2003 BMW R Model 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 R Model, 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
- Visibility266.7%
- Driver assistance133.3%
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
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
2003 BMW R1200CLC MOTORCYCLE-SIDE VIEW MIRRORS DO NOT ADJUST OUT FAR ENOUGH TO PROVIDE PROPER SIDE AND REAR VISIBILITY. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE RIDER NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE OTHER VEHICLES AND COULD BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO AN ACCIDENT. *JB
THE 2003 BMW R1200CLC MOTORCYCLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH FUNCTIONING REAR VIEW MIRRORS.TWO MIRRORS ARE PROVIDED, BUT THEY ARE LOCATED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER'S HAND GRIPS. THEREFORE, THESE MIRRORS ONLY SHOW THE RIDER'S HANDS AND FOREARMS. WHEN ADJUSTED TO THE CENTER POSITION, BOTH MIRRORS FOCUS ON THE RIDER'S STOMACH. WHEN TILTED AS FAR INWARD AS THEY WILL GO, THE RIGHT MIRROR SHOWS THE RIDER'S LEFT SHOULDER, AND THE LEFT MIRROR SHOWS HIS RIGHT. WHEN TILTED AS FAR OUTWARD AS THEY WILL GO, EACH MIRROR SHOWS THE RIDER'S NEAREST WRIST AND FOREARM. THUS, NOT ONLY ARE THESE MIRRORS INCAPABLE OF VIEWING THE LANE BEHIND, THEY CANNOT BE ADJUSTED TO VIEW THE ADJACENT LANES. THIS DESIGN DEFECT RESULTS IN A DANGEROUS CONDITION WHERE THE RIDER IS CHRONICALLY UNAWARE OF FOLLOWING TRAFFIC. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANOTHER VEHICLE OF ANY KIND WHICH WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A REAR VIEW MIRROR WHICH PROVIDES A VIEW TO THE REAR, AND I AM WILLING TO BET THAT A MIRROR IN WHICH THE DRIVER CAN LOOK BACK IS REQUIRED EQUIPMENT.PLEASE ADVISE BMW TO RECTIFY THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED FROM BEHIND.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
RIDING MOTOROCYCLE DOWN ROAD, LET OFF THROTTLE. DIGITAL THROTTLE STUCK AT 2100 RPM ALMOST CAUSING ME TO RUN A STOP SIGN AND MOVE INTO THE PATH OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST OCCUERENCE OF THIS I EVEN HAVE VIDEO OF THIS MACHINE WITH THE THROTTLE STUCK SITTING IN A DRIVE WAY. OTHER BIKES ARE SEEING THE SAME THING. SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN HUMIDITY GETS HIGH. DEALER CAN'T FIXIT IF THEY CAN'T REPRODUCE. MANAUFACTURER DOES NOT HAVE ANY RECORDING DEVICE TO RECORD WHAT THE ONBOARD COMPUTER IS SEEING. SOMEBODY IS GOING TO GET HURT.*AK
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 .