RoadVitals

2008 BMW R 1200 R Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
11
Latest Aug 6, 2017
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.
0
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Sep 24, 2010

What this page shows

Our database holds 11 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2008 BMW R 1200 R. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–11 of 11

Fuel system
Filed Aug 6, 2017

THE FUEL TANK {FROM THE INSIDE OUT} AT THE FILLER HOLE HAS MASSIVE CORROSION RENDERING THE TANK USELESS. FUEL HAS THE ABILITY TO LEAK AN LEAK SUBSTANIALLY WHEN THE BIKE IS IN MOTION. FUME LEAKAGE READILY APPARENT AS WELL. PER THE CERTIFIED BMW MECHANIC AN THE SERVICE SUPERVISOR AND I AGREE THE FUEL TANK IS USELESS DUE TO MASSIVE PRE-MATURE CORROSION AN DEGRADATION OF THE TANK ITSELF. NOTE THAT THE MOTORCYCLE IS MAINTAINED UNDER A CARPORT AND ALWAYS OUT OF THE ELEMENTS. THIS IS A KNOWN FAILURE WITH BMW AND OF COURSE BMW HAS A HISTORY AS YALL WELL KNOW OF REFUSING TO STEP UP AN CORRECT DESIGN FAILURES UNLIKE OTHER COMPANIES SUCH AS TOYOTA. THE DISCOVERY WAS MADE WHEN THE WELL DOCUMENTED FUEL STRIP FAILURE OCCURRED AND THE 3RD STRIP WAS BEING INSTALLED. HOLES THE SIZE OF A POSTAGE STAMP AND "ROTTEN PAPER THIN" DEGRADATED METAL UNDERNEATH THE FILLER CAP IS EASILY TOTALLY DETAECTABLE. PER BMW THE TANK IS USELESS AN THERE IS NO FIX UNDER THAN REPLACEMENT- AND GET THIS PER THE BMW DEALER QUOTE - THIS PART IS OBSOLET- BMW IS NOT EVEN MAKING A REPLACEMENT FOR A 9 YR OLD BIKE. IT IS A FIRE HAZARD NOT ONLY TO THE MOTORCYCLE BUT TO THE OPERATOR AS WELL. IT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTORS DEFECT WHICH BMW REFUSES TO ADDRESS. IT PRESENTS A SITUATION WHERE THE OPERATOR SHOULD NOT BE IN TRAFFIC DUE TO BEING A HAZARD TO HIMSELF, PASSENGERS, OR OTHER DRIVERS. LEAKING FUEL AN FUMES PRESENT A CLEAR HAZARD WHETHER IN MOTION OR EVEN AT IDLE. YALL MUST INVESTIGATE AN DEMAND BMW CORRECT THIS OUTRAGEOUS DESIGN FLAW, MATERIAL FAILURE IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN FROM A SAFETY VIEWPOINT. AGAIN, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR R1200R'S AND THE 1200RT MODELS. REPLACE THE FUEL TANK IS THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE HOLD BMW ACCOUNTABLE FOR TOTALLY SUB-STANDARD WORKMANSHIP WHICH EQUATES TO POTENTIALLY FATAL CONSEQUENCES IF NOT RESOLVED. THK YOU

NHTSA ID
11013060
Incident
Jul 26, 2017
Mileage
54,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Aug 6, 2017

FUEL PUMP FLANGE LEAKING DUE TO CRACKING. BMW'S 1ST FACTORY ATTEMPT WAS TO PUT A "SIZING" RING ON FLANGE TO COMPRESS THE MICRO CRACKS WHICH OF COURSE WAS A JACKLEG APPROACH QUITE COMMON TO BMW MOTORCYCLES. EVENTUALLY WITH IN 1 YR FUEL STARTED MASSIVELY FLOWING DOWN ONTO HOT ENGINE MAKING THE BIKE A ROLLING FIREBALL POTENTIALLY.

