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.
7
Latest Feb 7, 2012
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.
1
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 Jun 9, 2000
What this page shows
Our database holds 7 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 BMW R1100RSL. 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 1–7 of 7
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 7, 2012
POWER TRAIN FAILURE: THE FINAL DRIVE BEARINGS FAILED AT ABOUT 29000 MILES. THE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED BY ME DURING THE NORMAL MAINTENANCE AND FLUID CHANGES. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE METAL FLAKES IN THE FINAL DRIVE FLUID, INDICATIVE OF THE INITIAL STAGE OF BEARING FAILURE. THE BEARINGS WERE INDEED FAILING AND I HAD THE FINAL DRIVE REPAIRED AT A BMW REPAIR FACILITY. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH PARALEVER DRIVE BMW MOTORCYCLES. *TR
NHTSA ID
10446977
Incident
Jun 14, 2010
Mileage
29,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Oct 20, 2003
COMPLAINT REGARDING IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS RECALL.*MR THE PRIMARY OWNER HAD THE MOTORCYCLE SERVICED FOR WIRING HARNESS PER SERVICE BULLETINE #23815. THE RECALL WAS DESIGNED TO CORRECT PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS WHERE THE IGNITION WIRES COULD BECOME DAMAGED AND/OR DISCONNECTED AND WAS CONSIDERED SERIOUS ENOUGH THAT RIDING THE VEHICLE TO A BMW MOTORCYCLE DEALERSHIP FOR RECALL REPAIRS WAS TO BE AVOIDED IF THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, A SHEET METAL PLATE MOUNTED TO THE FRONT OF THE FRAME BELOW THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CAN CAUSE THE WIRING HARNESS TO BE STRETCHED TOO TIGHT, WHERE IT PASSES OVER THE PLATE, AS THE HANDLEBARS ARE TURNED FULLY TO ONE SIDE, SUCH AS WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE AND LOCKING THE STEERING. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE RECALL PERFORMED. THE DEALERSHIP CLOSED DOWN AND CONSUMER FEELS BMW SHOULD COVER ALL EXPENSES FOR THE RECALL WORK SINCE IT DIDN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *PH
NHTSA ID
10044513
Interior & seats
Filed Apr 19, 2001
WIRING HARNESS SHORTED OUT CAUSING A FAILURE TO CONTINUE OPERATING. OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME MODEL BMW MOTORCYCLE (R1100GS AND R1150GS, 1995-2001) HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR FAILURES, INCLUDING A RECENT NEAR FATALITY WHEN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND ALL LIGHTS FAILED AT NIGHT. THE OWNER WAS ALMOST KILLED BY A TRUCK. THE PROBLEM RESULTS FROM CRACKED INSULATION IN THE WIRING HARNESS, CAUSING SHORT CIRCUITING AND VARYING DEGREES OF ELECTRICAL FAILURE. PROPERTY DAMAGE UP TO $2000 HAS BEEN REPORTED; IT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISING TO LEARN THAT A MAJOR INJURY ACCIDENT HAS OCCURRED FOLLOWING ONE OF THESE FAILURES. SINCE MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS ARE OFTEN FATAL, THE OPERATOR WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE REPORTED THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE.
NHTSA ID
744283
Incident
Oct 10, 2000
Brakes
Filed Sep 22, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported
WHILE RIDING AT 10 MPH HAD TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP AND BRAKES LOCKED UP.*AK THE ABS WAS NOT RESET. THE DRIVER WAS TRYING TO STOP BUT BOTH FRONT AND REAR WHEELS LOCKED RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *YH
NHTSA ID
871239
Incident
Sep 18, 2000
Transmission
Filed Aug 6, 2000
WHILE ACCELERATING IN 3RD GEAR, TRANSMISSION POPS MOMENTARILY OUT OF GEAR. SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION MAY BE DANGERIOUS.*AK
NHTSA ID
726786
Incident
Aug 1, 2000
Transmission
Filed Jun 9, 2000
THE PROBLEM IS A MOMENTARY LOSS OF POWER TRANMISSION IN 3RD GEAR UNDER ACCELERATION, NOT A SAFE CONDITION IN TRAFFIC. *AK
NHTSA ID
723816
Incident
Sep 1, 1999
Transmission
Filed Jun 9, 2000
TRANSMISSION KEPT POPPING OUT OF GEAR, SOMETIMES AT VERY INOPPORTUNE MOMENTS. TOLD IT MAY CONTINUE TO DO THIS EVEN AFTER DEALER 'FIXED' PROBLEM. *AK
NHTSA ID
723791
Incident
Sep 10, 1998
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.