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2021 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.
4
+1 complaint in 30 days
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.
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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.
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Overview

Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 KTM 690 Smc R, most frequently naming the fuel system, body & structure and interior & seats categories.

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

  • Fuel system457.1%
  • Body & structure228.6%
  • Interior & seats114.3%

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

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.

Recent owner complaints

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

Body & structureFuel systemInterior & seats
Filed Sep 20, 2026

Description of Defect: I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding the plastic fuel tank on my 2021 KTM 690. On this specific motorcycle architecture, the plastic fuel tank is a load-bearing, structural component that acts as the rear subframe. The rear passenger footpegs and the entire rear seat assembly mount directly onto this plastic fuel tank structure.The tank has severely warped, expanded, and deformed. This material warping introduces severe structural stress to the factory mounting points, creating a high risk of catastrophic structural breakage while in motion. A failure here puts both the rider and a passenger in immediate physical danger of a crash or separation from the motorcycle.Furthermore, this swelling and warping has caused the fuel filler neck area to become completely non-flush. This prevents the fuel filler cap assembly from sealing correctly against the tank surface, leaving a noticeable gap where fuel sloshes out and seeps past the filler cap during regular operation. This creates a simultaneous, severe fire hazard directly over the hot exhaust. Prior Actions & Context: KTM previously acknowledged manufacturing defects on older models under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V388000. However, the exact same structural warping, material swelling from ethanol exposure, and sealing failures are actively persisting on my 2021 model. Because this tank functions as the primary structural subframe and carries passenger weight, its deformation poses a critical mechanical and fire hazard. I am requesting that the NHTSA expand its investigation into later-year KTM 690 tank assemblies to mandate a permanent structural remedy from the manufacturer.

NHTSA ID
11765654
Incident
Sep 20, 2026
Body & structureFuel system
Filed Aug 11, 2026

The fuel tank has been expanding consistently now for the past few years. It has began to crack the attachment points for the body plastics. I sent pictures and reported this years ago to KTM and they told me it would have to be inspected which they may not cover and even still wouldn’t guarantee it would be replaced/fixed. This puts my safety at risk if I experience a crash or collision since the integrity of the tank is in question and it puts others safety at risk because it could rupture from a fall and cause a fire. There are no warning lamps on, the only symptom has been the swelling worsening over time and stress cracking the plastic fairings surrounding it. It could possibly be putting stress under the back part of the seat also.I have not had it inspected yet by the manufacturer or the police. The problem hasn’t been reproduced to my knowledge at any dealership but I’ve seen that others have had this same issue with the same model of motorcycle.

NHTSA ID
11756361
Incident
Aug 11, 2024
Fuel system
Filed Jul 19, 2025

The fuel tank is expanding, leading to the fairings cracking, especially the right hand side (rear). Two fairings have been cracked and it’s impossible to refit them. The tank vent is working and on multiple occasions has vented fuel out in the garage. Multiple people reported ethanol to play a role in the expansion of the tank, however this bike has never seen anything below 91 octane. The risk of the tank bursting or nearing the exhaust is given and poses a safety risk. I have not presented it to a dealer yet, however did my own research and found out that multiple owners have this issue and also filed complaints about the exact same fuel tank situation. This should be a recall and the tank should be replaced by Ktm to prevent a potential fire hazard and or injuring the operator severely.

NHTSA ID
11674726
Incident
Jul 19, 2025
Fuel system
Filed May 28, 2025

The fuel tank is swelling so much that all the Plastics are breaking and the tank itself is just about touching the exhaust header clamp. im getting worried it may explode if it touches the exhaust clamp.

NHTSA ID
11663548
Incident
May 20, 2025

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—
2021Viewing400—
2020210—
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.