1998 BMW K1200RS: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 1998 BMW K1200RS. The newest campaign is 00V264000. NHTSA received the report on 12 Sep 2000. The NHTSA record gives the component Engine and Engine Cooling / Engine. NHTSA has 4 complaints on file for this model year. 2 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 00V264000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will inspect the snap ring installation and if the snap ring is not fully seated, the complete oil pump intermediate flange will be replaced.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 29 Mar 2018. Recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

4 campaigns, newest first. 4,529 units in total.

00V26400012 Sep 2000Engine and Engine Cooling / Engine
00V26600012 Sep 2000Engine and Engine Cooling / Engine
98V25800014 Oct 1998Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly
97V1340008 Aug 1997Service Brakes, Hydraulic

00V264000Received 12 Sep 2000. 2,368 units.
Engine and Engine Cooling / Engine
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: motorcycles. A spring-loaded thermostatic element in the oil thermostat housing is held in place by a cover that is retained by a snap ring. The snap ring may not have been properly installed during production. During vehicle operation, the snap ring could unseat, allowing the cover to loosen or detach, resulting in loss of the entire oil volume.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Engine damage could occur if the engine is not immediately switched off. In addition, oil could travel along the engine cover and ultimately contact the rear tire, reducing its traction and affecting the stability of the motorcycle, possibly resulting in a crash and personal injury.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will inspect the snap ring installation and if the snap ring is not fully seated, the complete oil pump intermediate flange will be replaced.
Report filed by BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 13 Oct 2000.
00V266000Received 12 Sep 2000. 188 units.
Engine and Engine Cooling / Engine
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: motorcycles. The cylinder head contains two sealing plugs covering holes in the area near the spark plugs. One or both plugs may not have been fully seated during vehicle assembly. Either or both of the sealing plugs could loosen or completely detach from their mounting point during vehicle operation.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This condition could allow coolant to escape, travel along the engine cover, and contact the rear tire, reducing its traction and affecting the stability of the motorcycle. In addition, the loss of coolant could lead to increased engine operating temperature and possible overheating.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the sealing plugs with a stainless steel plug design.
Report filed by BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 12 Oct 2000.
98V258000Received 14 Oct 1998. 1,000 units.
Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: motorcycles. During extended operation in high ambient temperature conditions, the area of the pump mounting surface of the fuel tank can deform, forming a gap between the tank mounting surface and the gasket, allowing fuel to escape from the tank at that area.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If an ignition source was present, a fire could occur resulting in personal injury.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the fuel pump-to-tank gasket.
Report filed by BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 30 Dec 1998.
97V134000Received 8 Aug 1997. 973 units.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: motorcycles. The adjusting screw for the pressure point of either the brake or clutch levers may not be sufficiently tight, due to grease contamination of the threads.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
The screw(s) can back out over time while the vehicle is being operated causing a change in the pressure point of the master cylinder for the clutch and/or front brake increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will check the adjustment screws of the front brake and clutch levers for movement. If the screws are tight, no further action will be taken. If a screw is found to be loose, it will be removed, cleaned and reinstalled with new loctite.
Report filed by BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 11 Aug 1997.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

4 complaints, 4 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. This model year has fewer than 50 component mentions, so the table shows the number of mentions only.

1998 BMW K1200RS: component mentions in complaints
Component		Mentions
Fuel System, Gasoline		3
Power Train		1

Complaints that report a crash: 0
Complaints that report a fire: 0
Injuries in the complaints: 0
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 15 May 2000

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 1998 BMW K1200RS, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 1998, with 3 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1998 BMW K1200RS
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
PE98047	Preliminary evaluation	FUEL TANK LEAK	Vehicle Speed Control / Linkages	27 Aug 1998	15 Oct 1998	98V258000
SQ97023	Safety query	REDUCED CLUTCH AND BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	14 Nov 1997	22 Dec 1997

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

19970
19984
19991
20001
20010
20020

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1998 BMW K1200RSThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1998 BMW K1200RS: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/bmw/k1200rs/1998/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 29 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 29 Mar 2018
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1998 BMW K1200RS?: 4,529 units in 4 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the BMW K1200RS have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the BMW K1200RS, model years 1997 to 2002. 4 of them name the 1998 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1998 BMW K1200RS name most often?: Fuel System, Gasoline: 3 of 4 component mentions.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1998 BMW K1200RS open?: No. Each of the 2 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.