ENGINE AND HEADLIGHTS FAILED AT NIGHT WHEN HEADLIGHTS WERE SWITCHED TO HIGH BEAM. RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN PERFORMED, ACCORDING TO HONDA DEALER. RECALL REPAIR APPEARS INSUFFICIENT TO SOLVE OVERHEATING OF STANDARD ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *JS
2005 Honda VFR800
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all VFR800 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 3 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
3 reportsTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA VFR800. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN NOVEMBER OF 2007 FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: WIRING. HE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE DEALER HAD NOT RECEIVED THE RECALL PARTS AND DID NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WOULD ARRIVE. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA VFR800. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN NOVEMBER OF 2007 FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: WIRING. HE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE DEALER HAD NOT RECEIVED THE RECALL PARTS AND DID NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WOULD ARRIVE. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA VFR800. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V359000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING) IN SEPTEMBER OF 2007. IN NOVEMBER, HE RECEIVED ANOTHER NOTICE STATING THAT THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD ORDER THE PARTS AND CALL HIM WHEN THEY ARRIVED. …
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA VFR800. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V359000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING) IN SEPTEMBER OF 2007. IN NOVEMBER, HE RECEIVED ANOTHER NOTICE STATING THAT THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD ORDER THE PARTS AND CALL HIM WHEN THEY ARRIVED. HE CALLED THE DEALER BACK AND THEY STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER UNTIL MAY OF 2008. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,000. UPDATED 04/03/08. *LJ
Official recalls
107V359000 · Electrical System:wiring
Aug 15, 2007
ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE FRONT FAIRING SUB-HARNESS (SECTION OF THE WIRING HARNESS) TRANSFERS THE ELECTRICAL GROUNDING LOAD OF THE HEADLIGHTS, FRONT TURN SIGNALS, INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND VARIOUS RELAYS TO THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS VIA AN 18-PIN CONNECTOR. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THE GROUND WIRE TERMINALS INSIDE THE CONNECTOR CAN OVERHEAT, RESULTING IN MELTING OF THE CONNECTOR AND A LOSS OF POWER TO VARIOUS CIRCUITS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: AS A RESULT, A LOSS OF CRITICAL LIGHTING OR ENGINE POWER COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RE-DESIGNED SUB-HARNESS. IF DAMAGE IS FOUND, THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS WILL ALSO BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. AN INTERIM LETTER WAS MAILED TO OWNERS ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2007. OWNERS WERE RE-NOTIFIED ON NOVEMBER 10, 2007, TO TAKE THEIR MOTORCYCLES TO DEALERS TO HAVE THE PARTS INSTALLED. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-866-784-1870.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1AQ12001 · Southern Honda Powersports
Opened May 14, 2012 · Closed May 13, 2013
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other
NHTSA opened Audit Query (AQ) 12-001 to determine whether Southern Honda Powersports (Southern Honda) of Chattanooga, Tennessee, had complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 (Safety Act) and its implementing regulations. The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a motor vehicle or equipment manufacturer notify its dealers of defects related to motor vehicle safety and non-compliances with federal motor vehicle safety standards.In turn, a dealer may not sell and deliver a new vehicle subject to a recall unless the recall remedy has been performed.(see 49 U.S.C. 30120(i); 49 C.F.R. 573.11)NHTSA issued an information request to Southern Honda on May 14, 2012 to which they responded on July 6, 2012.NHTSA?s inquiry led it to believe that Southern Honda had failed to complete the requirements of five recalls that required inspections and/or repairs of motorcycles prior to their sale or delivery.NHTSA believes that 329 motorcycles affected by recalls had not been inspected and/or repaired prior to their sale and delivery between 2007 and 2012.The agency is unaware of any deaths or injuries involving these vehicles.NHTSA concluded that it had a potential civil penalty claim against Southern Honda for violations of the Safety Act.Southern Honda denied any violations of the Safety Act.In order to settle this matter, Southern Honda agreed to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $125,000, to be paid in five annual installments.This AQ is closed.
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