2003 HONDA GL1800 Complaints

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA GOLDWING GL1800 MOTORCYCLE WITH ABS, VIN NUMBER [XXX]. ON 9/6/03 I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO MY DEALER, HINSHAW'S MOTORCYCLE STORE, 1611 WEST VALLEY HWY, AUBURN, WA 98001, FOR SERVICE. ON 9/9/03 I RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER AT HINSHAW'S. WHEN I RETURNED HIS CALL ON 9/10/03 I WAS TOLD THAT MY MOTORCYCLE WAS AN AFFECTED UNIT IN A RECALL BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR A CRACK IN A CROSS MEMBER OF THE FRAME. I WENT TO THE DEALER ON 9/10/03 AND LOOKED AT THE FRAME AND TOOK SEVERAL PHOTOS OF THE CRACK. I WAS TOLD BY A MEMBER OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT A MEETING WAS HELD WITH A HONDA REPRESENTATIVE CONCERNING MY MOTORCYCLE. I WAS SHOWN THE "REPAIR" THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE FRAME UNDER THE TERMS OF THE RECALL HAD THERE BEEN NO CRACK BUT THAT NO DETERMINATION HAD YET BEEN MADE AS TO WHAT WOULD BE DONE WITH MY MOTORCYCLE. ON 9/13/03 I WAS TOLD THAT THE MOTORCYCLE WOULD BE SHIPPED TO HONDA'S MANUFACTURING PLANT IN MARYSVILLE, OHIO, THE NEXT MORNING. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT AS FAR AS HE KNEW THE FRAME WOULD EITHER BE REPLACED OR PLACED IN A JIG FOR REWELDING. I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM A REPRESENTATIVE OF HONDA, AS YET, CONCERNING THIS MATTER NOR HAVE I GIVEN ANY AUTHORIZATION THAT I AM AWARE OF FOR THESE SO-CALLED REPAIRS TO BE MADE. I HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THE QUALITY OF ANY REPAIRS THAT MAY BE MADE TO THE FRAME OF THIS VEHICLE AND WONDER WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THIS MATTER. I'VE HEARD THAT SOME GOLDWING OWNERS RECEIVED NEW REPLACEMENT MOTORCYCLES, OTHERS HAVE HAD JUST THE FRAMES REPLACES, AND STILL OTHERS HAVE HAD NOTHING DONE BY HONDA BECAUSE THEIR VIN NUMBERS WERE OUTSIDE THE RANGE STATED BY THE MANUFACTURER EVEN THOUGH THE SAME SIGNS OF CRACKING/FAILURE IN THE FRAME WERE EVIDENT. MY CONFIDENCE IN THE QUALITY OF THIS VEHICLE, AND IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE OF THE MANUFACTURER (HONDA) TO THIS POINT, HAS SEVERELY DIMINISHED. I HOPE THAT A SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION CAN AND WILL BE ACHIEVED. *LA INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA)

RECALL 03V350000 HAS NO QUALITY CONTROL OF THE WELDS BEING MADE TO REPAIR THIS LOWER CONTROL ARM. THE DEALERS CAN NOT PRODUCE CERTIFICATION FOR THE WELDERS THEY WILL USE. ALUMINUM IS NOT EASY TO WELD AND YOU MUST KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING. *LA

THE GL1800 OVERHEATS TO THE POINT OF SPILLING COOLANT. THE COOLANT OVERFLOW HOSE IS IN FRONT OF THE REAR TIRE. HONDA HAS IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AND ATTEMPTED A FIX BY INSTALLING A NEW ECM, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *LA

I OWN A HONDA GL1800 AND I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HONDA AMERICA IN REFERENCE TO POSSIBLE CRACKS IN MY GL1800 FRAME. I CONTACTED MY DEALER (RICK CASE) AND THE SERVICE WRITER INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO EMPLOY A CUSTOMERS MACHINE SHOP TO WELD MY FRAME AND THAT THEY WILL NEED MY BIKE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THIS IS NOT SATISFACTORY SOLUTION TO ME BECAUSE I FEEL IF THE WELDS ARE CRACKING IN THE FIRST PLACE THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM WITH THE METAL OF THE FRAME.I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT NHTSA FINDINGS OR SUGGESTIONS ARE AND WHO WILL CERTIFY THE WELDER OR THE PROCESS TO WHICH THE REPAIRS ARE MADE? DO I HAVE AN OPTION TO REFUSE REPAIR AND EXPECT REPLACEMENT? *LA

FRAME CRACKED ON EITHER SIDE OF LOWER FRAME. DEALER STATED THEY WILL RESTORE THE FRAME. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT A RESTORED FRAME WILL CRACK AGAIN. *AK

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA GL1800 VIN# [XXX] THE FRAME IS CRACKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE WELD ON THE CENTER SECTION NEXT TO THE CENTER STAND, RIGHT SIDE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

HONDA MOTOTCYCLE 2003 GL1800 WITH A CRACKED FRAME. VIN NUMBER IDENTIFIED IN A RECENT RECALL NOTICE FROM HONDA.

HONDA GL 1800A MOTORCYCLE, FRAME FAILURE IN TWO LOCATIONS AT WELD JOINT. YIELDING MY MOTORCYCLE IN AN UNSATIFACTORY CONDITION AND UNSAFE TO UTILIZE.*AK

FRAME CROSSMEMBER AT THE SHOCK/CENTER STAND IS CRACKED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CORSS MEMBER AT THE LOCATION OF THE WELDS. THESE CRACKS ARE ALMOST ENTIRELY AROUND THE WELDED AREA.*AK

MY 2003 HONDA GOLDWING (GL1800) HAS DEVELOPED TWO CRACKS ON A FRAME CROSSMEMBER BELOW AND BEHIND THE CENTER STAND. THIS WAS DETERMINED BY THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAVE MY VEHICLE SERVICED. WHEN COMING IN TO VISIT HE INFORMED ME THAT HE NEEDED TO CHECK MY FRAME BY DIRECTION OF THE REGIONAL HONDA MOTORCYCLE REP. UPON INSPECTION TWO CRACKS WERE DISCOVERED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CROSSMEMBER. DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MECHANIC REVEALED THAT 16 OTHER BIKES IN THE TEXAS AREA ALSO HAVE EITHER ONE OR TWO CRACKS IN THE SAME LOCATION AS MINE. ACCORDING TO WEB SITES OF GL1800 OWNERS TEXAS IS NOT THE ONLY VICINITY TO EXHIBIT THE PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, THE CRACKS ARE ON A MOJORITY OF 2003 GL1800 HONDA MOTORCYCLES. WHEN CONTACTED BY HONDA THEY INDICATED THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND ARE REQUESTING THAT I RETURN MY MOTORCYCLE TO THEM FOR STUDY. THEY ARE REPLACING MY VEHICLE WITH A NEW 2003 IN AN EXACT REPLACEMENT WITH ALL OPTIONS INSTALLED ETC. *AK