2003 BMW K1200RS Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2003 BMW K1200RS, 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 system480.0%
- Brakes120.0%
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW K1200RS MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER SMELLING FUEL AROUND THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL QUICK DISCONNECT SPRAYED FUEL ALL OVER THE MOTORCYCLE AND HIS GARMENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSTALLED A PLUG AND A HOSE ON THE QUICK DISCONNECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL AND REFERRED HIM TO NHTSA TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,920.
WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE, FUEL BEGAN FORCEFULLY SPRAYING OUT OF THE RIGHT SIDE ENGINE AREA ON TO MY LEG. I STOPPED THE ENGINE AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS CLEAR THAT LEAK WAS COMING FROM A FUEL QUICK DISCONNECT ON LINE RUNNING ALONG RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE. THE DISCONNECT WAS LEAKING BECAUSE A PLASTIC INTERNAL PART HAD BROKEN. CALLED UP THE LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP AND DESCRIBED THE QUICK DISCONNECT LEAK AND THEY IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND COMMENTED THAT "IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME" THAT "THE PLASTIC PART BREAKS AND IS NOW DESIGNED USING A METAL PART". THERE WAS A RECALL (52513) THAT WAS ISSUED IN JANUARY 2004 CONCERNING INSPECTING THE QUICK DISCONNECT FOR LEAKAGE, AND REPLACE AS NEEDED, BUT THAT RECALL WAS NEVER PERFORMED ON MY BIKE AND ACCORDING TO BMW WAS SOMEHOW NOT APPLICABLE TO MY BIKE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN ON A BIKE (OR CAR FOR THAT MATTER) YET ACCORDING TO THE DEALER IS PRETTY PREVALENT AND THERE IS APPARENTLY A FIX TO THE DEFECT THAT I WAS NOT INFORMED ABOUT AND AS FAR AS I KNOW IS NOT EVEN THE SUBJECT OF ANY OTHER RECALL. IF THIS IS THE CASE, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL OF ALL AFFECTED BIKES AND THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT ADDRESSED. *TR
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE ON BMW'S K1200RS MOTORCYCLE. JUST WEEKS OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP THE BRAKE FAILED - I WAS ALMOST INJURED. EVERY YEAR SINCE I HAVE HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS - THE PROBLEM IS A DEFECTIVE ABS MODULATOR THERE IS AN UNUSUALLY HIGH FAILURE RATE OF THE ABS MODULATOR ON MODEL YEARS 2000-2004 BMW K1200RS. *TR
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
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .