AI Damage2014 BMW R1200 GS: common problems
Owners of the 2014 BMW R1200 GS filed 14 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 14
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 29% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 29% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 21% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 14% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 7% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (29% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 4 complaints (29% of all).
- Structure: 3 complaints (21% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (14% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 14 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 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.
The contact was unsure if any warning light illuminated, but it caused the contact's father to lose control of the motorcycle, and to avoid striking other vehicles, the contact struck a pole and a utility box. The contact's father stuffed severe injuries causing the contact's father to pass away.
The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V060000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that the motorcycle had experienced the failure listed in the recall.
No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact referred to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V438000 (Suspension).
There was no warning light illuminated. The contact continuously depressed the brake pedal until it responded. The contact was able to drive to his residence, where he noticed that the front forks were leaking oil onto the wheel and onto the brakes.
If I had been in a turn when the motorcycle lost power, I could have lost control of the vehicle, and my passenger and myself may have crashed and been harmed or died.
The motorcycle has a known flaw in the design of the cam and decompression mechanism in the right hand cylinder. The part has been redesigned, [dealer] certain cases replaced the part for vehicles in and out of warranty. The BMW internal report designation associated with this flaw is INFO 772590.
Front forks or staunchions began to separate at the top where forks connect to handlebars. My dealer, bmw of denver, was servicing the bike in feb 2017 and informed me of the issue. The staunchions needed to be replaced immediately or risk them coming apart and possibly crash.
The poor design of the fork stanchions causes the fork tube to separate from the fork cap. Over time, the fork cap will work its way out of the fork tube causing the fork to separate from the cap where it mounts to the triple tree. As it wears, the steering becomes imprecise.
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 9,552 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 26% most complained about).
On average one model year of the R1200 GS has 16 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 14, about average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
- R1200 GS 20044 sources
- R1200 GS 200551 sources
- R1200 GS 20069 sources
- R1200 GS 200742 sources
- R1200 GS 200832 sources
- R1200 GS 200930 sources
- R1200 GS 20108 sources
- R1200 GS 20117 sources
- R1200 GS 201210 sources
- R1200 GS 201312 sources
- R1200 GS 201510 sources
- R1200 GS 201630 sources
- R1200 GS 201716 sources
- R1200 GS 201817 sources
- R1200 GS 201914 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2014 BMW R1200 GS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, suspension, structure. Total complaints: 14. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (21%), rust, corrosion (14%), oil leak or consumption (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2014 BMW R1200 GS?
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 2014 BMW R1200 GS 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 2014 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 2026-11-06.