Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 BMW K1200 R, most frequently naming the brakes and powertrain (other) categories. 14 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.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 2 months of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
RIDING ON FREEWAY ABS LIGHTS START FLASHING PULL OVER AND TRY TO STOP, NO POWER ASSIST BRAKE LEVER HARD AND BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP. FOUND FLUID WAS LOW ON REAR AND LATER FOUND ABS UNIT TO HAVE LEAK. CONTACTED BMW WAS TOLD BECAUSE BIKE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY WHEN TOLD IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED. *TR
NOTED A GRINDING FEEL IN THE MOTORCYCLE DURING A RIDE. RETURNED HOME AND FOUND FLUID LEAKING FROM THE FINAL DRIVE ONTO THE REAR BRAKE (WHICH NO LONGER WORKED) AND THE REAR TIRE, WHICH BEGAN TO SLIP WHILE CORNERING. THE LEAK IS A SIGN OF A SEAL FAILURE CAUSED BY THE REAR DRIVE BEARINGS SELF-DESTRUCTING. THESE FAILURES ARE COMMON IN BMWS OF THIS ERA, BOTH MY RS AS WELL AS THE LT AND RT MODELS. BMW KNOWS WELL THIS IS A PROBLEM, AND NEEDS TO BE MADE TO STEP UP AND DO THE REPAIRS, WHICH ARE NOT CHEAP. *TR
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
The fairing brackets installed on the early K 1200 R Sport (K43HV) motorcycles were not sufficiently resistant to corrosion.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle battery not charged despite the battery charger being connected to the on-board socket (manufactured before 2009)Headlights and rear lights light up intermittently despite the ignition being switched off and the battery charger being connected to the on-board socket.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
IT is no longer necessary to place a PMP coded part order to obtain a Repair Enabling code
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Incorrect tire pressure appears in the instrument cluster. Contamination or obstruction of the RDC sensor.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
SERVICE ACTION: PROGRAM DME: The incorrect dataset could be programmed into DME 5.2.1 control module.
ENGINE
Oil leak at theseal between the cylinder head cover and cylinder head on the right in the direction of travel. Due to retrofit of chain gauide which prevents skipping of the timing chain.
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.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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.