AI Damage2002 BMW K1200RS: common problems
Owners of the 2002 BMW K1200RS filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 18
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel system 33% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 11% of all complaints
- 6 Child seat 6% of all complaints
- 7 Equipment 6% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 6% of all complaints
- Fuel system: 6 complaints (33% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 3 complaints (17% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (17% of all).
- Tires: 2 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 18 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Child seat | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Road defect on bridge on I-70 where it crosses I-270 just west of st. Louis, mo. Driving in the rain we hit a metal joint that runs lengthwise with the bridge in the right tire groove of the left hand lane.
While driving approximately 5 mph, fuel leaked from the engine compartment without warning. The failure recurred daily. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v028000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.
While riding the bike a few days ago, the abs failure lights came on. I shut the bike off, and restarted to attempt to reset the system. This did not work. Later in the day, when starting the bike up,...the abs was functioning, for about 15 minutes, then the failure lights again came on and have constantly stayed on…
I put shenko motorcycle tires on my 2002 bmw motorcycle. After about 3000 miles the tread separated from the tire base. I complained to shenko and the dealer I purchased them from. This was a life threatening situation on a motorcycle with a passenger.
There was one report of a fire and an injury from the previous recall. Here we have a leak occurring from the same fitting with the same potential. Initially bmw replaced this fitting with the same original part only to find that the fitting failed again.
This could have easily caught fire if the bike had been hot. Checked the internet and found that this failure is a common problem on bmw motorcycles and is not limited to my model or year.
Slowing down to stop abs brake lights came on. Front abs still works but rear went out. Took it to bmw dealer service tech says had to replace a lot of abs units in the past but not covered under warranty or recall. This part is 2332.00 plus labor.
This leaking spray occurs whenever the machine is turned on, or running, as the fuel pump just keeps pumping fuel out of the leak. Consequences could be a fire if the leak happens at speed out on the road, and the operator is unaware that the gasoline is being sprayed all over the right side of the engine.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,622 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the K1200RS has 6 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 18, above average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 BMW K1200RS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, fuel/propulsion system, powertrain. Total complaints: 18. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (33%), fuel system, fuel smell (11%), warning lights, check engine (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 BMW K1200RS?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2002 BMW K1200RS from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2002 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.