RoadVitals

2002 BMW K Series

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.
2
Latest Jun 20, 2025
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 Jan 15, 2004
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.
1

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2002 BMW K Series, most frequently naming the fuel system and engine categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 3 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

  • Fuel system266.7%
  • Engine133.3%

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

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
04V028000

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Jan 15, 2004
39,000 units potentially affected
The defect: ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE O-RING IN FUEL LINE QUICK-DISCONNECT COUPLING COULD BECOME DAMAGED AND LEAD TO A FUEL LEAK. THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM INVOLVING CRIMP-TYPE HOSE CLAMPS, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A FUEL LEAK.
The risk: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, ADJUST ALL CRIMP-TYPE HOSE CLAMPS. ALSO, ALL FUEL LINE QUICK-DISCONNECT COUPLINGS WILL BE INSPECTED. IF A LEAK IS DETECTED, THE QUICK-DISCONNECT O-RING WILL BE REPLACED. IF DAMAGED, THE COUPLING WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 30, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKEView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

EngineFuel system
Filed Jun 20, 2025
Fire reported

Approximately on Nov 25, 2024, my BMW K1200RS started on fire. I backed out of my garage and driveway onto the street. I started it up, and within a couple minutes it began smoking. I turned if off immediately and looked under the front of the bike and saw flames. I ran into my house and grabbed my fire extinguisher, and put out the flames. I had help pushing it back into my garage. About a week later I took off the left side panel and reviewed the damage. I put in a claim to my insurance. The agent that contacted me acted as if it was my fault and did this on purpose without saying so. I would agree to having the company take it away. I did not believe I would ever see it again if I complied. I canceled my claim and decided to repair it myself. It tool me 4 months to get parts and repair it. It was a very difficult job. I took many photos to document the damage. I contacted BMW about it because I discovered that others that owned the same model or very similar model with the same engine also had the same problem with about the same mileage and same year. I sent photos to a BMW representative that had its team review the photos. I did this because I think that it needed to know and investigate. After a month later, the representative contacted me, and told me they did not determine anything. I was told that since I repaired the bike, they could not make any determination. My photos were enough to show the cause, which I still have. My conclusion is that one of the fuel injectors had cracked somewhere and the voltage connection to the injector started the fire. Even though I was able to save the bike, the flames had burned many parts including the wiring harness on the left side. This was not a maintenance issue. I did my own oil changes, etc. I owned this for over 5 years, and was the 3rd owner. I believe that the injector was faulty. This should be investigated. I have photos to prove my claim. This could have caused an explosion.

NHTSA ID
11668176
Incident
Nov 25, 2024
Fuel system
Filed Nov 11, 2011

HI, I HAVE A BMW K1200RS AND IT HAS A FUEL LINE QUICK DISCONNECT.. THIS WAS ALREADY A RECALL, THE NUMBER OF THE RECALL IS: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V028000 NATSA ACTION NUMBER: PE03054 OK THIS RECALL WAS DONE ON MY BIKE ON 6/4/2004. BUT THE THING IS THE SAME PROBLEM IS BACK.. I HAVE A FINE MIST OF GAS SPRAYING OFF THE SIDE OF MY BIKE ONLY WHEN IT IS RUNNING... THIS IS A HUGE FIREBOMB WAITING TO HAPPEN.. THE FIX FOR THE RECALL DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM... IF YOU GO ON THIS WEBSITE, BMW FORUM, YOU WILL SEE THAT DOZENS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.. SOMEBODY WILL GET KILLED FROM THIS..... PLEASE HELP!!!! THE BMW DEALER SAID IT WAS FIXED AND WILL NOT FIX IT AGAIN??? *TR

NHTSA ID
10435286
Incident
Nov 10, 2011
Mileage
20,100 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

SIB-63-02-01

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

BMW: PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING AND REPLACING INCANDESCENT AND HALOGEN LIGHT BULBS UNDER WARRANTY. *RM

SIB-16-02-09

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

BMW VEHICLES: FUEL LEVEL SENSOR REPAIRS. WHERE IT IS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT SIDE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR DUE TO A FAILURE, THE ENTIRE PUMP AND HOUSING OR DELIVERY UNIT (SUCTION JET ASSEMBLY) DO NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. IN SOME CASES, EPC DOES NOT SHOW THAT THE REPAIR KIT IS AVAILABLE SEPARATELY IN THE ILLUSTRATION, BUT IT IS AVAILABLE IN THE PARTS DESCRIPTION. ALL MODELS. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE

SB-00-021-07

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

BMW MOTORCYCLE: ENGINE FUELS CONTAINING ETHANOL. BMW MOTORRAD HAS NO OBJECTION TO THE USE OF SI ENGINE FUELS CONTAINING UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 10% ETHANOL AND IMPOSES NO WARRANTY RESTRICTIONS. ETHANOL MIXTURES IN PROPORTIONS HIGHER THAN 10% CAN HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE AND CAN RESULT IN DAMAGE TO COMPONENTS THAT COME INTO CONTRACT WITH FUEL. NO WARRANTY CLAIMS WHATSOEVER FOR DAMAGE CAUSED IN THIS WAY WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE

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 K Series by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2004511—
2003611—
2002Viewing210—
2001111—
2000001—
1997000—
1994200—
1988001—
1987101—
1986001—
1985001—
1984001—
1983001—
1982001—
1981001—

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.