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v347000 (air bags). The part for the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was unable to confirm when the parts would be available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda goldwing. While attempting to stop the vehicle in traffic, the front and rear brakes did not work. The contact downshifted to a stop. The motorcycle was driven home. The following day, the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the master cylinder failed. The contact also stated that the motorcycle was repaired two years ago due to the same failure. This was the third time the master cylinder was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The motorcycle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 37,065.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 honda goldwing motorcycle. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16e042000 (air bags). The part to do the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 honda goldwing. While driving various speeds, the brakes failed without warning and the vehicle crashed into a ditch. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the ribs, hands, and a punctured lung, which required medical attention. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The VIN and failure mileage were not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 honda goldwing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a manufacturer recall concerning the brake system. The dealer kept the vehicle for a week, but could not determine the cause of the internal brake fluid leak. A week later, the contact obtained access to the vehicle and the mechanic noticed that the brake pedal traveled to the floor. The contact stated that the manufacturer's recall repair failed to repair the vehicle. The contact was waiting on a response from the manufacturer. The vehicle remained parked at the contact's residence. The recall details and failure mileage were not available.
Drops in/out of 5th gear every 1-3 minutes. Gears 1-3 occasionally drop in/out and consistently make a light grinding sound, including neutral. This vehicle is out of warranty but I think honda should be responsible for fixing it because I consider it a safety issue. If a rider should suddenly lose power on a busy interstate, there is a significant risk of a rear-end collision due to rapid and unexpected engine deceleration.
Insufficient radiator fan clearance results in a damaged radiator causing a coolant leak which results in an uncontrolled slide ending in a crash. Coolant leaking from the radiator that the fan damaged causes a loss of traction at the rear wheel. I noticed my left foot was wet and smelled engine coolant. I was making a left turn out of galveston getting on northbound i45. I turned the corner and the motorcycle went sideways. I rolled off the throttle slightly and rode out of the skid. Chopping the throttle would have resulted in a high-side, and applying more throttle would have caused a low-side crash. Immediately took the motorcycle to the dealership for inspection. They have seen a few of these issues and I found it to be prevalent with other owners on the internet no matter the miles, location, or condition.
Compare the 2008 Honda GL1800
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Questions about the 2008 Honda GL1800
Is the 2008 Honda GL1800 reliable?
Owners have filed 47 complaints about the 2008 Honda GL1800, 4.7 times a typical GL1800 model year.
What is the 2008 Honda GL1800 year score?
The 2008 Honda GL1800 scores 9 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Honda GL1800: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Honda GL1800?
Brakes, with 11 complaints, typically around 33,000 miles. Next is transmission (9).
How many recalls does the 2008 Honda GL1800 have?
4 recalls, covering air bags and service brakes, hydraulic.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Honda GL1800 brakes?
Yes, 2 recalls: 15V700000, 11V567000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Honda GL1800 have bad brakes?
The Honda GL1800 model years with the most brakes complaints are 2008 (11 complaints) and 2010 (11 complaints).
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