Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 BMW R1100 RS, most frequently naming the suspension and transmission categories. 1 manufacturer communication is on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 2 months of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
BMW MOTORCYCLE - FAILURE OF THE 'BIG' BEARING IN THE REAR DRIVE. NOISE FROM THE REAR DRIVE - FOLLOWED BY THE WHEEL COCKING - AND THE BIKE BECAME SERIOUSLY UNSTABLE. WAS RIDING SLOWLY - ON MY WAY TO A DEALERSHIP - SO NO FALL DOWN. HAD THE BIKE CARRIED THE REST OF THE WAY AND HAD THE REAR DRIVE REBUILT (NEW BEARING AND SEAL). PARTS WERE LEFT AT THE DEALERSHIP. *NM
TRANSMISSION SOMETIMES WONT ALLOW SHIFTING INTO 3RD GEAR, VERY UNSAFE WHEN PASSING ON TWO LANE ROAD. TRANSMISSION SOMETIMES FALLS OUT OF 3RD GEAR, VERY UNSAFE WHEN PASSING ON TWO LANE ROAD.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
BMW MOTORCYCLE: ENGINE FUELS CONTAINING ETHANOL. BMW MOTORRAD HAS NO OBJECTION TO THE USE OF SI ENGINE FUELS CONTAINING UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 10% ETHANOL AND IMPOSES NO WARRANTY RESTRICTIONS. ETHANOL MIXTURES IN PROPORTIONS HIGHER THAN 10% CAN HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE AND CAN RESULT IN DAMAGE TO COMPONENTS THAT COME INTO CONTRACT WITH FUEL. NO WARRANTY CLAIMS WHATSOEVER FOR DAMAGE CAUSED IN THIS WAY WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.