RoadVitals

2004 BMW K Series Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

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.
5
Latest Mar 15, 2015
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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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.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2004 BMW K Series, 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 system360.0%
  • Brakes120.0%
  • Driver assistance120.0%

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

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.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

FUEL LINE QUICK DISCONNECT BEGAN SPRAYING ME AND MY 2004 BMW K1200RS MOTORCYCLE WITH GASOLINE WHILE RIDING. THE MC WAS NOT DRIVABLE DUE TO THE OBVIOUS FIRE HAZARD. CHECKED THE INTERNET. FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V028000. WENT TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE BIKE AND HAVE HAD IT SERVICED. WAS TOLD THAT MY MC WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. BOUGHT A NEW UPDATED (MUCH SUPERIOR METAL INSTEAD OF PLASTIC) QUICK DISCONNECT FITTING AND INSTALLED IT MYSELF. COMPLAINED TO BMW OF NORTH AMERICA. BMW OF NA ALSO TOLD ME THAT MY MC VIN NUMBER WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. SINCE MY FUEL LINE LEAKAGE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE IDENTICAL TO THE ONE DESCRIBED IN YOUR CAMPAIGN 04V028000, I REQUEST THAT YOU BRING PRESSURE ON BMW OF NA TO INCLUDE THE REST OF THE AFFECTED VIN IN THEIR RECALL DATA BASE. *TR

NHTSA ID 10248223 · filed Nov 10, 2008

UPON ARRIVING AT HOME AND SHUTTING DOWN THE MOTORCYCLE, I COULD SMELL GAS COMING FROM THE BIKE. I CHECKED THE FUEL LINE QUICK DISCONNECTS AND FOUND THAT ONE WAS LEAKING FUEL. SINCE THE FUEL PUMP WAS OFF, THE FUEL WAS NOT LEAKING VERY BADLY. I ATTEMPTED TO PRESS THE QUICK DISCONNECT COUPLING TOGETHER TO INSURE THAT IT WAS FULLY SEATED. WHEN I DID THAT, THE END OF THE MALE CONNECTOR, WHICH WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING, SNAPPED OFF RENDERING THE COUPLING USELESS. THIS ALSO RENDERED THE MOTORCYCLE INOPERABLE. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO BMW AND THAT THEY DID ISSUE A SERVICE BULLETIN / RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THEIR SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE FAULTY DISCONNECT(S) WITH NEW ONES OF THE SAME DESIGN. HOWEVER, THE CONNECTOR DESIGN IS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED IN THAT THEY ARE USING PLASTIC INSTEAD OF METAL AND ARE PRONE TO FAILURE. HAD THE CONNECTOR FAILED AT SPEED IT WOULD HAVE SPRAYED FUEL ALL OVER THE BIKE AND PASSING AUTOMOBILES POTENTIALLY STARTING A FIRE. THE FUEL DELIVERY LINE IS PRESSURIZED TO AROUND 60 PSI. I OPTED TO ORDER A 3D PARTY QUICK DISCONNECT TO REPAIR THE LINES AND INSURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. *TR

NHTSA ID 10205420 · filed Oct 11, 2007

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

THE BRAKE FAILURE LIGHT LIT UP AND I LOST POWER BRAKES AND EVEN AT 10 MPH IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STOP THE BIKE. THE MODULE CONTROLS THE SERVO LINKAGE ALSO. THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH BMW K BIKES WITH ABS AND BMW REFUSES TO RECALL THE BIKES. I BELIEVE IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AND RIDERS CANNOT GET ANY HELP FROM BMW. IT IS A 2500 DOLLAR REPAIR AND IT HAPPENS TO MANY BIKES AT AROUND 20,000 MILES. NO WARNING. WE NEED HELP WITH PUTTING SOME PRESSURE ON BMW. IF YOU WANT VERIFICATION CALL ANY BMW MOTORCYCLE DEALER. THERE ARE LOTS OF POSTS ON I-BMW FORUMS AS WELL. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR LOOKING INTO THIS MATTER THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID 10694339 · filed Mar 15, 2015

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

CAR GAS PEDAL STICKS AND THEN LUNGES FORWARD, CAUSING THE CAR TO BE HARD TO CONTROL AND UNPREDICTABLE. BMW DEALER REFUSES TO SERVICE CAR. *JB

NHTSA ID 10063842 · filed Mar 25, 2004

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

Data on this page last refreshed .