2012 BMW F 800 Gs Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2012 BMW F 800 Gs, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Fuel system342.9%
- Electrical228.6%
- Engine114.3%
- Exterior lighting114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
I BOUGHT THE 2012 F800GS WITH 417 MILES ABOUT A MONTH AGO AT A DEALERSHIP. IT'S A GREAT BIKE. I HAVE ABOUT 520 MILES ON IT. BUT TODAY I PUMPED GAS AND WHEN I PARKED IT AT HOME I NOTICED THAT IT WAS LEAKING GAS. COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE FUEL TANK CRACKED ALONG THE SEAM OF THE FUEL TANK, ALL AROUND . I'VE CLEANED IT IN THE PAST AND NEVER SAW THIS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I REFUELED THE BIKE. IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM OR A NUMBER THAT I CAN CALL? I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. THANKS
THE BIKE WOULD NOT START. THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THAT WHILE LOOKING AT IT TO REPAIR THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A FIRE. THE BEST I CAN TELL IS SOMEONE AT THE DEALER CAUSED THE BIKE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
STOCK CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED AT ONLY 47,000 MILES. REPLACED WITH AFTERMARKET PARTS DUE TO COST. BMW SAYS YOU MUST REPLACE STATOR AND ROTOR, WHEN ONLY THE STATOR HAS FAILED. THE NEW STATOR FAILED WITHIN 6,000 MILES. REPLACED AGAIN, AND AGAIN. THEY FAIL ROUGHLY EVERY 8,000 MILES. THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED WITH 2013 AND NEWER MODELS, BUT THE OLD BIKES ARE STILL FAILING AT AN ALARMING RATE. WITH NO HELP FROM BMW, THESE ARE STILL A MAJOR ISSUE. WHEN THE BATTERY BECOMES LOW, THE ABS PUMP STOPS WORKING FIRST, THEN THE LIGHTS, THEN THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM WITH THE MOTOR SHUTTING OFF. HAS LEFT ME STRANDED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. I WAS STATIONED IN GUAM WITH FIRST FAILURE. NOT EASY GETTING A TOW ACROSS A SMALL ISLAND WITH NO ACCESS TO A BMW DEALERSHIP. THE REMAINING FAILURES HAVE ALL BEEN BACK STATESIDE. THE MOST RECENT FAILURE LEFT ME STRANDED TWO MILES FROM HOME WHILE COMING HOME LATE ONE NIGHT. WHILE RIDING, MY ABS INDICATOR FLASHED, LETTING ME KNOW THAT I HAVE A LOW BATTERY. THEN THE LIGHT WENT SOLID, INDICATING ABS PUMP FAILURE DUE TO LOW VOLTAGE. THEN MY LCD DASH AND TACHOMETER WENT OUT. THEN MY HEADLIGHT, RUNNING, AND BRAKE LIGHTS TURNED OFF, AT NIGHT, ON A 4 LANE INNER CITY ROAD. NOT EVEN MY HAZARD LIGHTS WORKED. THEN THE BIKES FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM FAILED AND STALLED. I COASTED TO A RIGHT TURN LANE SAFELY AND PROCEEDED TO PUSH THE MOTORCYCLE THE REMAINING TWO MILES. UPON DISASSEMBLY OF MY STATOR, IT WAS SEVERELY BURNT TO DUE A LACK OF OIL COOLING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE MOTOR. I KNOW BMW MAKES MANY MOTORCYCLES WITH THE SAME F800 SERIES ENGINES. THEY ARE A COMMON PROBLEM APPARENTLY AND ALSO VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX. AS THE BATTERY AND CHARGING SYSTEM IS CRUCIAL TO MOST MOTORCYCLES, THIS IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY RISK AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS SO. THANK YOU.
