FaultScore

2006 Honda VTX1300 steering problems

23 of the 43 complaints about the 2006 Honda VTX1300 are about the steering — 53% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 5,500 miles.

F

23

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Steering 22 95.7%
Steering Wheel/Handle BAR 1 4.3%

Steering across every Honda VTX1300 year

2003 13 10.3%
2004 33 26.2%
2005 32 25.4%
2006 23 18.3%
2007 25 19.8%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 30,000 miles Broken Arrow, OK

STEERING

THE FRONT END STARTS TO GET THE DEATH WOBBLE WHEN LET OFF THE GAS GOING AROUND 45 MPH. AND IT IS STARTING TO DO IT AT MORE SPEEDS NOW. BUT THAT IS WHEN IT IS THE WORST. CAN'T TAKE BOTH HANDS OF THE HANDLE BARS OR GRIP IT LIGHTLY OR ELSE IT WILL SHAKE TO MUCH AND CAUSE ME TO WRECK.

NHTSA complaint #11364765 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,000 miles Powhatan, VA

STEERING

THE BIKE WOBBLES AND SHAKES VERY BAD WHEN DECELERATING FROM 45 MPH. THIS OCCURS ON STRAIGHT OR WHILE TURNING.

NHTSA complaint #10865795 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 6,800 miles Ofallon, MO

STEERING

WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 25 OR 30 MPH THE HANDLEBARS SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. TRIED NEW TIRES, DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM

NHTSA complaint #10862937 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 8,700 miles Sarasota, FL

STEERING

WOBBLE WHEN DRIVING. WOBBLE GETS MUCH WORSE WHEN 1 OR 2 HANDS ARE NOT FIRMLY ON HANDLEBARS. GETS MUCH WORSE DURING DECELERATION.

NHTSA complaint #10680310 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 16,000 miles Draper, UT

STEERING

HONDA VTX 1300C.. BOUGHT USED.. NOTICED THAT AT AN APPROX. SPEED THE FRONT END WOULD START TO WOBBLE.. SPOKE TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING BEFORE.. TIRES ARE NEW AND ALIGNED.

NHTSA complaint #10676270 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 11,000 miles Carrollton, KY

STEERING

SEVERE STEERING WOBBLE ON DECELERATION FROM ANY SPEED. GETS WORSE IF I TAKE HANDS OFF BARS, BAD ENOUGH TO CRASH.

NHTSA complaint #10668470 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 3,850 miles Memphis, TN

STEERING

HANDLEBARS SHAKE BETWEEN 35-45 MPH NOW EVEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS, WOBBLE. GO INTO A TURN IT SEEMS TO DROP JUST A LITTLE ENOUGH TO SCARE THE S--- OUT OF YOU. I SEE YOU HAVE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM. CAN YOU LET ME KNOW YOUR FINDINGS, PLEASE. WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS I JUST ASSUMED YOU HAVE NOT HAD THE TIME TO INVESTIGATE. THIS IS TRULY A DANGEROUS PROBLEM. SOMEONE MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN HURT OR WORSE. NO ONE HAS PROVED THE FRONT STEERING BEARINGS WERE BAD. SOMETHING I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO INVESTIGATE, AFTER ANY COMPLAINT.

NHTSA complaint #10644152 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 3,850 miles Memphis, TN

STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

HANDLEBARS SHAKE BETWEEN 35-45 MPH NOW EVEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS, WOBBLE. GO INTO A TURN IT SEEMS TO DROP JUST A LITTLE ENOUGH TO SCARE THE S--- OUT OF YOU. I SEE YOU HAVE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM. CAN YOU LET ME KNOW YOUR FINDINGS, PLEASE. WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS I JUST ASSUMED YOU HAVE NOT HAD THE TIME TO INVESTIGATE. THIS IS TRULY A DANGEROUS PROBLEM. SOMEONE MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN HURT OR WORSE. NO ONE HAS PROVED THE FRONT STEERING BEARINGS WERE BAD. SOMETHING I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO INVESTIGATE, AFTER ANY COMPLAINT.

NHTSA complaint #10644152 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 11,250 miles Salem, OR

STEERING

EXTREME STEERING WOBBLE WITH LIGHT OR SINGLE HANDED GRIP HANDLE BARS. VERY SEVERE!

NHTSA complaint #10631300 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 5,000 miles Memphis, TN

STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA VTX 1300 MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING AND FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

NHTSA complaint #10622287 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 5,000 miles Columbus, OH

STEERING

THE STEERING WILL SHAKE/VIBRATE AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 25-40MPH, SOMETIMES MORE VIOLENTLY THAN OTHERS. THE FRONT BEARING WAS INSPECTED AND APPEARED TO BE OK. THE FRONT TIRE WAS RECENTLY REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN 2007.

