AI Damage2001 Honda GL1500: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Honda GL1500 filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 56% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 44% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (56% of all).
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (44% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Speedometer is 8% fast and odometer is 6% fast ,the speedometer being 8% fast causes a safety problem when driving on turnpikes and interstates ( this is a touring motorcycle). When reported to honda I was told that honda was within the legal limits and had no intention of correcting this problem.
During continued low speed operation such as stop and go traffic this motorcycle, along with others of this make and model has an extreme tendency to seriously overheat. The manufacturer contends that the machine was designed for operation other than stop and go which, of coursee, is not always possible.
Motorcycle consistently overheats and leaves me stranded on the side of the road. Honda says that there is no problem with their otorcycles doing this.
Speedometer is 6%to 7% fast this means that the driver has to compute his/her actual speed, when riding on a two lane road and you are traveling at the speed limit according to the speedometer cars are riding your on your back fender or trying to pass because you are traveling well below the speed limit.
Speedometer being 6% to 7% fast means that the driver has to compute his/her actual speed, when riding on a two lane roads and you are traveling at the speed limit according to the speedometer cars are passing you because you are well below the speed limit. This can cause a serious accident.
Radiator fans blow forward into the direction of travel causing the engine to overheat at speeds below 15 mph at which time they turn off and allow natural airflow through. While driving at low speeds, 10 to 15 mph, in a city neighborhood the engine repeatedly overheated with the gauge in the red zone.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).
On average one model year of the GL1500 has 4 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 9, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Honda GL1500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: overheating, coolant loss (44%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Honda GL1500?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2001 Honda GL1500 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2001 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.