2012 BMW R 1200 Gs 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 R 1200 Gs, 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 system538.5%
- Powertrain (other)323.1%
- Engine215.4%
- Body & structure17.7%
- Other / unspecified17.7%
- Suspension17.7%
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
The contact owns a 2012 BMW R 1200 GS. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the contact noticed in the rear-view mirror that there was fluid leaking from the motorcycle onto the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the flange for the fuel pump fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V060000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as a possible solution to the failure however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
FUEL PUMP FAILURE: ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2019 I WAS RIDING MY BMW R 1200GS ON HIGHWAY US-60 IN ARIZONA EAST OF MESA ARIZONA. I PULLED OVER AT US-60 AND IDAHO ROAD TO CHECK MY CELL PHONE AND AS I LOOKED DOWN I COULD SEE A PUDDLE OF GAS LEAKING OUT OF THE UNDERSIDE OF MY BMW. I PROMPTLY TURNED THE BIKE OFF AND LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY OBVIOUS DAMAGE. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE NAKED EYE. I PUSHED MY BIKE TO AS SAFE PLACE ( CHEVRON GAS STATION AND PARKED IT ON THE SIDE OF THE STATION. THEN HAD A FRIEND WITH A TRAILER AND PICKUP DRIVE OUT TO MEET ME AND PUT BIKE ON TRAILER AND TOOK HOME. TOOK BIKE HOME TO MY GARAGE, LOOKED FOR WAY TO FIX LEAK. IT WAS BEYOND MY CAPABILITY, SO LATER THAT WEEK I TOOK THE BMW R 1200 GS TO INDEPENDENT SHOP TO FIX LEAK. THE MECHANIC "COLLIN" AT THE TIME STATED "THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WITH BMW FUEL PUMPS." I CALLED LOCAL DEALER 844-866-2677 AND THEY STATED " SOME 2012 BMW R 1200 GS HAVE BAD FUEL PUMPS, BUT NOT YOURS AFTER I GAVE THEM THE VIN. MY MECHANIC FIXED THE MOTORCYCLE FUEL PUMP LEAK FOR $771.91
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS TRAVELLING SAFELY IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT SPEED LIMIT IN HEAVY INTERSTATE TRAFFIC. I CHANGED LANES INTO THE FAST LANE UNDER SLIGHT ACCELERATION AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER COMPLETELY. I COULD NOT RESTART THE BIKE AND SO TRIED TO GET INTO THE SLOW LANE AS THERE WAS NO ROOM ON THE INSIDE SHOULDER. IN TRYING TO MOVE SAFTELY TO THE SHOULDER I WAS NEARLY STRUCK BY THREE DIFFERENT VEHICLES, ONE SEMI TRAILER AND TWO PASSENGER CARS THAT WERE TRAVELLING AT NEARLY TWICE MY RATE OF SPEED DUE TO MY LOSS OF POWER. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE, I STRAINED MYSELF TRYING TO COME TO A SAFE STOP PRIOR TO THE ENTRANCE TO A HIGHWAY EXIT LANE, WORRIED THAT I MAY BE STRUCK. I CALLED THE DEALER FOR THE VEHICLE AND WITH MINIMAL TROUBLESHOOTING IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL STRIP (GAUGE) FOR THE FUEL LEVEL HAD FAILED AND WAS FALSELY DISPLAYING A 185 MILE RANGE. IN FACT THE TANK WAS EMPTY. THIS GAUGE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED FOR BEING FAULTY BY THE DEALER AND THEY SAW THIS IN THEIR RECORDS WHICH IMMEDIATELY LED THEM TO THE FAILURE. THIS IS A KNOWN FAILURE AMOUNG MANY BMW ENTHUSIASTS ON SEVERAL BMW MOTORCYLE MODELS. BMW CLAIMS THERE AR ENOT EMOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRANT A RECALL. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SUPPLY A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS IN HARD COPY TO COUNTER THEIR MISCONCEPTION AND OR LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS SIMILAR TO RECALLS ON VEHICLES WITH DEFECTIVE CAMSHAFT SENSORS CAUSING ENGINE POWER FAIL AND SHOULD BE VALUED AS THE SAME ON A TWO WHEELED VEHICLE WITH FAR LESS PROTECTION IN SUCH INSTANCES. UPON INQUIRY BMW MOTTORAD HAS MADE NO EFFORT IN RESPONDING TO ANY PROGRESS THEY HAVE MADE IN RECTIFYING THE ISSUE OTHER THAN QUIETLY ACKNOWLEDING IT BY GOING BACK TO MECHANICAL FUEL GAUGES WITH NEARLY NIL FAILURE RATES. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE DIES OR WILL THE NHTSA TAKE ACTION ? I HOPE IT IS NOT ONE OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS!
BRAKING STARTED TO FEEL SOFT AND SLOW, I NOTICED THAT FLUID HAD STARTED TO LEAK FROM FINAL DRIVE AREA. TOOK TO DEALER (RIDE WEST BMW, SEATTLE), FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. DEALER VERIFIED FINAL DRIVE FAILURE.TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THESE WERE THE REPLACED ITEMS: CROWN BEARINGS, SEALING O-RING, SUPPORT RING, OUTER-AXLE SUPPORT BEARING, HOUSING COVER SEAL, AXLE SEALING RING, CIRCLIP, BRAKE PADS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
SEVERAL TIMES THE BIKE THREW AN ERROR MESSAGE ABOUT "ENGINE CONTROLLER FAULT" AND LOST POWER, GOING INTO "LIMP-HOME" MODE. ALL OCCURRENCES WERE WHILE THE BIKE WAS BEING OPERATED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, SOMETIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF A CORNER. THE BIKE WAS UNRIDEABLE IN LIMP-HOME MODE SO WAS NAVIGATED OUT OF TRAFFIC AND SHUT DOWN AT ROADSIDE. AFTER A BRIEF WAIT THE BIKE WAS STARTED AGAIN AND RAN NORMALLY.THE ISSUE WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER AT THE 12K SERVICE AND AN UPDATED FLASH WAS APPLIED TO THE ECU, BUT THE BIKE HAS SINCE NOT BEEN RIDDEN SO I DO NOT KNOW IF THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. I AM UPLOADING WITH THIS FILING A PDF FILE CONTAINING THE RESULTS OF AN OBD SCAN I RAN ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE TAKING IT IN FOR THE 12K SERVICE, AND YOU CAN SEE IN THAT PDF THE ERROR CODES THAT WERE REPORTED AT EACH OCCURRENCE.
I WAS TRAVELLING SAFELY IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT SPEED LIMIT IN HEAVY INTERSTATE TRAFFIC. I CHANGED LANES INTO THE FAST LANE UNDER SLIGHT ACCELERATION AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER COMPLETELY. I COULD NOT RESTART THE BIKE AND SO TRIED TO GET INTO THE SLOW LANE AS THERE WAS NO ROOM ON THE INSIDE SHOULDER. IN TRYING TO MOVE SAFTELY TO THE SHOULDER I WAS NEARLY STRUCK BY THREE DIFFERENT VEHICLES, ONE SEMI TRAILER AND TWO PASSENGER CARS THAT WERE TRAVELLING AT NEARLY TWICE MY RATE OF SPEED DUE TO MY LOSS OF POWER. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE, I STRAINED MYSELF TRYING TO COME TO A SAFE STOP PRIOR TO THE ENTRANCE TO A HIGHWAY EXIT LANE, WORRIED THAT I MAY BE STRUCK. I CALLED THE DEALER FOR THE VEHICLE AND WITH MINIMAL TROUBLESHOOTING IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL STRIP (GAUGE) FOR THE FUEL LEVEL HAD FAILED AND WAS FALSELY DISPLAYING A 185 MILE RANGE. IN FACT THE TANK WAS EMPTY. THIS GAUGE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED FOR BEING FAULTY BY THE DEALER AND THEY SAW THIS IN THEIR RECORDS WHICH IMMEDIATELY LED THEM TO THE FAILURE. THIS IS A KNOWN FAILURE AMOUNG MANY BMW ENTHUSIASTS ON SEVERAL BMW MOTORCYLE MODELS. BMW CLAIMS THERE AR ENOT EMOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRANT A RECALL. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SUPPLY A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS IN HARD COPY TO COUNTER THEIR MISCONCEPTION AND OR LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS SIMILAR TO RECALLS ON VEHICLES WITH DEFECTIVE CAMSHAFT SENSORS CAUSING ENGINE POWER FAIL AND SHOULD BE VALUED AS THE SAME ON A TWO WHEELED VEHICLE WITH FAR LESS PROTECTION IN SUCH INSTANCES. UPON INQUIRY BMW MOTTORAD HAS MADE NO EFFORT IN RESPONDING TO ANY PROGRESS THEY HAVE MADE IN RECTIFYING THE ISSUE OTHER THAN QUIETLY ACKNOWLEDING IT BY GOING BACK TO MECHANICAL FUEL GAUGES WITH NEARLY NIL FAILURE RATES. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE DIES OR WILL THE NHTSA TAKE ACTION ? I HOPE IT IS NOT ONE OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS!
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
I OWN A TOURATECH ZEGA PRO ALUMINIUM PANNIER SET ON MY BMW R1200GS 2012 BIKE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS ON MARCH 3RD 2014, DURING A ROUTINE BIKE RIDE ON A HIGHWAY, THE RIGHT HAND SIDE 45L PANNIER BECAME DETACHED AND FELL OFF THE BIKE, ALTHOUGH I HAVE REGULARLY CHECKED THE BIKE & PANNIERS BEFORE RIDING. I NOTICED THE MISSING PANNIER ONLY UPON ARRIVING MY DESTINATION. I'M EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THIS HAS HAPPENED AS I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH MY TOURATECH SET, AND WAS USING IT ON A DAILY BASIS. I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS DETACHMENT DURING A REGULAR EVENTLESS BIKE RIDE. I CAN ASSURE YOU NO FAULTY USE OF THET ATTACHMENT SINCE I HAVE NOT DETACHED THE ZEGA PRO CASE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE FOR OVER 2 YEARS. THE CASE WAS USED AND CHECKED BY MYSELF DAILY, AS WELL AS BEFORE THE SPECIFIC RIDE OF THE INCIDENT, AND DID NOT APEAR TO BE UNSTABLE OR FAULTY. I DO THINK THIS IS SOMETHING TOURATECH SHOULD LOOK AT, AS THIS HAS OBVIOUSLY SERIOUS SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. I THINK TOURATECH SHOULD TAKE SOME RESPONSABILITY OF SUCH A SERIOUS INCIDENT THAT MAY HAVE ENDED MUCH MORE SERIOUSLY. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS TRAVELLING SAFELY IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT SPEED LIMIT IN HEAVY INTERSTATE TRAFFIC. I CHANGED LANES INTO THE FAST LANE UNDER SLIGHT ACCELERATION AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER COMPLETELY. I COULD NOT RESTART THE BIKE AND SO TRIED TO GET INTO THE SLOW LANE AS THERE WAS NO ROOM ON THE INSIDE SHOULDER. IN TRYING TO MOVE SAFTELY TO THE SHOULDER I WAS NEARLY STRUCK BY THREE DIFFERENT VEHICLES, ONE SEMI TRAILER AND TWO PASSENGER CARS THAT WERE TRAVELLING AT NEARLY TWICE MY RATE OF SPEED DUE TO MY LOSS OF POWER. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE, I STRAINED MYSELF TRYING TO COME TO A SAFE STOP PRIOR TO THE ENTRANCE TO A HIGHWAY EXIT LANE, WORRIED THAT I MAY BE STRUCK. I CALLED THE DEALER FOR THE VEHICLE AND WITH MINIMAL TROUBLESHOOTING IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL STRIP (GAUGE) FOR THE FUEL LEVEL HAD FAILED AND WAS FALSELY DISPLAYING A 185 MILE RANGE. IN FACT THE TANK WAS EMPTY. THIS GAUGE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED FOR BEING FAULTY BY THE DEALER AND THEY SAW THIS IN THEIR RECORDS WHICH IMMEDIATELY LED THEM TO THE FAILURE. THIS IS A KNOWN FAILURE AMOUNG MANY BMW ENTHUSIASTS ON SEVERAL BMW MOTORCYLE MODELS. BMW CLAIMS THERE AR ENOT EMOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRANT A RECALL. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SUPPLY A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS IN HARD COPY TO COUNTER THEIR MISCONCEPTION AND OR LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS SIMILAR TO RECALLS ON VEHICLES WITH DEFECTIVE CAMSHAFT SENSORS CAUSING ENGINE POWER FAIL AND SHOULD BE VALUED AS THE SAME ON A TWO WHEELED VEHICLE WITH FAR LESS PROTECTION IN SUCH INSTANCES. UPON INQUIRY BMW MOTTORAD HAS MADE NO EFFORT IN RESPONDING TO ANY PROGRESS THEY HAVE MADE IN RECTIFYING THE ISSUE OTHER THAN QUIETLY ACKNOWLEDING IT BY GOING BACK TO MECHANICAL FUEL GAUGES WITH NEARLY NIL FAILURE RATES. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE DIES OR WILL THE NHTSA TAKE ACTION ? I HOPE IT IS NOT ONE OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS!
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
BMW MOTORRAD USA CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES PO BOX 1227 WESTWOOD, NJ 07675-1227 DEAR SIR: I HAVE RECENTLY HAD A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE WITH MY NEW 2012 R1200GS ADVENTURE. I BROUGHT MY MOTORCYCLE TO MY DEALER FOR THE 600 MILE BREAK-IN SERVICE AND MENTIONED TO SERVICE MANAGER THAT I HAVE BEEN FEELING A WOBBLE THROUGH THE HANDLEBARS WHEN CORNERING AND WHEN DRIVING OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT. WHEN I ARRIVED TO PICK UP THE MOTORCYCLE THE DEALER WAS HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX THE WOBBLE. IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT FORWARD SUSPENSION NEEDLE BEARING IN THE FINAL DRIVE UNIT. I ASKED IF IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR A BEARING TO FAIL SO QUICKLY. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE BEARING WAS NOT EVEN INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY, IT WAS MISSING FROM THE FINAL DRIVE UNIT! THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE WAS BEING SUPPORTED ONLY BY THE BEARING DUST CAP! THIS WAS CAUSING THE REAR WHEEL TO MOVE SIDE TO SIDE CAUSING THE INSTABILITY. MY DEALER, ADVENTURE BMW OF CHESAPEAKE VIRGINIA, DID A GREAT AND PROFESSIONAL JOB OF QUICKLY FINDING THE PROBLEM AND REPLACED THE ENTIRE FINAL DRIVE UNIT UNDER WARRANTY SINCE THE BEARING SURFACE WAS SEVERELY SCORED AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE MISSING NEEDLE BEARING. I ALSO CREDIT ADVENTURE BMW FOR THEIR EFFORTS AND WITH DIRECTLY PREVENTING A POSSIBLY LIFE THREATENING ACCIDENT IF THE BEARING DUST CAP HAD FAILED WHILE RIDING. I HAVE BEEN RIDING MOTORCYCLES SINCE 1974 WITH THE LAST 15 YEARS ON BMWS. I HAVE PUT OVER 100,000 MILES ON MY LAST 3 BMWS AND I AM AN EVERYDAY RIDER USING THE BMWS AS THE PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR MY TRANSPORTATION. I HAD CHOSEN BMW FOR THEIR QUALITY AND RELIABILITY BUT I AM NOW QUESTIONING MY DECISION AND YOUR MANUFACTURING QUALITY CONTROLS AND WONDER EVERY TIME I RIDE WHAT ELSE IS MISSING ON THE MOTORCYCLE, MAYBE ONE OF THE PISTON RINGS OR A CIRCLIP RETAINER IN THE TRANSMISSION.
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 .