AI Damage2015 BMW R1200 GS: common problems
Owners of the 2015 BMW R1200 GS filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 10
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 40% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 30% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 20% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Electronic stability control 10% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 10% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 10% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (40% of all).
- Suspension: 3 complaints (30% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (20% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
While traveling at approximately 25 mph on a national forest road the front suspension collapsed causing me to lose control and crash and causing injury manufacture replaced everything under warranty no definition too why part failed
It is not clear which brake component is failing. It seems to be either the master cylinder or the ABS control module, but nothing seems to be conclusive. The failure alters the power of and force required to apply the rear brakes, changing the riding characteristics of the motorcycle that could lead to serious injury…
While riding the 1200GS yesterday, the rear brake calliper somehow came off! Has anyone encountered such a problem before. After the caliper came off, it got stuck in the wheel spokes and completely shattered the spokes and wheels.
Rear brake pedal gets soft and braking performance is lost. Feels like air is getting into the system. Bleeding the brake fixes the problem, but it comes back after a few thousand miles. Seems this isn't an isolated icindent based on forum information: [link] [link]
Control buttons on left handlebar failing affecting cruise control, suspension settings, and ride mode which affects engine performance. Button failures occur just outside of warranty and when motorcycle is in operation and suspension and engine control systems are operational.
Bmw motorcycle recall campaign 17v-438 - front fork. I received a recall notice from bmw in august 2017 and sent the motorcycle to the dealer to have the warranty/recall repair conducted.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 bmw r1200 gs. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v438000 (suspension) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
Cruise control safety features do not work as required. When operating the vehicle at highway speeds and the clutch is operated to downshift, the cruise control remains engaged.
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 10,921 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).
On average one model year of the R1200 GS has 16 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 10, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
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 201414 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 2015 BMW R1200 GS?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, suspension, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 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 2015 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 2015 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.