2012 Honda GL1800 problems & reliability
31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Honda GL1800, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Honda GL1800 vehicles were involved in 16 fatal crashes with 15 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 17 | 55% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 17 | 55% |
| Power Train | 5 | 16% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 6% |
| Suspension | 2 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 3% |
| Wheels | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 4,550 miles (middle 50% between 1,225 and 7,125 miles), based on 20 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I am having slow speed hesitation with the throttle while riding on the road. When I roll the throttle on the bike sometimes hesitates, does nothing so when I try more fuel the throttle control finally decides to start working and has made for some wild rides especially in turns. It is dangerous to have too much fuel…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Sep 1, 2016
“My goldwing has the hesitation problem like so many others. I have almost dropped the bike a couple of times because of the stumble. It will hesitate and then the engine will suddenly get fuel again and lunge forward dangerously. If I would hit sand or gravel or be on a gravel road or gravel parking lot it would be a…”
Engine · filed Mar 3, 2016
“My honda gold wing 2012 has a dangerous stumble that frequently causes the engine to stutter and nearly stall. Many times, I open the throttle to enter an intersection, or to pull away from a stop, and the power drops off to nothing, then, when I open the throttle to compensate, the motorcycle surges forward causing…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Nov 27, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Inconsistent Throttle Control
Preliminary Evaluation PE15014 · opened Apr 20, 2015 · closed Nov 13, 2015
- Southern Honda Powersports
Audit Query AQ12001 · opened May 14, 2012 · closed May 13, 2013
Technical service bulletins
21 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Honda GL1800. The 10 most recent:
Dealer Message - Honda has sourced a new supplier for the 2009 ~ 2017 GL1800 Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The new TPMS supplier parts are not compatible (will not communicate) with the original equipment…
MCPSP08192024901 · Other · issued Aug 19, 2024
Service Bulletin - Honda has sourced a new supplier for the 2009 ~ 2017 GL1800 Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The new TPMS supplier parts are not compatible (will not communicate) with the original equipment…
GL1800 #24 - August 2024 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2024
Service Bulletin - Honda has sourced a new supplier for the 2009 ~ 2017 GL1800 Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The new TPMS supplier parts are not compatible (will not communicate) with the original equipment…
GL1800 #26 - July 2024 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 17, 2024
Service Bulletin - Honda has sourced a new supplier for the 2009 ~ 2017 GL1800 Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The new TPMS supplier parts are not compatible (will not communicate) with the original equipment…
MCGL1800 - #28 - June 202 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 11, 2024
Dealer Mesage - Honda has sourced a new supplier for the 2009 ~ 2017 GL1800 Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The new TPMS supplier parts are not compatible (will not communicate) with the original equipment…
MCMSN06112024 · Other · issued Jun 11, 2024
Service Bulletin - Honda has sourced a new supplier for the 2009 ~ 2017 GL1800 Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The new TPMS supplier parts are not compatible (will not communicate) with the original equipment…
GL1800 #2 Nov23 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 16, 2023
"dealer message - on december 11, several sections of s/b gl1800 #23 were revised to include information for the repair of trike coversions."
GL1800 NO. 23 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 11, 2015
"service bulletin - honda is launching a safety recall of 2012-2015 gl1800/a and 2013-2015 gl1800b/bd motorcycles, and is implementing a recall remedy for 2001-2010 and 2012 gl1800/a motorcycles already subject to…
GL1800 SECONDARY · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 11, 2015
Newsletter - the repair procedure for the secondary master cylinder (smc) recall is very involved, so make sure to read through the entire bulletin before hand so you can visualize the procedures before you start. Not…
MC - THE WRENCH · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 10, 2015
"dealer message - effective immediately the secondary master cylinder (smc) kits for this recall are available on open order. As indicated in s/b gl1800 #23 and other communications about this recall, it is absolutely…
DLR MSG - MC - S · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 24, 2015
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2012 Honda GL1800 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2012 Honda GL1800?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 4,550 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.