What BMW R1200 GS owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See BMW R1200 GS safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| 2018 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 |
| 2016 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 |
| 2015 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 |
| 2010 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
The vehicle systems named most often in BMW R1200 GS complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
The contact owns a 2018 BMW R 1200 GS. The contact stated while riding the motorcycle at an undisclosed speed, the RPM's decreased and the motorcycle lost motive power. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road. The motorcycle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with corrosion on the Dynamic Motor Engine (DME) connector pins. The contact was informed that the DME connector pins needed to be cleaned. The motorcycle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,500.
It is not clear which brake component is failing. It seems to be either the master cylinder or the ABS control module, but nothing seems to be conclusive. The failure alters the power of and force required to apply the rear brakes, changing the riding characteristics of the motorcycle that could lead to serious injury or miscalculations in application of both front a rear brakes to minimize stopping distance. Apparently the component has been inspected by the manufacturer, however there has been no concrete solution that would guarantee a permanent solution. There are no warning lamps or visual indicators to prepare riders that the rear brakes may be compromised or dysfunctional. There have …
While riding the 1200GS yesterday, the rear brake calliper somehow came off! Has anyone encountered such a problem before. After the caliper came off, it got stuck in the wheel spokes and completely shattered the spokes and wheels. I was very lucky not sure how the wheels did not completely jam or freeze as this would have been deadly. I as was on a freeway with cars travelling over 70-MPH! Luckily enough motorists behind me and in other lanes observed what had happened and provided me space to pull over.
Rear brake on motorcycle does not stop the motorcycle. After three BMW dealer visits and rear brakes having been bled, the rear brake pedal becomes soft and does not stop the motorcycle. The same problem occurred each time within 2-3 months of the repair. The only way to stop the motorcycle is to use the front brake. The BMW service department cannot explain the reason this keeps happening.
Rear brake pedal gets soft and braking performance is lost. Feels like air is getting into the system. Bleeding the brake fixes the problem, but it comes back after a few thousand miles. Seems this isn't an isolated icindent based on forum information: https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/bmw-r1200gs-lc-rear-brake-failures.1264712/ https://www.gs-forum.eu/threads/umfrage-wer-ist-von-luft-im-hinteren-bremskreis-betroffen.153022/
The contact owns a 2017 BMW R1200 GS Adventure. The contact stated while riding at approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal "clunking" sound coming from the rear of the motorcycle. The contact stated that immediately the motorcycle started to lose motive power. While attempting to accelerate, the motorcycle started to vibrate without accelerating properly. The contact stated there was no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he coasted to the side of the road and turned off the motorcycle. The contact noticed that a rubber grommet that covered the universal joint connection to the final drive was torn. The contact had the motorcycle towed to a local dealer, where it was diag…
The contact owns a 2017 BMW R1200 GS. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, there was a sudden loss of motive power and the motorcycle was going at a slower speed, After an hour the motorcyclist was informed by another rider that the contact needed to pull over because they noticed smoke coming from motorcycle saddle bag due to the bag being next to the fuel pipe on the motorcycle. When the contact pulled over their saddleback was on fire due to the catalytic converter becoming so hot it started to catch the item in the saddleback on fire and melting. The contact removed the saddlebag off the bike and threw into a nearby puddle to extinguish the fire. The contact was able to place the …
Vehicle reported engine fault and cut engine power while on freeway (commonly known as "limp mode"). It was extremely dangerous trying to find somewhere to pull over with very little engine power. It has happened several times now. Vehicle is now longer safe for freeway use. It also happened once mid corner which upsets the chassis and is quite dangerous on a motorcycle. Dealer performed a software update and cleared codes on 10/29/2020 which clearly did not fix anything. No warning is given. Power is just suddenly removed.
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
Control Module Return
Driveshaft Maintenance Schedule Change
Mainly sporadic, isolated but also permanent faults occur in the throttle grip sensor, throttle valve,crankshaft signal, camshaft signal, transmission signal, fuel pressure sensor, gear-lever sensor (GearShift Assistant), oxygen sensor and switching cam. These can result in functional impairments andmalfunctions, fault messages and fault memory entries. Besides isolated defective components, the sporadic faults are often mainly caused by contactproblems and increased contact resistances. These can generally occur along the entire signal pathof the respective affected component, but especially
The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle âÃÂÃÂdischarged batteryâÃÂàcomplaints.
Since October 2023, a new maintenance schedule is valid for all K5x models. For the first time, maintenance positions for the cardan shaft (Driveshaft) are included. NOTICE: 1. The new maintenance schedule is not limited to vehicles affected by the SI 33 02 22 (SERVICE ACTION: Swingarm Drain retrofit and Driveshaft Check), but is valid for all K5x models - including retroactively. In case of retroactive validity (model year 2023 and older), affected customers will be informed about the change. This will be in the form of a direct-to-customer letter with a description of the new maintena
BMW Motorrad USA has become aware of a potential durability issue with the film type fuel level sender âÃÂÃÂFuel StripâÃÂàequipped on certain model year 2005 to 2013 R and K series motorcycles.
Multiple factors may cause the driveshaft to become damaged; among them are corrosion in certain parts ofthe driveshaft, and wear and tear exacerbated by certain climatic conditions.
BMW Motorrad is aware of a number of cases in which the screw connections of the Paralever link and/or the rear brake caliper have loosened in customer vehicles while driving.
Stress corrosion cracks may occur on the studs of certain milled footrests from the BMW Motorrad special accessories catalog for the GS models.
Vehicle battery not charged despite the battery charger being connected to the on-board socket (manufactured before 2009)Headlights and rear lights light up intermittently despite the ignition being switched off and the battery charger being connected to the on-board socket.
The bike does not shut down with a short press of the keyless ride button. The keyless Ride button must be pressed for several seconds to shut the bike down
Service distance cannot be set in miles in ISTA for TFT-type instrument clusters
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2010–2019, owners most often name: service brakes, suspension, engine. 55 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.