RoadVitals

2019 BMW F850GS

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest May 18, 2019
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Nov 26, 2018
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2019 BMW F850GS, most frequently naming the powertrain (other) category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 8 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Powertrain (other)1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
18V830000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Nov 26, 2018
1 units potentially affected
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling one 2019 F850GS motorcycle. The engine connecting rods may not have been installed properly, possibly causing them to become loose and disconnect over time.
The risk: Loose engine connecting rods can damage the engine, causing a loss of engine power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: The motorcycle has not yet been sold, and the dealer will replace the engine, free of charge, prior to sale. The recall began December 7, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Powertrain (other)
Filed May 18, 2019

WHILE IN MOTION, APPROXIMATELY ONE OUT OF FIVE UP-SHIFT ATTEMPTS FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR RESULT IN REPEATED MISSED SHIFTS, RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION ATTEMPTING TO REACH SPEEDS ABOVE 35 MPH. BMW MOTORCYCLES OF OMAHA (OMAHA, NEBRASKA) AND BMW MOTTORAD USA ATTRIBUTE THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONS TO A MATERIAL DEFECT, MOST LIKELY A METAL BURR IN THE SHIFTING MECHANISM. THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONTINUE OPERATING THE MOTORCYCLE IN ORDER TO WEAR DOWN THE BURR. AFTER OPERATING THE MOTORCYCLE FOR ~500 MILES, THE ISSUE HAS NOT SELF RESOLVED. THE SHIFTING PROBLEM RESULT IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION, AND NEARLY RESULTED IN BEING STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY VEHICLES ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS AS THE TRAILING VEHICLES DIDN'T ANTICIPATE A LOSS OF STEADY ACCELERATION IN THE COURSE OF ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE TO REACH POSTED SPEED LIMITS. BMW MOTORCYCLES OF OMAHA DID NOT PROVIDE ANY DOCUMENTATION OF THE SERVICE REQUEST, THE PROBLEM, OR THEIR INTENDED COURSE OF ACTION, TO CONTINUE USE OF THE F850GS IN THE HOPE THE PROBLEM WOULD SELF-RESOLVE. I BELIEVE THE LACK OF PROVIDED PAPERWORK WAS TO AVOID ANY POTENTIAL LEGAL ISSUES STEMMING FROM ASKING ME TO CONTINUE OPERATING A MOTORCYCLE I EXPLAINED TO THEM WAS UNSAFE.

NHTSA ID
11208478
Incident
Mar 2, 2019
Mileage
2 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

B611305

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 “discharged battery” complaints.

MC610522

WHEELS

Due to a hardware change to the angular rate sensor, certain sub functions will not be active until after a software update.

MC610321

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

The motorcycle will not start. The vehicle battery is empty even though the battery charger was permanently connected to the 12V power socket.

MC610821

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When diagnosing fault codes (0x3A13D7, 0x3A13D9), technicians erroneously condemn the electronic throttle grip, which analyses show is rarely the culprit.

MC230221

POWER TRAIN

Gear Shift Assistant is not working. Damaged wire(s) in the main wiring harness.

MC610121

STRUCTURE

Special vehicles, Police, for example, should be configured/encoded with ISTA.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

BMW F850GS by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2023200—
2021100—
2020010—
2019Viewing110—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.