1999 BMW K1200LT
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › BMW › K1200LT › 1999
These records cover every 1999 BMW K1200LT. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
50 complaints1 involved a crash2 involved a fire
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Engine
TL* the contact owns a 1999 BMW k1200lt. The contact stated that upon start up of his motorcycle, the motorcycle caught fire without warning. The contact attempted to extinguish the motorcycle with water but to no avail. The contact was able to move his motorcycle out of his building and the fire…
TL* the contact owns a 1999 BMW k1200lt. The contact stated that upon start up of his motorcycle, the motorcycle caught fire without warning. The contact attempted to extinguish the motorcycle with water but to no avail. The contact was able to move his motorcycle out of his building and the fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle had yet to be inspected or diagnosed; the manufacturer nor the dealer have yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000. The vin was not available. *bf*jb
- Service brakes
Spring of 2009, the ABS light on the dash board of my ten year old BMW 1999 k1200 LT began flashing. took it to a BMW dealer, BMW dealer diagnosed it as ABS module failure, claimed it was due to brake fluid not being changed regularly, as listed in owners manual, same as harley. this IS the same…
Spring of 2009, the ABS light on the dash board of my ten year old BMW 1999 k1200 LT began flashing. took it to a BMW dealer, BMW dealer diagnosed it as ABS module failure, claimed it was due to brake fluid not being changed regularly, as listed in owners manual, same as harley. this IS the same deal harley IS dealing with now, in 2018 the bmw's need investigated! how has BMW gotten away without doing a recall and paying for the defective ABS modules, due to the same issue as harley? this could kill someone! this IS a known issue by BMW, it IS all over the blogs, you can not even find a used ABS module to buy to rebuild, the issue IS so bad. the ABS module issue, with the bmw's IS so bad, there IS a company, out there, that has set up a remanufacturing process to rebuild the ABS modules. BMW should be required to do a recall and pay for this repair, it IS a $2,500 + fix. the dealer claims it IS due to not changing break fluid regularly, did they properly inform bike owners of this issue, no! BMW IS getting away with this, because there are not as many bikes sold, less complaints, but this needs investigated also, just like as harley has been required, BMW needs to be required to do a recall and pay for the fix!
- Power train · Structure › Body
I've owned this bike since 2002 and sill have it. during that time I have experience two rear drive failures as described in odi no. 10439549, and currently being investigated under campaign dp12001. at the time BMW was in denial about the issue or claimed that it was rare. well, I know 6 people…
I've owned this bike since 2002 and sill have it. during that time I have experience two rear drive failures as described in odi no. 10439549, and currently being investigated under campaign dp12001. at the time BMW was in denial about the issue or claimed that it was rare. well, I know 6 people with this same motorcycle and we've all had the rear drive fail. I am the only one to have it fail twice. I believe BMW has superseded that large bearing in the rear drive with a new part number and it's holding up better. anyway, the frost time my rear drive failed the bearing had "pauled" and as it caused [xxx] drag the cage around the ball bearings came apart and took out the seal. once relieved of it's oil it's not long before the bearing fails. the rear locked and I came to a stop more rapidly than I would have liked. I dropped the bike to the right and did a little body damage to the undercarriage and saddle bags. I was ok but stranded west of frisco colorado. I waited most of the night for a tow truck to come up from denver. I slept on the sidewalk of the BMW dealer that night and had to rent a car and "camp" while waiting for repairs. missed most of a week of work too. anyway, the second failure I caught earlier and bought the parts and assisted ion the repair so it cost maybe $600 compare to the BMW repair of $1700. in total that and $100 rental and $50 camping and who knows what a week of worth cost me. *tr
- Power train
Same failure as described in odi no. 10439549, and currently being investigated under campaign dp12001. this same part has failed three times during the last six year, or approximately every 10,000 miles. *tr
- Fuel/propulsion system
Started engine, noticed smoke coming from under vehicle, turned engine to off, got off and saw fire on left side. Grabbed fire extinguisher and extinguished fire. fire caused by plastic fuel rail failure and spilling fuel onto engine header. Probable cause of fuel rail failure IS ethanol fuel deteriorating fuel rail. *tr
