RoadVitals

2020 KTM 690 Smc R

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.
2
Latest Nov 11, 2021
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.
1
Latest Oct 12, 2021
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.
1

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2020 KTM 690 Smc R, most frequently naming the body & structure, fuel system and interior & seats categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Body & structure133.3%
  • Fuel system133.3%
  • Interior & seats133.3%

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

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

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
21V792000

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:SLAVE CYLINDER

Oct 12, 2021
8,398 units potentially affected
The defect: KTM North America, Inc. (KTM) is recalling certain 2018-2020 690 Enduro R, Vitpilen 701, 701 Enduro, 701 Supermoto, 2019-2020 690 SMC R, Svartpilen, 2018-2019 690 Duke, and 2020 701 Enduro LR motorcycles. The bellow-style gasket on the clutch slave cylinder may have been damaged during manufacturing, which could cause the clutch to become inoperable and not disengage when the clutch lever is pulled in.
The risk: An inoperable clutch increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect the clutch slave cylinder and replace it if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 3, 2021. Owners may contact KTM customer service at 1-888-985-6090. KTM's numbers for this recall are KTB2112 and HTB2110.
KTM North America, Inc.Manufacturer number KTB2112/HTB2110View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Interior & seats
Filed Nov 11, 2021

The seat of this motorcycle unhooks itself from the front under hard acceleration.This continues to happen every single time. Extremely dangerous. Unit is under warranty and manufacturer refuses to fix the issue. I believe the issue is that the seat hooks are just a hair too short and this allows the seat to unhook, only under heavy acceleration. Consumer seat came off after 2K miles and under warranty but dealer refuses to repair it and claims it is consumer's fault.

NHTSA ID
11440146
Incident
Jul 1, 2021
Body & structureFuel system
Filed Apr 22, 2021
Fire reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2020 KTM 690 SMC R. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE MOTORCYCLE SLID OUT WHEN THE CONTACT WENT TO STAND THE MOTOR BIKE UP; THE MOTORCYCLE PROCEEDED TO EXPLODE WITHOUT WARNING, ENGULFING THE CONTACT IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND UPON EXAMINATION THE MOTORCYCLE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 800.

NHTSA ID
11413436
Incident
Apr 21, 2021
Mileage
800 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

KTB2112

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:SLAVE CYLINDER; STRUCTURE

On affected motorcycles there is a possibility that the bellow style gasket can be damaged caused by deviations during assembly. Damage to the bellow gasket may affect the function of the clutch slave cylinder. This could result in the rider noticing a change in shifting behavior and the clutch becoming inoperable to the point where the clutch will not disengage when the clutch lever is pulled in. To ensure the highest level of safety, performance, reliability and customer satisfaction, it is necessary to replace the clutch slave cylinder on all affected motorcycles that have a bellow style gasket clutch slave cylinder mounted (Fig. 1).

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

KTM 690 Smc R by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2025200—
2023100—
2022100—
2021300—
2020Viewing210—
2019110—

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.