THE BIKE WOULD NOT START. THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THAT WHILE LOOKING AT IT TO REPAIR THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A FIRE. THE BEST I CAN TELL IS SOMEONE AT THE DEALER CAUSED THE BIKE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
STOCK CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED AT ONLY 47,000 MILES. REPLACED WITH AFTERMARKET PARTS DUE TO COST. BMW SAYS YOU MUST REPLACE STATOR AND ROTOR, WHEN ONLY THE STATOR HAS FAILED. THE NEW STATOR FAILED WITHIN 6,000 MILES. REPLACED AGAIN, AND AGAIN. THEY FAIL ROUGHLY EVERY 8,000 MILES. THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED WITH 2013 AND NEWER MODELS, BUT THE OLD BIKES ARE STILL FAILING AT AN ALARMING RATE. WITH NO HELP FROM BMW, THESE ARE STILL A MAJOR ISSUE. WHEN THE BATTERY BECOMES LOW, THE ABS PUMP STOPS WORKING FIRST, THEN THE LIGHTS, THEN THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM WITH THE MOTOR SHUTTING OFF. HAS LEFT ME STRANDED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. I WAS STATIONED IN GUAM WITH FIRST FAILURE. NOT EASY GETTING A TOW ACROSS A SMALL ISLAND WITH NO ACCESS TO A BMW DEALERSHIP. THE REMAINING FAILURES HAVE ALL BEEN BACK STATESIDE. THE MOST RECENT FAILURE LEFT ME STRANDED TWO MILES FROM HOME WHILE COMING HOME LATE ONE NIGHT. WHILE RIDING, MY ABS INDICATOR FLASHED, LETTING ME KNOW THAT I HAVE A LOW BATTERY. THEN THE LIGHT WENT SOLID, INDICATING ABS PUMP FAILURE DUE TO LOW VOLTAGE. THEN MY LCD DASH AND TACHOMETER WENT OUT. THEN MY HEADLIGHT, RUNNING, AND BRAKE LIGHTS TURNED OFF, AT NIGHT, ON A 4 LANE INNER CITY ROAD. NOT EVEN MY HAZARD LIGHTS WORKED. THEN THE BIKES FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM FAILED AND STALLED. I COASTED TO A RIGHT TURN LANE SAFELY AND PROCEEDED TO PUSH THE MOTORCYCLE THE REMAINING TWO MILES. UPON DISASSEMBLY OF MY STATOR, IT WAS SEVERELY BURNT TO DUE A LACK OF OIL COOLING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE MOTOR. I KNOW BMW MAKES MANY MOTORCYCLES WITH THE SAME F800 SERIES ENGINES. THEY ARE A COMMON PROBLEM APPARENTLY AND ALSO VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX. AS THE BATTERY AND CHARGING SYSTEM IS CRUCIAL TO MOST MOTORCYCLES, THIS IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY RISK AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS SO. THANK YOU.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
STOCK CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED AT ONLY 47,000 MILES. REPLACED WITH AFTERMARKET PARTS DUE TO COST. BMW SAYS YOU MUST REPLACE STATOR AND ROTOR, WHEN ONLY THE STATOR HAS FAILED. THE NEW STATOR FAILED WITHIN 6,000 MILES. REPLACED AGAIN, AND AGAIN. THEY FAIL ROUGHLY EVERY 8,000 MILES. THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED WITH 2013 AND NEWER MODELS, BUT THE OLD BIKES ARE STILL FAILING AT AN ALARMING RATE. WITH NO HELP FROM BMW, THESE ARE STILL A MAJOR ISSUE. WHEN THE BATTERY BECOMES LOW, THE ABS PUMP STOPS WORKING FIRST, THEN THE LIGHTS, THEN THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM WITH THE MOTOR SHUTTING OFF. HAS LEFT ME STRANDED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. I WAS STATIONED IN GUAM WITH FIRST FAILURE. NOT EASY GETTING A TOW ACROSS A SMALL ISLAND WITH NO ACCESS TO A BMW DEALERSHIP. THE REMAINING FAILURES HAVE ALL BEEN BACK STATESIDE. THE MOST RECENT FAILURE LEFT ME STRANDED TWO MILES FROM HOME WHILE COMING HOME LATE ONE NIGHT. WHILE RIDING, MY ABS INDICATOR FLASHED, LETTING ME KNOW THAT I HAVE A LOW BATTERY. THEN THE LIGHT WENT SOLID, INDICATING ABS PUMP FAILURE DUE TO LOW VOLTAGE. THEN MY LCD DASH AND TACHOMETER WENT OUT. THEN MY HEADLIGHT, RUNNING, AND BRAKE LIGHTS TURNED OFF, AT NIGHT, ON A 4 LANE INNER CITY ROAD. NOT EVEN MY HAZARD LIGHTS WORKED. THEN THE BIKES FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM FAILED AND STALLED. I COASTED TO A RIGHT TURN LANE SAFELY AND PROCEEDED TO PUSH THE MOTORCYCLE THE REMAINING TWO MILES. UPON DISASSEMBLY OF MY STATOR, IT WAS SEVERELY BURNT TO DUE A LACK OF OIL COOLING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE MOTOR. I KNOW BMW MAKES MANY MOTORCYCLES WITH THE SAME F800 SERIES ENGINES. THEY ARE A COMMON PROBLEM APPARENTLY AND ALSO VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX. AS THE BATTERY AND CHARGING SYSTEM IS CRUCIAL TO MOST MOTORCYCLES, THIS IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY RISK AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS SO. THANK YOU.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .