CSR

BMW · NHTSA safety record

2019 BMW R 1250 GS

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

15

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2019 BMW R 1250 GS have filed 15 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2020 and January 2025. The most complained-about system is the brakes, named in 12 of them (80%). The typical failure was reported at 1,508 miles, the median across the 7 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 3 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (3)

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:SHAFT:INPUT

23V011000 · January 18, 2023

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2023 R1250GS, R1250GS Adventure, and R1250RTP motorcycles. In certain engine operating and riding conditions, the gearbox input shaft may become damaged or break, possibly resulting in a blocked rear wheel.
The risk
A damaged gearbox input shaft or a blocked rear wheel can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the engine control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 22, 2023. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 18,534 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

20V476000 · August 13, 2020

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 R 1250 GS, GS Adventure and R 1250 RT, 2020 S 1000 RR and S 1000 XR motorcycles. The front brake calipers may leak brake fluid when parked. As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 122, "Motorcycle Brake Systems."
The risk
Overtime, a leaking front brake caliper can reduce the amount of brake fluid in the reservoir. Low volume could affect brake performance, increasing the risk of crash.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the front brake calipers with an improved version, free of charge. BMW issued owners an interim notification on October 12, 2020. As of January 19, 2021, a remedy was still not available. The recall began March 8, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 9,392 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID

20V166000 · March 19, 2020

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2020 RnineT Scrambler and RnineT, 2020 R1250R and R1250RS, 2019-2020 Rnine T Pure, R1250GS,R1250GS Adventure and R1250RT and 2018 RnineT Racer motorcycles. The brake fluid reservoir cap may not clearly state the required type of brake fluid and the process for filling the reservoir, possibly leading to an improper maintenance procedure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 122, "Motorcycle Brake Systems."
The risk
Improper brake system maintenance could affect braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake fluid reservoir cap, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 365 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 15.

SERVICE BRAKES 12 80%
ENGINE 3 20%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 13%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 7%
POWER TRAIN 1 7%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 7%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 7%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2020 at 5.

2020 2025
2020 to 2025

In owners' own words

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

SERVICE BRAKES
Rear brake system malfunctions. Malfunctioning rear brake increases braking distance which can lead to a collision. The BMW dealer and customer service have confirmed problem. The motorcycle has be serviced for this four times at the BMW repair shop. The problem appears about every 3000 miles.

NHTSA complaint 11636728. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Engine fails to start after shutoff and after engine temperature is hot. Inability to start engine on the road after cutting ignition can increase risk of being hit on the road. The dealer has not been able to reproduce. The vehicle has been inspected by BMW repair shop and had me replace the battery but the problem still persists. Subsequent service appointments have resulted in BMW technicians not being able to reproduce problem. The occurs randomly about 7 times per year. No warning signs.

NHTSA complaint 11636732. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Ever since purchased new in 2019 the rear brake goes away after riding. Dealer bleeds to fix and it goes away again after riding. By going away I mean rear brake pedal travel becomes very long with no positive stop when the brake finally works. Very soft feel thru the brake activation. Takes a stomp with my heel to lock the rear. Dealer has bled and even done a tsb procedure given by bmw to correct. Technical Service Bulletin SIB 34 01 21. Same result. No rear after riding a bit. Putting safety at risk is self explanatory. From hours of reading I've found this to be an ongoing problem with liquid cooled gs's up to the 20 or 21 model year when the abs pump was replaced with a unit not

NHTSA complaint 11635837, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
During the recent Safety Recall of this vehicle and subsequent repair, it was noted by the certified mechanic that oil was being wicked up along electrical lines in the stator. The mechanic issued an immediate "Do not ride, Do not operate" warning. 2019 BMW R1250GSA has 17,000 accident free miles. Many "false" engine management warnings.

NHTSA complaint 11528717. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
After three BMW dealer visits and rear brakes having been bled, the rear brake pedal becomes soft and does not stop the motorcycle. The same problem occurred each time within 2-3 months of the repair. The only way to stop the motorcycle is to use the front brake. The BMW service department cannot explain the reason this keeps happening.

NHTSA complaint 11524567. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Rear brake on motorcycle does not stop the motorcycle. After three BMW dealer visits and rear brakes having been bled, the rear brake pedal becomes soft and does not stop the motorcycle. The same problem occurred each time within 2-3 months of the repair. The only way to stop the motorcycle is to use the front brake. The BMW service department cannot explain the reason this keeps happening.

NHTSA complaint 11524568. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the BMW R 1250 GS

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2020 8 5

Other 2019 BMW models

Every BMW on this site — 249 vehicles, 484 recall campaigns and 2 open investigation s.

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

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.

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