2006 Honda VTX1300 problems & reliability
35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 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.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 22 | 63% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 14% |
| Suspension | 5 | 14% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 3% |
| Structure | 1 | 3% |
| Tires | 1 | 3% |
| Unknown OR Other | 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 7,148 miles (middle 50% between 4,113 and 14,250 miles), based on 28 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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.”
Suspension · filed Oct 16, 2020
“My starter magnet shorted out & burned connecting plug & electrical harness. My bike was parked in garage like always. I went out in morning to start bike & nothing happened, a few seconds later I notice a burned smell & immediately turned off key. I then disconnected my battery & started to look for the problem…”
Electrical System · filed May 22, 2019
“Petcock is leaking they were recalled on the 07-09 but not the 06 when its the exact same problem started happening while I was riding”
Unknown OR Other · filed Mar 21, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
6 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 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
Honda: on some model vehicles, there is an alternator/starter tester (ast) module capable of testing alternators, installed on gr8 diagnostic battery station. *pe
SB-12-002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2012
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
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 2006 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 2006 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 7,148 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.