What breaks most · 2001 to 2018 model years
Honda GL1800 problems by year
Owners have filed 551 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Honda GL1800 across model years 2001 to 2018. One year stands out: 2002 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 2009, 2015 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2002
- Fewest complaints: 2009, 2015, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 5512001 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2002181 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 160 fires · 21 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 11kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 69Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83 | 1 | 6 | Engine and cooling (42) | |
| 181 | 2 | 7 | Engine and cooling (115) | |
| 97 | 2 | 7 | Body and structure (51) | |
| 9 | 1 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 18 | 1 | 3 | Steering (7) | |
| 20 | 0 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (5) | |
| 20 | 2 | 5 | Brakes (5) | |
| 45 | 3 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (9) | |
| 2 | 0 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (1) | |
| 22 | 3 | 5 | Brakes (9) | |
| 31 | 0 | 5 | Fuel system (17) | |
| 8 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (4) | |
| 7 | 0 | 2 | Brakes (4) | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | Steering (1) | |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | Engine (2) | |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (1) |
What fails on the 2002 Honda GL1800
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 64% |
115 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 17% |
30 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Tires | 6% |
11 | 0 | — |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 5% |
9 | 1 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 3% |
6 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 3% |
5 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 2% |
4 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 2% |
4 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Gl1800 2002 overheating at low speed. Paid $1,000.00 plus for service bulletin fix and it did nothing to help the problem. *jb
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Honda GL1800 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2002 carries the most filings on the Honda GL1800. The 2002 alone has 181 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Honda GL1800 problem?
On the 2002 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 115 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Honda GL1800 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Honda GL1800 complaints that include mileage is about 11,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.