AI Damage2004 Honda VFR800: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Honda VFR800 filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 3
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 67% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (67% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 3 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 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.
Intermittent electrical problems, loss of power, lights, instruments. Loss of power and lights at night resulted lost control of motorcycle, which came in contact with reflector/barrier on highway. At higher speeds this may have resulted in serious injury.
He does not want to ride the vehicle because he does not want to get a speeding ticket. The failure mileage was 12,550. Updated 07/29/08 after the wiring harness was replaced, the consumer experienced the same problems with the dash lights and speedometer. Updated 08/01/08.
While riding 30 mph, the vehicle shuts off and stalls randomly. The contact has been unable to get any of the honda dealers to repair or duplicate the failure. He called the manufacturer and they informed him to take the vehicle to the honda dealer, but they were unable to duplicate the failure.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).
On average one model year of the VFR800 has 4 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Honda VFR800?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (33%), loss of power / limp mode (33%), stalls while driving (33%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Honda VFR800?
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 2004 Honda VFR800 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 2004 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.