RoadVitals

1999 BMW K1200RS

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 Aug 12, 2003
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 Sep 12, 2000
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 1999 BMW K1200RS, most frequently naming the brakes and powertrain (other) categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 5 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

  • Brakes150.0%
  • Powertrain (other)150.0%

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
00V264000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Sep 12, 2000
2,368 units potentially affected
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. A SPRING-LOADED THERMOSTATIC ELEMENT IN THE OIL THERMOSTAT HOUSING IS HELD IN PLACE BY A COVER THAT IS RETAINED BY A SNAP RING. THE SNAP RING MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED DURING PRODUCTION. DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE SNAP RING COULD UNSEAT, ALLOWING THE COVER TO LOOSEN OR DETACH, RESULTING IN LOSS OF THE ENTIRE OIL VOLUME.
The risk: ENGINE DAMAGE COULD OCCUR IF THE ENGINE IS NOT IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED OFF. IN ADDITION, OIL COULD TRAVEL ALONG THE ENGINE COVER AND ULTIMATELY CONTACT THE REAR TIRE, REDUCING ITS TRACTION AND AFFECTING THE STABILITY OF THE MOTORCYCLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH AND PERSONAL INJURY.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SNAP RING INSTALLATION AND IF THE SNAP RING IS NOT FULLY SEATED, THE COMPLETE OIL PUMP INTERMEDIATE FLANGE WILL BE REPLACED.
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKEView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Brakes
Filed Aug 12, 2003
Fire reported

REAR BRAKE CALIPER, I BELIEVE, FAILED TO RELEASE ON MY 1999 BMW K1200RS MOTORCYCLE CAUSING THE BRAKE TO SEVERELY OVERHEAT CAUSING A FIRE ON THE FINAL DRIVE PROTECTIVE BOOT AND THE ABS SENSOR WIRE. DAMAGE IS APPROXIMATELY $1000. BRAKE FLUID WAS CHANGED BY BMW DEALER (TOURING SPORT, INC. GREENVILLE, SC) APRIL 2, 2002. MOTORCYCLE IS ALWAYS STORED IN A MODERN ATTACHED GARAGE WITH MY CARS.*AK

NHTSA ID
10032660
Incident
Aug 10, 2003
Mileage
6,994 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 20, 2002

REAR DRIVE UNIT BEARING AND SEAL FAILED. THIS BEARING SUPPORTS THE ENTIRE BIKE. WHEN SEAL FAILED IT DUMPED REAR DRIVE OIL ALL OVER THE REAR BRAKES AND REAR TIRE. IF I HAD BEEN IN A BUSY AREA AND COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN STOPPED AS QUICKLY AS I DID THIS COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED A WRECK. DT

NHTSA ID
768662
Incident
Oct 11, 2002

Manufacturer communications

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

MC650109

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

IT is no longer necessary to place a PMP coded part order to obtain a Repair Enabling code

Pre Delivery

Pre-delivery Intervention Check List.

MC62133778

EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)

Map data should be stored on a 64 GB SD card. In GARMIN Express the note appears that a maximum of 32 GB is possible.

MC51142327

EQUIPMENT

Leaks have been reported in fork legs. The cause is reported be from oil lubricating film with accompanying dirt/grease ring is incorrectly interpreted to be a leaking fork leg. Investigations have shown that the part is not defective.

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 K1200RS by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2003500—
2002180141.5
2001701—
2000411—
1999Viewing210—
1998642—
1997100—

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.