IllustrationREAR DRIVE UNIT BEARING AND SEAL FAILED. THIS BEARING SUPPORTS THE ENTIRE BIKE. WHEN SEAL FAILED IT DUMPED REAR DRIVE OIL ALL OVER THE REAR BRAKES AND REAR TIRE. IF I HAD BEEN IN A BUSY AREA AND COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN STOPPED AS QUICKLY AS I DID THIS COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED A WRECK. DT
1999 BMW K1200RS
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all K1200RS years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 2 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
Power Train complaints
1 reportsOfficial recalls
100V264000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Sep 12, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. A SPRING-LOADED THERMOSTATIC ELEMENT IN THE OIL THERMOSTAT HOUSING IS HELD IN PLACE BY A COVER THAT IS RETAINED BY A SNAP RING. THE SNAP RING MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED DURING PRODUCTION. DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE SNAP RING COULD UNSEAT, ALLOWING THE COVER TO LOOSEN OR DETACH, RESULTING IN LOSS OF THE ENTIRE OIL VOLUME.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: ENGINE DAMAGE COULD OCCUR IF THE ENGINE IS NOT IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED OFF. IN ADDITION, OIL COULD TRAVEL ALONG THE ENGINE COVER AND ULTIMATELY CONTACT THE REAR TIRE, REDUCING ITS TRACTION AND AFFECTING THE STABILITY OF THE MOTORCYCLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH AND PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SNAP RING INSTALLATION AND IF THE SNAP RING IS NOT FULLY SEATED, THE COMPLETE OIL PUMP INTERMEDIATE FLANGE WILL BE REPLACED.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.