2004 Honda Vfr800a: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2004 Honda Vfr800a
Only 3 defect reports have been filed with NHTSA about the 2004 Honda Vfr800a, which is too few to compute mileage percentiles or a risk score. The reports reported fuel pump failure.
When each failure gets reported
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 3 | 3 | — | 90 | — | 1.4 | $600–$2,600 | High |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Fuel pump failure
My girlfriend and I rode the bike the next day to downtown oklahoma city. We were riding around town at a slow speed (5-30 MPH) when coming up to a stop light that was turning red, so I started to gear the bike down to second then finally pulling in the clutch the last 10 feet or so. I just happen to look down at the tachometer and the RPM's were below idle, somewhere around 500-800 rpms, then the bike just died. I had to turn the engine stop switch to the off position then back to the on position, then pressed the start button, and the bike started up and ran perfect the rest of the day. I rode the bike about 200mile before it happened again. The next time this happened my girlfriend and I were again coming up to a stoplight so I started gearing down to second gear pulled in the clutch and again the RPM's fell below idle speed. The light changed to green so I took off and the bike didn't want to go so I gave it more throttle, about one quarter of the throttle just to get it to 7-eleven across the road, and then all the sudden the bike starts running correctly again, the bike lunges forward because of all the throttle im giving it…
My girlfriend and I rode the bike the next day to downtown oklahoma city. We were riding around town at a slow speed (5-30 MPH) when coming up to a stop light that was turning red, so I started to gear the bike down to second then finally pulling in the clutch the last 10 feet or so. I just happen to look down at the tachometer and the RPM's were below idle, somewhere around 500-800 rpms, then the bike just died. I had to turn the engine stop switch to the off position then back to the on position, then pressed the start button, and the bike started up and ran perfect the rest of the day. I rode the bike about 200mile before it happened again. The next time this happened my girlfriend and I were again coming up to a stoplight so I started gearing down to second gear pulled in the clutch and again the RPM's fell below idle speed. The light changed to green so I took off and the bike didn't want to go so I gave it more throttle, about one quarter of the throttle just to get it to 7-eleven across the road, and then all the sudden the bike starts running correctly again, the bike lunges forward because of all the throttle im giving it…
Recalls on the 2004 model year
NHTSA has issued 1 recall campaign covering the 2004 Honda Vfr800a, affecting an estimated 2,120 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover service brakes, hydraulic. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
36,046 vehicles 2005-01-24- Defect
- Certain motorcycles equipped with combined-brake systems have a proportioning control valve (pcv) that mechanically proportions brake force when the rear brake is applied. A seal in some pcvs is improperly shaped, and brake fluid leakage may occur.
- Consequence
- If the motorcycle continues to be used after a leak occurs, the rear brake would eventually become inoperative. A loss of rear brake force could increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear brake forleakage. If leakage is confirmed, the dealer will replace the pcv free of charge. The recall began on january 31, 2005. Owners may contact honda at 866-784-1870.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
Every year of the Honda Vfr800a
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
What the reports on file say
The complaints recorded against the 2004 Honda Vfr800a are fuel pump failure (3 reports, around 90 miles). With a sample this size these are anecdotes rather than a pattern, and they are shown because somebody looking at this exact car would rather see them than nothing.
Why this page is short
A model year needs about 8 reports before percentiles mean anything, and this one does not have them. Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road, so a thin page usually means a rare car, a new car, or a car whose owners do not file.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed