IllustrationI HAVE HAVE HAD THE SAME FAILURE AS DESCRIBED IN ODI NO. 10439549, AND > CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED UNDER CAMPAIGN DP12001. *TR
2002 BMW Rt Series
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
Other model years Selected year
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: 11 of 12 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 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. 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 reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Power Train complaints
6 reports1. NORMAL DRIVING ALONG A ROADWAY. 2. SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION WITHOUT ANY WARNING AT ALL. MOTORCYCLE STOPPED DEAD IN ITS TRACKS. PUSHED MOTORCYCLE THROUGH TRAFFIC TO BREAKDOWN LANE.RISKING INJURY AND/OR DEATH IN THE PROCESS. 3. PERSONALLY INVESTIGATED FAILURE. VERY COMMON FAILURE OF THIS PRODUCTION RUN MOTORCYCLE. 2002 BMW…
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1. NORMAL DRIVING ALONG A ROADWAY. 2. SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION WITHOUT ANY WARNING AT ALL. MOTORCYCLE STOPPED DEAD IN ITS TRACKS. PUSHED MOTORCYCLE THROUGH TRAFFIC TO BREAKDOWN LANE.RISKING INJURY AND/OR DEATH IN THE PROCESS. 3. PERSONALLY INVESTIGATED FAILURE. VERY COMMON FAILURE OF THIS PRODUCTION RUN MOTORCYCLE. 2002 BMW R1150 RT. 20%-25% OF MOTORCYCLES IN THIS PRODUCTION RUN EXPERIENCE THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. REPLACE CLUTCH FOR STRIPPED SPLINES AND REPLACED TRANSMISSION INPUT SHAFT FOR STRIPPED SPLINES. BMW IS WELL AWARE OF THIS WIDESPREAD FAILURE OCCURRING IN 2000 TO 2004 MOTORCYCLES IN THE ENTIRE 1150 MODEL LINE WITH 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION. IS DUE TO A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING OR WORKMANSHIP. IF THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE HAPPENED TO ME WHILE I WAS ON A MULTILANE HIGHWAY, I WOULD'VE BEEN STRANDED IN A MIDDLE LANE WITH THE HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC TRAVELING BY ME AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, TRYING TO PUSH A 600 LB MOTORCYCLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS FAILURE THAT HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS ISSUE. THEY ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THESE TYPES OF PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE PARTS ON THIS PARTICULAR MODEL RUN. THAT THE FAILURE IS NOT DUE TO NEGLECT, MISUSE, OR LACK OF MAINTENANCE. THAT IT IS STRICTLY A DEFECT IN MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP. *TR
FINAL DRIVE BEARING IN 2002 BMW R1150RT MOTORCYCLE. *TR
WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, WENT OVER BUMP (BRIDGE OVERPASS) AND LOST POWER TO REAR WHEEL - VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING LOUD GRINDING NOISE. WAS FOUND THAT INPUT SHAF WAS STRIPPED IN CLUTCH PLATE. INPUT SHAFT/CLUTCH AND RELATED PARTS WAS REPLACED AND WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK
TRANSMISSION FAILURE AGAIN, LOUD RATTELING NOISE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED JUNE 19 2003 BY BMW MOTORCYLES OF DAYTONA BEACH, BMW MOTOR COMAPANY WILL NOT FIX, BIKE IS STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY OF 3 YEARS 36,000 MILES.*AK
TRANSMISSION FAILURES, TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY REPLACED, COMPLAINT WAS LOUD RATTLING NOISE SOUNDED LIKE SOMTING WAS ABOUT TO BREAK IN THERE. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
1PE03054 · Fuel Line Leakage
Opened Dec 1, 2003 · Closed Jan 23, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
BMW IS CONDUCTING A RECALL (04V-028).AN INFORMATION REQUEST(IR)RESPONSE WAS NOT RECEIVED. UPON BMW'S RECEIPT OF THE IR, AND AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH ODI, BMWDETERMINED THAT A RECALL WAS NECESSARY. ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE O-RING CONTAINED WITHIN THE FUEL LINE QUICK-DISCONNECT COUPLING COULD BECOME DAMAGED.FURTHER, THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM INVOLVING CRIMP-TYPE HOSE CLAMPS, WHICH CAN ALSO RESULT IN A SMALL FUEL LEAK.DEALERS WILL INSPECT, AND IF NECESSARY, ADJUST ALL CRIMP-TYPE HOSE CLAMPS.ALSO ALL FUEL LINE QUICK-DISCONNECT COUPLINGS WILL BE INSPECTED.IF A LEAK IS DETECTED, THE QUICK-DISCONNECT O-RING WILL BE REPLACED.IF DAMAGED, THE COUPLING WILL BE REPLACED.OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING FEBRUARY 2004.