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BMW · NHTSA safety record

2012 BMW R 1200 RT

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 11 safety complaints about the 2012 BMW R 1200 RT with the US government. Of those, no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the gasoline fuel system.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 2 complaints, 18% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 20,000 miles, the median across the 7 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers July 2012 to January 2025 · How this is counted

What is on file

11 complaints on file

11

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

0

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 · 18%
ENGINE 2 · 18%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 2 · 18%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 · 18%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 9%
POWER TRAIN 1 · 9%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 · 9%
STEERING 1 · 9%
TIRES 1 · 9%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 11.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2021 at 3.

4 3 2 1
12 13 17 19 20 21 25

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2012 to 2025.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2012 BMW R 1200 RT. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

21V060000 · February 8, 2021

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2014 S 1000 RR/R/ HP4, R 1200 GS/GS Adventure/R/RT, K 1300 S, K 1600 GT/GTL/GTL Exclusive and 2014 R nine T motorcycles. The fuel pump, and auxiliary fuel pump in certain models, may crack and leak fuel during vehicle operation.
The risk
A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, may result in a fire.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 20,963 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SERVICE BRAKES
Front brakes- Front brake lever will not pull in (hard to pull) front brakes do not work, was unable to stop, rear brakes limited and was unable to stop through intersection.

NHTSA complaint 11634105. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2012 BMW R-1200 RT. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign number: 21V060000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint 11425713. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

20,000 miles

The contact owns a 2012 BMW R1200 RT motorcycle. The contact stated that the handlebars loosened and were not secured. The motorcycle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the head bearing had failed and needed to be replaced. The cause of the steering head bearing failure was undetermined. The motorcycle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.

NHTSA complaint 11419962. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW R 1200 RT MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V060000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. MAX BMW MOTORCYCLES LOCATED AT 493 DANBURY RD, NEW MILFORD, CT 06776 AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT THE PART WAS AVAILABLE HOWEVER, AFTER CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, NO INFORMATION ON A DATE FOR PARTS AVAILABILITY WAS PROVIDED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS

NHTSA complaint 11416080, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

20,000 miles

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING POORLY, HARDLY ANY POWER. I MOVED OVER 3 LANES IN HEAVY TRAFFIC TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER & TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS INFORMED THE PLASTIC THROTTLE BODY CAMS HAD BROKEN. THIS BIKE HAS ONLY 20,000 MILES ON IT! IT PUT ME IN EXTREME DANGER.

NHTSA complaint 11362414. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

53,961 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 BMW R1200 RT. THE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO EURO CYCLE BMW LAS VEGAS (6175 W SAHARA AVE B, LAS VEGAS, NV 89146, (702) 454-6269) FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE FLANGE WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FLANGE WAS ONCE SERVICED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER; HOWEVER, THE REPAIR DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO EURO CYCLE BMW LAS VEGAS. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,961.

NHTSA complaint 11258009. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the BMW R 1200 RT

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2011 20 3 —
2010 9 3 —

Other 2012 BMW models

X5 271 328I 130 528I 90 528XI 54 535I 54 X3 42 550I 35 K 1600 GTL 33

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every BMW on this site — 257 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst