Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 BMW K1200 GT submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
ABS FAILED WITH NO WARNINGS, TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. I BELEIVE THIS WAS A SIGNIFICANT FAILIURE. HAPPEND ON MY BROTHERS BIKE AS WELL 2 MONTHS LATER. LESS THEN 30K MILES AND JUST PAST 3 YEARS... HAPPENED DURING RIDE ON FREEWAY ON FIRST USE OF BRAKE. I HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE. BMW CLAIMED IT IS NOT SIGNIFICANT AND NOT A PROBLEM.
ABS PUMP FAILURE.
REAR DRIVE BEARINGS AND WHEEL SIDE SEAL FAILED GEAR LUBE ON REAR BRAKE PADS AND REAR BRAKES QUIT WORKING. TIRE TREAD CONTAMINATED WITH LUBE MAKING GREATLY REDUCED TRACTION. NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE ON STOPPING DUE TO CHANGE IN THE VEHICLE DYNAMICS AND LOSS OF REAR WHEEL TRACTION AS THE FAILURE DID NOT CAUSE ANY INDICATION THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED UNTIL STOPPING. THE REAR DRIVE WAS SERVICED BY THE DEALER WITHIN THE LAST 4 MONTHS MARCH 2015 AT 11,400 MILES OR SO. I HAVE NEVER HAD A FAILURE ON SUCH A MAJOR SAFETY RELATED COMPONENT SUCH AS THIS ON ANY VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED AT SUCH A RELATIVELY LOW TOTAL VEHICLE MILEAGE LEVEL.
THE ABS BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO MY AUTHORIZED BMW DEALER IN LONG BEACH, CA. THEY SAID THAT THE ABS BRAKE MODULE HAD FAILED; HOWEVER THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE FAULTY UNIT. I SENT IT OUT TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY AND THEY REPAIRED THE UNIT AT MY COST. I THEN HAD THE UNIT REINSTALLED BY MY BMW DEALER AT MY COST. *TR
MY 2008 BMW K1200GT I HAVE OWNED SINCE NEW AND WITH ONLY 21,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER HAD ITS ABS PUMP FAIL. WHEN TOLD ABOUT THE ISSUE THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR THE TROUBLE CODES AND THE BRAKE FAIL LIGHT CAME BACK ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS MY BIKE HAS NO ABS WHICH IS A HUGE DEAL ON 2 WHEELS. JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND I HAD A DEER RUN OUT IN FRONT OF ME ON A ROAD IN UPSTATE NEW YORK DOING 55 MPH. THE WHEELS LOCKED UP AND I HAD TO REGAIN TRACTION WHILE TRYING TO AVOID THE DEER. BMW WANTS $2000.00 JUST FOR THE PUMP AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN INCLUDE SWAPPING THEM OUT! THIS IS ABSURD WITH A BIKE WITH ONLY 21, 000 MILES AND THERE ARE STORY'S OF A LOT OF OTHER K1200GT'S WITH THIS RIDICULOUS PROBLEM! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW K1200 GT MOTORCYLCE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE TO THE SIDE OF ROAD, THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AND THE REAR WHEEL SEIZED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS PROBABILITY THAT THE ABS MODULATOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL THE MANFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,935. UPDATED 09/16/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DECLINED ASSISTANCE. UPDATED 1/15/15 *JS
THE ABS PUMP FAILED ON MY MOTORCYCLE WITH ONLY 21,330 MILES ON IT. I STILL HAVE BRAKING ABILITY BUT DO NOT HAVE ABS BRAKING SAFETY. THERE IS NO REASON FOR AN ABS PUMP TO FAIL ON A BIKE THAT SEES LESS THAN 5,000 MILES ANNUALLY. *TR
DRIVING ON FREEWAY, WHEN HAD CAR PULL IN FRONT OF ME. HE DID NOT SEE ME. USING BRAKES HAD ALMOST NO BREAKING POWER, AND LOCKING REAR WHEEL. ABS HAD FAILED. AFTER RESEARCHING FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW. BIKES LOOSE ABS ALL THE TIME, BUT ABS IS NOT CONSIDERED A SAFETY OPTION. ON A MOTORCYCLE ABS CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. *TR
ABS MODULE TRIGGERED A "FAULT" . ABS IMMEDIATELY STOPPED WORKING. ULTIMATELY, I HAD THE UNIT REPAIRED BY A PRIVATE COMPANY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO STUCK ELECTRICAL MOTOR BRUSHES THAT ACTIVATE THE VALVE ASSEMBLY. *TR
ABS SYSTEM FAILED DUE TO DEFECTIVE PUMP. (BMW PN 34517715109). *TR
MY BIKE PLACED IN SERVICE FOR ROUTINE RECALL AS SUGGESTED BY BMW AMERICA. THE RECALL WILL BE INITIATED ON THE 8TH 2012. AS INDICATED BY RECALL, BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED & SUSPENSION PART WAS REPLACED AS WELL. AUGUST 8TH 2012 ON AUGUST 9TH 2012 I RODE BIKE TO WORK 12 MILES, AFTER STOPPING FOR GAS AND CONTINUING TO HEAD HOME; WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 62 MPH A BRAKE FAILURE RED LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH. I CALLED BMW SPOKE WITH [XXX] OF ISSUE SINCE BRAKE REPAIRS WERE JUST DONE ON BIKE DAY BEFORE. [XXX] STATED THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENED. HE ALSO STATED HOW DO WE KNOW YOU DIDN'T DO IT?? I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SPOKE TO THE MANAGER, [XXX]?.. HE STATED THAT HE BELIEVED MY BRAKE ABS PUMP WAS FAILING AS INDICATED IN THE DIAGNOSIS. I QUESTIONED: HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO ASSUME REPAIRS SINCE YOU JUST REPAIRED RECALLS ON BRAKE ISSUES YESTERDAY? [XXX] STATED THAT THESE THINGS HAPPEN. 8,000 MILES WITHOUT A SCRATCH WAS BACK IN SERVICE AFTER A REPAIR RECALL AND NONE OF ANY THESE ISSUES WERE CAUSED BY THEY JUST WORKED ON MY BRAKES THE DAY BEFORE. AFTER SPENDING OVER 30 MINUTES WITH BOB AND MANAGER THEY FELT THAT THEY WOULD AT LEAST CONTACT BMW AND GET THEM TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. [XXX] STATED THE REPAIRS WERE ABOUT $ 2200.00. I LEARNED AUGUST 17, 2012 THAT BMW WOULD NOT STAND BEHIND THE PROPER REPAIRS OF MY BIKE . AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH I ALSO LEARNED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE FOR BMW K BIKES AND THE RECALL WAS ISSUED TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. I NOW HAVE A MOTORCYCLE THAT IS UNSAFE TO RIDE DO TO "BRAKE FAILURES" AND BMW SERVICE AS WELL AS THEIR MANUFACTURER ARE WILLING TO MAKE GOOD ON THE REPAIRS. I AM REQUESTING THAT BMW OF THE DEALERSHIP BOB'S BMW CORRECT THE ISSUE ON THE BIKE AS PRIOR TO THEIR RECALL OR REPAIRS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
REAR BRAKE SEIZED AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. SITUATION: ROLLING UP TO A STOPLIGHT, I APPLIED BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. AS THE VEHICLE APPROACHED VERY LOW SPEEDS, I RELEASED THE BRAKES AND ENGAGED THE CLUTCH TO CREEP FORWARD, CLOSER TO STOPPED TRAFFIC. AT THAT POINT THE VEHICLE STOPPED ABRUPTLY (NOT TYPICAL). WHEN I TRIED TO ENGAGE FIRST GEAR TO RIDE FORWARD, THE REAR BRAKE WAS STILL SEIZED, EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS ON THE GROUND AND NOT TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THERE WAS SQUEALING NOISE FROM THE REAR BRAKES. AFTER STRUGGLING TO GET UNDERWAY, I APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL A FEW TIMES, AND IT FINALLY SEEMED TO RELEASE AFTER RIDING FOR A SHORT DISTANCE (LESS THAN 1 MILE). *JS
BMW MOTORCYCLE K1200GT,2008, RED EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHT NOTIFYING THE RIDER OF UNSAFE BRAKE PADS COMES ON IN ERROR, CAUSING AN EMERGENCY STOP, BMW DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF PROB. BUT DEALERS, SOME HAVE DEALT REPEATEDLY WITH THE PROBLEM, ACKNOWLEDGE, DEALER REFUSED TO TREAT AS A SERIOUS PROBLEM ADVISING, "COULD NOT DUPLICATE" IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
REAR BRAKE LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING, EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKES HAD NOT BEEN APPLIED FOR SEVERAL MILES PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING. BRAKE LOCK-UP CAUSED CALIPER TO OVERHEAT WHICH IN TURN MELTED THE REAR BRAKE HOSE RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID IN THE REAR BRAKES. FORTUNATELY THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON A RURAL COUNTRY 2 LANE HIGHWAY AT LOW SPEEDS AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY. HAD THIS HAPPENED WHILE ON AN INTERSTATE AT HIGH SPEEDS, IN TRAFFIC, I WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE HERE TO MAKE THIS REPORT. A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE IN ! ! ! DEALER WILL REPLACE ALL DAMAGED BRAKE COMPONENTS UNDER WARRANTY BUT IS AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION TO OCCUR. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE VEHICLE, AS THIS COULD OCCUR AGAIN AND WITH LIFE THREATENING RESULTS. VEHICLE IS NEW, LESS THAN ONE MONTH SINCE PURCHASED. 69 TOTAL MILES ON VEHICLE AT TIME OF PURCHASE. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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