NHTSA complaint #10620929 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 19,786 miles Carthage, MO

STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA VTX1300C. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,786.

NHTSA complaint #10574072 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 9,450 miles N Tonawanda, NY

STEERING

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 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 3,602 miles Elkhorn, NE

STEERING

FRONT WHEEL WOBBLES ON 2006 HONDA VTX 1300R WHEN SLOWING DOWN THROUGH 45-40 MPH.

NHTSA complaint #10397279 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Carmichael, CA

STEERING

2006 HONDA VTX 1300 RETRO: THE FRONT END WOBBLES DURING DECELERATION FROM SPEEDS OF ABOUT 30 MPH. CHANGING THE FRONT TIRE TEMPORARILY REDUCES THE PROBLEM, BUT IT RECURS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I BOUGHT IT OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR IN OCTOBER 2007.

NHTSA complaint #10355803 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,000 miles Piscataway, NJ

STEERING

HONDA 2006 VTX 1300R - FRONT WHEEL WOBBLES IN THE SPEED RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 35-50 MILES PER HOUR, AND IS WORSE ON DECELERATION. STEERING HEAD BEARING ARE SUSPECTED. WOBBLE STARTED AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES OF VEHICLE SERVICE AND HAVE GOTTEN WORSE. DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO WARRANTY REPAIR THE VEHICLE, AND DENIES THE PROBLEM DESPITE REPEATED COMPLAINTS.

NHTSA complaint #10318934 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,500 miles EL Paso, TX

STEERING

MY 2006 HONDA VTX 1300R DEVELOPED A STEERING WOBBLE WHEN DECELERATING BETWEEN THE SPEED OF 35 -55 MPH. I NOTICED THIS PROBLEM AT 4500 MILES. CURRENTLY THE BIKE HAS 7000 MILES AND THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORST, TO THE POINT I CONSIDER DANGEROUS. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO TIGHTEN THE HEAD BEARINGS, BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB, I FOUND THAT OTHER VTX OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO OTHERS, THE STEERING BEARINGS ARE INSUFFICIENT. THEY CLAIM THAT AFTER REPLACING THIS BEARING THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED.

NHTSA complaint #10294621 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 5,000 miles Latham, NY

STEERING

SEVERE SHAKING OF THE HANDLE BARS. FOUND THAT STEERING FORK BEARINGS WERE BAD. HAD TO REPLACE THEM. LESS THEN 5000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL IF NOT CORRECTED.

NHTSA complaint #10266405 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 14,000 miles Tuscon, AZ

STEERING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA VTX1300. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOBBLED UNCONTROLLABLY. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THE HEAD BEARINGS CAUSED THE STEERING TO WOBBLE. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS PERTAINING TO THIS FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED NOT TO WORRY. A DIFFERENT DEALER ATTEMPTED TO TIGHTEN THE HEAD BEARINGS, BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WOBBLE MAY HAVE BEEN A RESULT OF THE TIRES; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT HAD JUST PURCHASED NEW TIRES, WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE WOBBLING. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 14,000.

NHTSA complaint #10262181 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Candler, NC

STEERING

STEERING WOBBLE ON THE 2006 HONDA VTX 1300R MOTORCYCLE. STEERING BEARINGS ARE INSUFFICIENT. HAD TO REPLACE WITH DIFFERENT BEARINGS TO RESOLVE THE STEERING SHAKE.

NHTSA complaint #10237509 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Goldsby, OK

STEERING

I BOUGHT A NEW HONDA MOTORCYCLE: VTX 1300C. IN LESS THAT 2000 MILES, IT HAS DEVELOPED A VERY BAD "WOBBLE" IN THE FRONT FORKS BETWEEN 45 AND 55 MPH. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS DUE TO FAULTY BEARINGS IN THE FORKS AND THAT IF THEY ARE REPLACED WITH THE TAPERED BEARINGS FROM THE VTX 1800 MODEL MOTORCYCLES, THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DECELERATE ON CURVE AT 45 MPH BECAUSE THE FRONT OF THE BIKE SHAKES SO MUCH THAT IT IS HARD TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT HONDA REFUSES TO ADDRESS.

NHTSA complaint #10237359 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 6,000 miles Seneca, MO

STEERING

WOBBLE OCCURS IN FRONT END OF MOTORCYCLE AT APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH. MOTORCYCLE IS A HONDA VTX 1300 2006.

NHTSA complaint #10237360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 3,000 miles Leesburg, FL

STEERING

FRONT END WOBBLE ON A NEW (3000 MILES) 2006 HONDA VTX 1300 MOTORCYCLE.

NHTSA complaint #10167749 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

← Full 2006 Honda VTX1300 report