BMW F650 GS · model year

2011 BMW F650 GS

5 NHTSA complaints, and 1 recall campaign listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011BMWF650 GS carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2011 F650 GS is power train with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling (1) and electrical system:ignition:switch (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 1 NHTSA recall campaign listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2011 F650 GS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1

Recalls (1)

17V48100028/07/2017

EQUIPMENT

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2013-2017 F800R and F800GT motorcycles, 2014-2018 R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure motorcycles, 2016-2017 S1000XR motorcycles and 2015-2017 R1200R and R1200RS, 2008-2012 F650GS, 2008-2018 F800GS, and 2014-2017 F800GS Adventure motorcycles. When equi

Recent Complaints

20180109EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE SILVER REFLECTING COATING BEHIND THE HEADLIGHT BULB IS BURNING OFF. THIS REDUCES MY LIGHT VISIBILITY TO ME AND ONCOMING VEHICLES.

20111205ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

THE MAY 18TH DATE IS A ROUGH GUESS. THE ENGINE HAS DIED TWO TIMES BETWEEN SHIFTS FROM SECOND TO FIRST, VERY SLOW SPEED, COMING TO STOPS. ONE TIME WAS IN LIGHT RAIN. MOST RECENT WAS NOVEMBER 29, 2011 AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES OF RIDING IN LIGHT RAIN. *TR IN MEDIUM TO HEAVY RAIN, ENGINE BEGINS TO SPUTTER WHILE RIDING (UNDER POWER) AND FREQUENTLY ALMOST STALLS AFTER ABOUT 10-15 MILES. SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO KEEP ENGINE GOING. THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THE 2008-2010 F650GS (TWIN-CYLINDER ENGINE). IT APPEARS TO STILL BE A PROBLEM. IT IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED. NOT SURE IF THIS RELATED, BUT THE IGNITION SWITCH RECENTLY SHORTED OUT, COMPLETELY DISABLING THE MOTORCYCLE, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.

Mileage: 1,500

20111205POWER TRAIN

THE MAY 18TH DATE IS A ROUGH GUESS. THE ENGINE HAS DIED TWO TIMES BETWEEN SHIFTS FROM SECOND TO FIRST, VERY SLOW SPEED, COMING TO STOPS. ONE TIME WAS IN LIGHT RAIN. MOST RECENT WAS NOVEMBER 29, 2011 AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES OF RIDING IN LIGHT RAIN. *TR IN MEDIUM TO HEAVY RAIN, ENGINE BEGINS TO SPUTTER WHILE RIDING (UNDER POWER) AND FREQUENTLY ALMOST STALLS AFTER ABOUT 10-15 MILES. SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO KEEP ENGINE GOING. THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THE 2008-2010 F650GS (TWIN-CYLINDER ENGINE). IT APPEARS TO STILL BE A PROBLEM. IT IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED. NOT SURE IF THIS RELATED, BUT THE IGNITION SWITCH RECENTLY SHORTED OUT, COMPLETELY DISABLING THE MOTORCYCLE, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.

Mileage: 1,500

20111205ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

THE MAY 18TH DATE IS A ROUGH GUESS. THE ENGINE HAS DIED TWO TIMES BETWEEN SHIFTS FROM SECOND TO FIRST, VERY SLOW SPEED, COMING TO STOPS. ONE TIME WAS IN LIGHT RAIN. MOST RECENT WAS NOVEMBER 29, 2011 AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES OF RIDING IN LIGHT RAIN. *TR IN MEDIUM TO HEAVY RAIN, ENGINE BEGINS TO SPUTTER WHILE RIDING (UNDER POWER) AND FREQUENTLY ALMOST STALLS AFTER ABOUT 10-15 MILES. SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO KEEP ENGINE GOING. THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THE 2008-2010 F650GS (TWIN-CYLINDER ENGINE). IT APPEARS TO STILL BE A PROBLEM. IT IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED. NOT SURE IF THIS RELATED, BUT THE IGNITION SWITCH RECENTLY SHORTED OUT, COMPLETELY DISABLING THE MOTORCYCLE, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.

Mileage: 1,500

20111205POWER TRAIN

DATE AND MILEAGE ARE VERY APPROXIMATE. IT WAS SOMETIME DURING SUMMER 2011. CLUTCH CABLE END APPARENTLY SLIPPED OUT OF THE LEVER END ON THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO REMAIN ENGAGED TO ENGINE. I STOPPED THE BIKE BY STALLING IT, ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH. THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY LOCK TO PREVENT A CLUTCH CABLE END FROM COMING OUT OF THE CLUTCH ACTUATION LEVER THAT IS LOCATED ON THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

Mileage: 2,500

Compare 2011BMWF650 GS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 BMW F650 GS have?
The 2011 BMW F650 GS has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 BMW F650 GS?
Yes, the 2011 BMW F650 GS has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EQUIPMENT. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 BMW F650 GS?
The most-complained component for the 2011 BMW F650 GS is POWER TRAIN with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH.
Is the 2011 BMW F650 GS safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2011 BMW F650 GS; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.