- Power train
Leaking rear end lube started investigation. ultimate cause of leak was pending failure of crown gear bearings on bike with paralever style final drive. replaced bearings and seals as no damage to gear(s) was apparent. done on trip out west. *jb
- Power train
The final drive leaked fluid on the rear wheel, the rear drive began to grind and seize. End of ride. *tr
- Power train
Rear drive seal and bearings failed, leaking oil, loosing braking power, with tire wobble. *tr
- Power train
This IS same failure as described in odi no. 10439549, and currently being investigated under campaign dp12001. My 1999 k1200lt has had the final drive rebuilt twice and replaced totally once at BMW dealerships. the first time was a rebuild on 9/25/2004 at 37290 miles after the final drive…
This IS same failure as described in odi no. 10439549, and currently being investigated under campaign dp12001. My 1999 k1200lt has had the final drive rebuilt twice and replaced totally once at BMW dealerships. the first time was a rebuild on 9/25/2004 at 37290 miles after the final drive started grinding. the next was 9/12/07 at 54929 miles with the same circumstances. the most recent was 8/28/2012 at 73001 miles after the final drive failed completely, leaking drive lubrication all over the rear wheel and disk brake. rear brakes subsequently failed as well. this happened at interstate speeds of 75mph. costs for rebuilds run $400-600 and the last repair/ replacement of final drive and brakes was $2023.00. my experience indicates that the drives only last 20-30,000 miles. I bought the bike with 11,000 miles on it and I do not know if the final drive had been replaced prior to my purchase. these failures have all been attributed to the faulty assembly of the final drives, which require a very careful measurement of a tapered wheel bearing preload. most rebuilds blame the failure on too much preload. newer designs by BMW have replaced the tapered bearing with a better design that does not require the exacting standards for preload. failures on these units have been drastically reduced. *tr
- Power train · Visibility/wiper · Wheels
Final drive have being rebuilt one year earlier & again I lost control rear tire while rim start it wobbling out control, bike weight 840 pounds very difficult and with my wife on board thanks god we are alive. gold star BMW dealer in queens determine that I need a brand new final drive,i was…
Final drive have being rebuilt one year earlier & again I lost control rear tire while rim start it wobbling out control, bike weight 840 pounds very difficult and with my wife on board thanks god we are alive. gold star BMW dealer in queens determine that I need a brand new final drive,i was very fortunate to be alive; final drive it was total blown away into little pieces . Repair cost around $1500.00 dollars. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(B)(6). *tr
- Power train
On june 17, 2011 the final drive of my 1999 BMW k1200lt started leaking gear oil from the crown bearing seal. the suspected cause IS the crown bearing failure pushed the seal out of place and allowed the gear oil to leak on the rear brake disc and rear tire. this in turn caused the rear brake to…
On june 17, 2011 the final drive of my 1999 BMW k1200lt started leaking gear oil from the crown bearing seal. the suspected cause IS the crown bearing failure pushed the seal out of place and allowed the gear oil to leak on the rear brake disc and rear tire. this in turn caused the rear brake to fail due to oil on the brake pads and the rear tire to be unstable with oil on it. I replaced the rear drive in january 2012. *tr
- Power train
1999 BMW k1200lt. Consumer writes in regards power train final drive bearing failures being investigated under campaign dpi 12001 *tgw the consumer stated the failure of the final drive occurred on four separate occasions, which resulted in gear lube oil leaking on to the highway. the second…
1999 BMW k1200lt. Consumer writes in regards power train final drive bearing failures being investigated under campaign dpi 12001 *tgw the consumer stated the failure of the final drive occurred on four separate occasions, which resulted in gear lube oil leaking on to the highway. the second time it occurred, the final drive seized when the bike was being unloaded from a tow truck at the repair facility. Again, the rear seal, o-ring, roller bearing, gaskets and gear lube had to be replaced. The third time the final drive failed, the repair facility stated the fragments of the crushed bearing had damaged the gears in the power train final drive assembly. The repair included replacing the gears in the final drive, the gaskets, o-ring, bearing and gear lube oil again. The fourth failure, the mechanic stated it would be best to replace the entire drive train, final drive assembly which contained all new gears, gaskets, seals, o-ring, bearings and the housing which held all of the parts. When the bearing failure happened, there was a major oil leak from the final drive unit and the rear wheel wobbled dangerously. The consumer believed the bearing was not adequate to handle the weight, torque and other demands of the motorcycle *jb
- Power train
1999 BMW k1200lt. Consumer states motorcycle suffered the beginnings of a final drive failure to the power train and leaked gear oil. *Tgw the consumer has since sold the motorcycle. *Jb
- Power train › Driveline
My 1999 BMW k1200lt had a mysterious vibration coming from the rear wheel. I thought I may have a flat tire. stopped checked pressure, and all was fine. rode bike approximately 300 miles when the rear wheel began slipping and really felt like it was going to fall off. I depressed the rear brake…
My 1999 BMW k1200lt had a mysterious vibration coming from the rear wheel. I thought I may have a flat tire. stopped checked pressure, and all was fine. rode bike approximately 300 miles when the rear wheel began slipping and really felt like it was going to fall off. I depressed the rear brake lever, but it collapsed completely (i later learned why), no rear brakes. I managed to get the motorcycle stopped, and I could immediately tell what the problem was. there was final drive oil leaking from the final drive of the motorcycle onto the rear brake caliper, and onto the rear tire. this would explain why the wheel felt like it was 'coming off'. additionally, the dealer explained that the reason the brake peddle had to be 'pumped up' was that the rear wheel was vibrating back and forth opening the caliper. this IS the second time this issue has happened on this motorcycle. the previous final drive bearing was replace approximately 14 thousand miles earlier, by a BMW mechanic. *tr
- Power train › Axle hubs
Rear drive failure. it's a pretty common occurrence. you can see the results of the online forums not-so-scientific results here: http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/survey.php?&do=results&sid=28 it sucks. I have to fork out a bunch of dough to fix something that BMW should have never made that way. *tr
- Power train
Final drive failure on BMW k1200lt 1999 model. 37,000 miles. *Jb
- Power train › Driveline › Differential unit
Two bearings in the rear end assembly of my 1999 BMW k1200ltc failed and needed to be replaced at 37K. the dealership in seattle that repaired the bike would not cover any of the repair costs involved. *jb
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Final drive on my 1999 BMW k1200lt failed at 52,000 miles. parts and labor are over $1400. *nm
- Power train › Driveline › Universal joint
Rear end final drive failed on my '99 BMW k1200lt motorcycle. there was no real warning other than a severe grinding noise. I was able to ride home (slowly) and then noted the rear tire was no longer straight up but had a severe wobble. I then had it towed to the dealer who fixed it. bob, pls…
Rear end final drive failed on my '99 BMW k1200lt motorcycle. there was no real warning other than a severe grinding noise. I was able to ride home (slowly) and then noted the rear tire was no longer straight up but had a severe wobble. I then had it towed to the dealer who fixed it. bob, pls note, the incident date below IS an approximation - it's been a while. (i heard you speak at the ra rally in shelbyville - very good job!) *nm
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Riding on residential street approx. 25-30 mph. No warning or indication of failure, prior to incident. rubbing sound followed by a wobble. rear ABS brake, rim, and tire covered by gear oil from failed rear-drive component. due to slow speed, I was able to stop with minimal loss of control. if I had been traveling at highway speed, this incident could have resulted in injury or loss of life. *nm
- Power train › Driveline › Differential unit
Dt: the rear differential unit went out on the motorcycle. Gear oil leaked out all over the rear tire. The motorcycle was being driven home from the store. There was a rubbing sound, then there was a wobble in the rear tire. The owner stopped immediately. There was no prior warning of the impending failure. There was no accident. *jb
- Power train › Axle assembly
(1) 110 miles before failure, noticed a growling sound. rode this motorcycle with a passenger toward dealer 100 miles at 50 mph, then 10 miles at 40 mph as growling increased. stopped when rear wheel started wobbling, 30 miles away from dealer.*ak (2) rear drive of motorcycle failed. because I…
(1) 110 miles before failure, noticed a growling sound. rode this motorcycle with a passenger toward dealer 100 miles at 50 mph, then 10 miles at 40 mph as growling increased. stopped when rear wheel started wobbling, 30 miles away from dealer.*ak (2) rear drive of motorcycle failed. because I had heard problem and was aware, rear wheel did not lock up and cause accident. (3) entire rear drive replaced, after waiting 11 days 3000 miles from home for backordered part to arrive from germany.
- Power train › Manual transmission
The rear drive assembly on my BMW k1200lt motorcycle started vibrating and making grinding noises. it then dumped drive oil all over the rear wheel and tire, causing the rear brakes to become inoperative and the rear tire to slip on the road. I was fortunately able to bring the bike under control and to a complete stop thus avoiding a serious crash.*ak
- Power train › Driveline · Suspension › Front › Wheel bearing
BMW k1200lt motorcycle rear drive failure. Rear wheel bearing failed without warning.*ak
- Power train › Axle assembly
Bearing failure in rear drive assembly of 1999 BMW k1200ltc motorcycle
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- M/C final drive ball bearing failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition requesting that it open an investigation into model year (MY) 1998-2009 BMW KLT series motorcycles for final drive bearing failures.The petitioner asked NHTSA to issue an order that [BMW] be required to recall the affected models for inspection…
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition requesting that it open an investigation into model year (MY) 1998-2009 BMW KLT series motorcycles for final drive bearing failures.The petitioner asked NHTSA to issue an order that [BMW] be required to recall the affected models for inspection ofcomponent wear and proper assembly of the [final drive] bearing.ODI has reviewed the petition, assessed relevant consumer complaints, and gathered other data in the course of investigating this issue.Based on its review, ODI does not believe that a safety-related defect trend currently exists for final drive bearing failures in the subject motorcycles.Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied.However, the agency will continue to monitor information related to this issue and will take further action if warranted.For detailed information, see the Federal Register notice: https://federalregister.gov/a/2013-13779.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10205114With the introduction of the new watertight fuse box a change was made from large type fuses to mini fuses. While the correct fuses are installed in the fuse box, the older, large type fuses were supplied in the on-board tool kit.
- 10147912Map data should be stored on a 64 GB SD card. In GARMIN Express the note appears that a maximum of 32 GB is possible.
- 10030825BMW motorcycle: engine fuels containing ethanol. BMW motorrad has no objection to the use of si engine fuels containing up to a maximum of 10% ethanol and imposes no warranty restrictions. Ethanol mixtures in proportions higher than 10% can have an adverse effect on performance and can result in damage to components that come into contract with fuel. No warranty claims whatsoever for damage caused in this way will be accepted. No model years listed.
- 10029706BMW motorcycle: wheel speed dependent, clearly audible clanking noise occurs when braking to adjust speed. E series (K25; k25/02; k25/03; k25/11; k25/12; k25/hp; K26; K27; K28; K29; k29/hp; K40; K41; K43; k43/hv; K44; k589/03; K71). No model years listed.
- 630857Customers may complain of delayed throttle response during acceleration from low rpm in warm weather. *Slc
- 602615Brief information regarding wmc
Every BMW K1200LT model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.