Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 BMW R1200 Cl submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Motorcycle caught fire due to a defective fuel distributor line (part #135 376 58911). This happened on our property and the bike would have burned out completely if it had happened on the road. Only because there was a garden hose not too far from where the bike caught fire, I was able to extinguish it in time.
KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS AND OTHER BMW MOTORCYCLE MODELS WITH THE "QUICK DISCONNECT" FITTINGS ON FUEL LINES BEING MADE OF PLASTIC AND FAILING CAUSING OR POSSIBLY CAUSING FIRE. ON THIS DATE ONE OF MY FITTINGS FAILED CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK ON TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND BURNED OFF UNDER HIGH HEAT MAYBE CAUSING FIRE. I WAS ABLE TO GET SOMETHING UNDER LEAK TO CATCH FUEL BEFORE IT ALL LEAKED OUT ON TO EXHAUST. ALL MODELS OF BMW WITH THESE POOR DESIGN PLASTIC FITTINGS ON THE FUEL SYSTEM {{MUST}} BE REPLACED! THIS NEEDS TO BE REQUIRED ASAP.
MY BIKE WAS SPUTTERING & BACKFIRING, I BROUGHT IT INTO THE LOCAL BMW DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS "THROTTLE BODY SYSTEM" HE TOLD ME IT WAS "THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME OF THIS YEAR AND MODEL BIKE, EVEN WITH THE LOW MILEAGE" I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE BIKE, IF I HAD KNOW ABOUT THIS COMMON FAILURE I WOULD HAVE NOT BOUGHT IT. THEY WANT $1800 TO REPAIR IT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1200 CL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED AN ABNORMAL SUBSTANCE ON THE GROUND NEAR THE MOTORCYCLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE BIKE, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL CONNECTOR WAS FRACTURED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,200. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THERE WERE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BECAUSE OF THE ORIGINAL QUICK DISCONNECTORS MADE OF PLASTIC. THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM HE EXPERIENCED. HOWEVER, HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. UPDATED 02/06/13 UPDATED 11/04/13
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1200 CL MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING FUEL BEGAN TO LEAK ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE AND THE CONTACT NOTICED THERE WAS SMOKE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V028000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS) RECALL, BUT THE VIN WAS NOT ASSOCIATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ASSISTED THE CONTACT WITH THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 11,784.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1200 CL MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE QUICK CONNECT FUEL LINE, CAUSING THE FUEL TO LEAK FROM FROM THE LINE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REQUESTED THAT THE CONTACT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
THE QUICK CONNECT FUEL LINE COUPLING ON MY 2004 BMW R1200CLC MOTORCYCLE BROKE SPILLING GASOLINE ON THE EXHUAST, CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND REAR DISC BRAKE WHILE RIDING ON THE EXPRESSWAY IN GOOD WEATHER. THE BIKE STOPPED RUNNING, LEAVING ME TO NEGOTIATE A 825 LB. MOTORCYCLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER AND A GASOLINE SOAKED REAR DISC BRAKE. 40 YEARS OF CYCLING EXPERIENCE SAVED ME FROM WHAT WAS A DIRE AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. THERE WAS A FACTORY RECALL TO REPLACE THE O-RINGS ON THIS COUPLING, WHICH I DID. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER FROM WHICH I PURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE NEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THEY INFORMED ME THAT BMW HAD REPLACED THIS PLASTIC PART WITH A METAL PART IN THEIR REPLACEMENT PARTS INVENTORY. THIS PART RETAILS FOR $31.50 AND IS ONLY FOR SALE. IT IS ALSO ONLY HALF OF THE COUPLING, THE OTHER HALF STILL ONLY AVILABLE IN PLASTIC. THERE ARE TWO OF THESE COUPLINGS IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. IN MY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN ALL 2004 BMWS, WITH THIS ESSENTIAL PART FAILING OFTEN. I REPAIRED THE FUEL LINE WITH A BRASS FUEL LINE FITTING. BMW IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM EVIDENCED BY THE CHANGE IN THE MATERIAL THAT THIS PART NOW ONLY AVAILABLE IN. WHY HAS THERE BEEN NO RECALL ON THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL DEFECT ISSUED BY BMW? I STILL HAVE THE FAILED PART. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE ON THIS SAME VEHICLE WHEN A SHORT IN THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE FUEL PUMP BLOWS THE FUSE AND THE FUEL PUMP STOPS. THIS WAS ALSO DESCRIBED TO ME AS AN INHERENT PROBLEM IN THIS MOTORCYCLE DUE TO THE WIRING INSULATION DETERIORATING AND CRACKING. THIS INFORMATION WAS PASSED ON TO ME BY THE DEALER SERVICE REP WHO SAID HE HAD SEEN THAT DEFECT OFTEN. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALSO LEFT ME RIDING A SUDDENLY DEAD MOTOCCYLE SEVERAL TIMES IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. WHEN I CONTACTED BMW ABOUT FIXING THE WIRING HARNESS, THEY WERE UNRESPONSIVE TO MY COMPLAINT AND DISMISSIVE TO ME PERSONALLY. I HAVE THE E-MAILS. THIS MOTORCYCLE HAS 13,859 MILES ON IT AND IS GARAGE KEPT.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1200 CL MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE NOTICED GASOLINE LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE FUEL LINE QUICK-DISCONNECT COUPLINGS FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V028000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS). THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 8,000.
HIGH PRESSURE FUEL CONNECTOR BROKE. AT 75 MPH THE BMW QUICKLY DISCONNECTED, BROKE, AND THE 45 PSI OF FUEL SPRAYED ALL OVER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE MOTORCYCLE, MY LEG AND THE EXHAUST. IT WAS THIS BMW PART # 13317659119 THAT BROKE. *AK POSSIBLE FIRE, BURNS, DEATH.
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.
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