2004 Honda VTX1300 problems & reliability
78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Honda VTX1300. 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.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 33 | 42% |
| Suspension | 25 | 32% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 12% |
| Power Train | 6 | 8% |
| Wheels | 5 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 3% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1% |
| Structure | 1 | 1% |
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 6,670 miles (middle 50% between 3,000 and 11,455 miles), based on 39 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2004 Honda VTX1300. The contact stated that while the motorcycle was parked, a fuel-like odor was detected in the garage. The contact then noticed fuel leaking from the motorcycle, with no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The motorcycle was not diagnosed or repaired. The…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed May 26, 2026
“My front end wobbles bad when I'm slowing down. It happens on both city streets and highways.I replaced the front and back tires and had them balanced. Nothing changed. I've researched it and it's apparently a common problem with the 1300 models and replacing the upper and lower steering bearings with the ones used in…”
Steering · filed Jun 24, 2020
“There is a severe front end wobble when decelerating from 50+ mph. The entire front end shakes to the point that control is almost lost. It is also causing the tire on the front to wear unevenly and at a very fast rate. The bike has less than 6000 miles on it as of march of 2018.”
Suspension · filed Mar 4, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
7 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Honda VTX1300.
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, American Honda announced three recalls for various 2001-11 Honda models. As of August 4, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and VIN status inquiry has been updated.
DLR MSG - Honda · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2014
Dealer message - On Monday, June 23, 2014, American Honda announced three recalls for various 2001-11 Honda models. As of July 23, 2014, affected VINs have been identified, and service bulletins 14-040, Safety Recall…
DLR MSG - Stop S · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 23, 2014
Load carrying capacity reduced label for all honda vehicles. *pe
08-040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2008
Honda: warranty extension-vehicle warranty mileage. Class action lawsuit alleging that the odometers on certain 2002-2006 honda models were overstating mileage. Federal court provided final approval of settlement on…
SB-06-085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 9, 2008
Cooling fan ground. Honda the wrench. *tt
11012005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2005
Don't straight edge it when performing periodic valve inspection. *jb
07012004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2004
Trippy trip switch. Honda. The wrench. *tt
01012004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2004 Honda VTX1300 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 2004 Honda VTX1300?
- · 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 6,670 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.