2005 BMW R Series

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › driveline. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
000
Power Train › Driveline1
000
Fuel/Propulsion System1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Nov 21, 201231,000 milesUT

CRACK IN THE FUEL PUMP CONTROLLER HOUSING RESULTING IN MINOR FUEL LEAK. *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Dec 20, 201020,000 milesWA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW R-1200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WOULD LIFT UPWARD. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE FRONT BRAKES TO UNLOCK AND THE FRONT WHEEL MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ANTI-HOP CLUTCH FOR THE FRONT BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE FATCAT ANTI-HOP CLUTCH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Power Train › Driveline
Filed Sep 3, 201020,300 milesNY

WHILE WAITING AT A RED LIGHT IN TRAFFIC ON A HIGHWAY, I PULLED IN THE CLUTCH, PUT THE BIKE INTO GEAR AND THE BIKE MADE A LOUD, METALLIC GRINDING SOUND. THIS FAILURE ONLY HAPPENED ONCE IN THE TIME I HAVE OWNED THIS MOTORCYCLE (2 1/2 MONTHS); HOWEVER, IT WAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE DRIVETRAIN THAT LEFT MY BIKE UNABLE TO TRAVEL UNDER ITS OWN POWER AND STRANDED ME IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY, FAST MOVING TRAFFIC. (THIS HAPPENED ON THE WEST SIDE HIGHWAY IN MANHATTAN.) FOR MY PERSONAL SAFETY AND TO PREVENT MY DISABLED MOTORCYCLE FROM CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, I HAD TO PUSH THE BIKE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THROUGH GAPS IN TRAFFIC. THE REPAIR REQUIRED A FULL CLUTCH REPLACEMENT AND REPLACEMENT OF THE INPUT SHAFT TO THE TRANSMISSION (WITHRELATED SEALS AND SHIMS.) *TR

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2002
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20074000Routine
2005 — this page3000Routine
20044100Routine
20028100Routine
20010100Routine
20000100Routine
19961000Routine
19953000Routine
19943000Routine

Compare every R Series year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.