2012 BMW K1300 S 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 2012 BMW K1300 S, 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
- Engine375.0%
- Electrical125.0%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
LESS THAN ONE WEEK AFTER TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THE BRAND NEW MOTORCYCLE (AUGUST 2012) I EXPERIENCED THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF THE ENGINE STALLING WHEN THE VEHICLE SLOWED TO A STOP. SINCE THEN THE MACHINE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOUR TIMES SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. WHILE SERVICING SOMETIMES APPEARED TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION TEMPORARILY, IN SOME CASES THE PROBLEM RECURRED WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF THE SERVICE, AND NO PERMANENT SOLUTION HAS EVER RESULTED. AT THIS TIME (MARCH 2015, WITH ABOUT 27,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE) THE PROBLEM IS WORSE THAN EVER. THE STALLING MOST OFTEN OCCURS IN COOL/COLD WEATHER, BUT HAS SOMETIMES OCCURRED IN MIDSUMMER. IT MOST OFTEN OCCURS WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MILES AFTER STARTING A MORNING RIDE, BUT HAS SOMETIMES OCCURRED AFTER MORE THAN AN HOUR OF CONTINUOUS OPERATION. IT OFTEN OCCURS EXACTLY ONE TIME DURING A SINGLE RIDE, AND SOMETIMES DOES NOT OCCUR AT ALL DURING A SINGLE RIDE, BUT RECENTLY HAS OCCURRED 7 TIMES DURING A 50 MILE RIDE AND 12 TIMES DURING A 76 MILE RIDE. ONE INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING EXECUTION OF A LEFT TURN IN TRAFFIC, WHICH RESULTED IN AN UNPLANNED AND VERY DANGEROUS ABORT OF THE INTENDED TURN AND NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION. BMW'S SERVICE ORGANIZATION IS APPARENTLY EITHER UNWILLING TO, OR INCAPABLE OF, SOLVING THIS ISSUE, WHICH I CONSIDER TO BE A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. *TR
VEHICLE STALLS WHEN SLOWING TO A STOP. HAPPENS AT RANDOM TIMES. DOES NOT MATTER ABOUT THE WEATHER OR THE TEMPERATURE, ISSUE HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES DEALER IS UNABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE. ALMOST STRUCK FROM BEHIND WHEN BIKE DID NOT MOVE FROM CHANGING TRAFFIC SIGNAL. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE BIKE STALLS WHILE IN MOTION. FEELS LIKE THE KILL SWITCH HAS BEEN USED BUT IT HAS NOT. NO PATTERN TO SPEED, GEAR, OR ANYTHING ELSE. ALL POWER IS GONE BUT IF YOU TURN THE KEY OFF AND BACK ON IT WILL START AND KEEP GOING UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN. VERY DANGEROUS ON THE FREEWAY. TURNING HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME, IN ANY GEAR, AT ANY RPM. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A YEAR AND DEALERS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO.
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 .