NHTSA ID
11013059
Incident
Aug 15, 2016
Mileage
54,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Apr 15, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW R1200 R. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE SERVICE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS MODULATOR FAILED AND NEEDED BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,210. UPDATED 5/18/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER ADVISED THIS FAILURE WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE THREE OR FOUR MODEL. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS FAILURE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. UPDATED 11/16/2015*JS

NHTSA ID
10705825
Incident
Dec 1, 2014
Mileage
16,210 mi
Brakes
Filed Sep 30, 2014

THE ABS PUMP FAILED DISABLING THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM. I WAS AT THE DEALER AND ANOTHER CYCLIST WAS ALSO THERE WITH HIS 2008 BMW R1200R WITH EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE. APPARENTLY THESE ABS PUMPS ARE FAILING AT AN UNUSUAL RATE. IF THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE RIDING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER IT COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID
10640340
Incident
Sep 12, 2014
Mileage
3,900 mi
Brakes
Filed Jun 14, 2014

ABS MODULE SUDDENLY QUIT, RENDERING THE ABS FUNCTION INOPERABLE. *JS

NHTSA ID
10598304
Incident
Jun 14, 2013
Mileage
40,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Aug 21, 2013

FUEL GAUGE FAILURE, SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING AND READS EMPTY AT ALL TIMES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10536603
Incident
Aug 22, 2012
Mileage
6,800 mi
Fuel system
Filed Feb 20, 2013

LOW FUEL WARNING LAMP DID NOT COME ON LEADING TO ME RUNNING OUT OF FUEL ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. FUEL GAUGE INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 1/4 TANK (3 BARS) BUT WAS INACCURATE. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION SINCE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FROM RUNNING OUT OF FUEL CAN BE QUITE DANGEROUS ON A MOTORCYCLE. THE "FUEL STRIP" (PER BMW NOMENCLATURE) FAILS CAUSING FUEL GAUGE TO READ INACCURATELY AND RENDERING LOW FUEL WARNING LAMP INOPERATIVE. THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE ON MANY BMW MOTORCYCLE MODELS FROM 2005-2013. *TR

NHTSA ID
10499477
Incident
Apr 7, 2012
Mileage
4,900 mi
Fuel system
Filed Feb 19, 2013

FROM THE DEALER'S REPAIR ORDER DESCRIPTION: "THE CUSTOMER REPORTS THE FUEL GAUGE READS LOW (LIGHT ON) WHEN FULL AND READS FULL WHEN EMPTY. ALSO THE RESIDUAL RANGE TO ZERO COUNTS DOWN FROM 253 TO THREE DASHES IN ABOUT THREE MILES AFTER EVERY FILL-UP." FUEL LEVEL SENDER PART 16147697815 REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10499342
Incident
Oct 13, 2009
Mileage
4,252 mi
Brakes
Filed Aug 20, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW R1200R MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT TRAVELING 55 MPH, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,100. ...UPDATED 10/10/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS LOSS OF BRAKING, WHEN THE ABS PUMP FAILED.

NHTSA ID
10471511
Incident
Aug 10, 2012
Mileage
41,100 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jul 2, 2011

MY 2008 BMW R1200R MOTORCYCLE FUEL GAUGE CONTINUES TO MALFUNCTION OR DOES NOT WORK. IT HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. MERGING WITH HIGH SPEED HIGH VOLUME TRAFFIC IN THE DC AREA CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF YOU RUN OUT OF GAS DUE TO A FUEL GAUGE ERROR. I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY BMW R1200GS ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLE. MY BROTHER HAS HID GAUGE CHANGED ON HIS BMW R1200GS ADVENTURE AT LEAST 5 TIMES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10410317
Incident
Jun 25, 2011
Mileage
6,000 mi
ElectricalFuel system
Filed Sep 24, 2010

THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWS FUEL REMAINING AND THE WARNING LIGHT IS NOT ON AND THE ENGINE RUNS OUT OF FUEL AND DIES WITH NO WARNING. IT HAS HAPPENED TO MY BIKE AND TO MY SISTERS BIKE. MY FUEL GAGE STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY AFTER I RAN OUT. BMW REPAIRED MINE AND IT WORKS OK NOW. I HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM DISCUSSED REPEATEDLY IN MANY ONLINE FORUMS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10357406
Incident
May 23, 2010
Mileage
1,200 mi

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .