RoadVitals

2020 BMW S 1000 Rr

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
10
Latest Mar 18, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
4
Latest Jul 23, 2026
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
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

Overview

Our database contains 10 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2020 BMW S 1000 Rr, most frequently naming the engine, brakes and body & structure categories. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 31 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine440.0%
  • Brakes330.0%
  • Body & structure110.0%
  • Driver assistance110.0%
  • Other / unspecified110.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

4 campaigns cover this model year

View all 4

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
26V478000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

Jul 23, 2026
16,736 units potentially affected
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2024 S 1000 RR US, and 2020-2026 S 1000 RR motorcycles. The vibration of the motorcycle may cause an internal component of the ignition lock to fail, which can cause the instrument display, rear lighting, and other systems such as ABS to fail, or cause an engine stall while riding.
The risk: An engine stall or failure of electrical systems such as the instrument display or ABS, increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: The remedy is currently under development. Letters informing owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed September 14, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 14, 2026.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov
20V476000

SERVICE BRAKES; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

Aug 13, 2020
9,392 units potentially affected
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 R 1250 GS, GS Adventure and R 1250 RT, 2020 S 1000 RR and S 1000 XR motorcycles. The front brake calipers may leak brake fluid when parked. As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 122, "Motorcycle Brake Systems."
The risk: Overtime, a leaking front brake caliper can reduce the amount of brake fluid in the reservoir. Low volume could affect brake performance, increasing the risk of crash.
The remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the front brake calipers with an improved version, free of charge. BMW issued owners an interim notification on October 12, 2020. As of January 19, 2021, a remedy was still not available. The recall began March 8, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov
20V146000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

Mar 12, 2020
4,026 units potentially affected
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 F900R, F900XR, S1000RR, F750GS, F850GS, F850GS Adventure, R1250GS, R1250GS Adventure, R1250RS, R1250R, RnineT, RnineT Pure and RnineT Scrambler and 2019-2020 S1000R motorcycles. The brake light may flash instead of remain steady during emergency braking. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk: A flashing brake light can cause confusion to other drivers on the road, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: BMW will notify owner, and dealers will reprogram the emergency stop signal function, free of charge. The recall began May 11, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 10
Engine
Filed Mar 18, 2025

The coil packs of the 2020 model have gotten a reputation for going out with no warning. It often happens well driving. In my case, two went bad and I had to limp home. Riding like this can further damage the engine. In some cases this happens to people when they are far away from any place and can end up stranded. A quick Google search of this model in year and coil packs will yield thousands of forum posts stating the problem and questions of why BMW has not done more to fix this. They have since changed the coil pack and the ones they put on that biker no longer available. The replacement sell from BMW for $200 each. If you don't replace all four, then you're just biting time till the next one goes out. This issue often happens and bikes with less than 10,000 miles. Mine for example has 9500. Since I live in a part of the country that has winter, I cannot ride the bike year around and my bike is out of warranty even though it has under 10,000 miles on it. I have yet to get it to a dealer because the closest one is 3 hours away and I do not have a trailer. The bike cannot be ridden. I will manage to get it there however I cannot get the dealership to call me back regarding this matter. I have enlisted the help of BMW which is reluctant to say they can do anything but we'll absolutely do nothing until I get it to the dealer for them to verify the problem. I'm not a novice mechanic when it comes to motorcycles. I determined that the one and two cylinders are both dead. The dealer will charge the price for the coil packs plus a slightly unreasonable service charge. The end result will be more than a couple thousand dollars for me to get the bike there and pay for the bill. And that is conservative. It is an acknowledged problem among writers and semi acknowledged by the manufacturer. Not sure where this goes from here.

NHTSA ID
11649099
Incident
Jan 18, 2025
Other / unspecified
Filed Jan 18, 2025

Carbon fiber rims developed bubble with minor air leakage...about ~2psi per day. First noticed this deformity around ~Nov 2024 If there is a micro crack developed along the valve stem on a carbon fiber rim, then the wheel forces can cause the crack to grow and sudden loss of pressure, resulting in severe injury. Brought the motorcycle to a BMW dealership. BMW Motorrad says it is out of warranty and not a safety issue. Warning lamps only came on when tire is low on air. Online research indicates that this is/was a problem with 2020 K67 chassis equipped with Carbon Fiber rims

NHTSA ID
11636829
Incident
Nov 22, 2024
Brakes
Filed Oct 7, 2021

After the brake recall, and new brake calipers and pads were installed, I began to notice significant vibrations of the front end during medium braking. During mild to medium braking going down hill, the front end would seem to bounce.

NHTSA ID
11435862
Incident
Sep 28, 2021
Engine
Filed Jun 11, 2021

Leaking coolant from weep hole after every ride, telltale sign water/oil pump is bad. Yes it’s available. Coolant and oil are very slick. I could fall and die if my rear tire decides to slip under the liquids. Yes the dealer and bmw confirmed it was leaking from the weep hole but placed blame on the aftermarket headers. No the water/oil pump has not been inspected by bmw and dealer. No warning lamps.

NHTSA ID
11420581
Incident
Jun 1, 2021
Brakes
Filed May 10, 2021

FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS LEAKING DURING VEHICLE REST PERIODS SINCE OR BEFORE 20TH AUGUST 2020. A LARGE AMOUNT OF BRAKE RESERVOIR HAS BEEN CONSUMED BEFORE NOTICING. THIS IS A KNOWN CONDITION AS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS YET NO FIX HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED ON THIS VEHICLE. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY STORED AT THE DEALER AWAITING REPAIR.

NHTSA ID
11415766
Incident
Aug 29, 2020
Engine
Filed Oct 2, 2020

OIL LEAKING FROM ENGINE AFTER ONLY 400MILES, I NOTICED THE LEAK BECAUSE IT STAINED THE FLOOR WHERE THE MOTORCYCLE WAS PARKED.

NHTSA ID
11362481
Incident
Sep 20, 2020
Mileage
400 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 17, 2020

OIL LEAKING FROM LOWER ENGINE TO CONNECTING OIL COOLER LINE. OIL SEEMS LIKE COMING FROM DRAIN PLUG. MORE NOTICEABLE AFTER MOTORCYCLE OPERATION, POTENTIALLY BE LEAKING WHILE RIDING. *TR

NHTSA ID
11329374
Incident
May 1, 2020
Mileage
50 mi
Brakes
Filed Mar 10, 2020

BOTH OF MY FRONT CALIPERS LEAK BRAKE FLUID, ENOUGH TO LEAVE PUDDLES ON THE GROUND. THIS WAS NOTICED AFTER THE BIKE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. AS OF THIS NOTE THE BIKE IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH AN UNKNOWN ETA ON PARTS. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH BMW NORTH AMERICA AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THAT BMW IS UNAWARE OF THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER, I CAN FIND SEVERAL PEOPLE ONLINE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. HAVING THE FRONT BRAKES FAIL ON THIS MOTORCYCLE WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC.

NHTSA ID
11317290
Incident
Jan 18, 2020
Mileage
650 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

MC110322

POWER TRAIN

During the production of the intake camshaft there was a change in the coolant used to prevent localized overheating of parts of the camshaft. Because of this, certain parts of the camshaft may have a changed surface hardness that can result in increased wear of the rocker arms and camshaft over time.

B611305

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle “discharged battery” complaints.

MC310123

SUSPENSION

On the above listed vehicles, lubricant residue can be found on the fork cap on the right side telescoping fork. Vehicles with caps 31 42 1 754 557 and 31 42 1 757 701 can show this residue. These are not leaks at the cap, but assembly grease residue. Forks with this apparent leak have been received and leak testing was performed. NO leaks could be detected.

MC110322

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

During the production of the intake camshaft there was a change in the coolant used to prevent localized overheating of parts of the camshaft. Because of this, certain parts of the camshaft may have a changed surface hardness that can result in increased wear of the rocker arms and camshaft over time.

MC340223

WHEELS

Front and rear wheel speed sensor faults (0x3A1800 and 0x3A1801) appear after the bike is being revvedover 5000 RPM while still on the side stand, sometimes in conjunction with the side stand fault 0X3A1331. When the engine is revved up while on the side stand, vibrations are sent through the entire motorcycle.This vibration intensity varies from bike to bike. This vibration can cause particular movement between the wheel speed sensor and the sensor ringsdepending on the position of the sensor to the ring. The movement is picked up as rotation speed and iscalled “ghost speed”. This “ghost speed” follows the increase in RPM’s. 5000 RPM = approx. 12 MPH 10000 RPM = approx. 31 MPH

MC160323

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Vehicle goes into emergency operation mode and a warning light illuminates on the instrument cluster.

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.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

BMW S 1000 Rr by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026020—
2025120—
2024110—
2023220—
2022420—
2021110—
2020Viewing104040.5
2019000—
2018100—
2017020—
2016220—
2015510—
2014020—
2013230—
2012740—
2011140—
2010330—
2009000—
2008001—

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.