BMW K 1200 RS · model year

2003 BMW K 1200 RS

5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2003BMWK 1200 RS 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.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2003 K 1200 RS is fuel system, gasoline with 2 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (2) and service brakes, electric (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2003 K 1200 RS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

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
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC1

Recent Complaints

20121017FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW K1200RS MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER SMELLING FUEL AROUND THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL QUICK DISCONNECT SPRAYED FUEL ALL OVER THE MOTORCYCLE AND HIS GARMENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSTALLED A PLUG AND A HOSE ON THE QUICK DISCONNECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL AND REFERRED HIM TO NHTSA TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,920.

Mileage: 22,920

20120717FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE, FUEL BEGAN FORCEFULLY SPRAYING OUT OF THE RIGHT SIDE ENGINE AREA ON TO MY LEG. I STOPPED THE ENGINE AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS CLEAR THAT LEAK WAS COMING FROM A FUEL QUICK DISCONNECT ON LINE RUNNING ALONG RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE. THE DISCONNECT WAS LEAKING BECAUSE A PLASTIC INTERNAL PART HAD BROKEN. CALLED UP THE LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP AND DESCRIBED THE QUICK DISCONNECT LEAK AND THEY IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND COMMENTED THAT "IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME" THAT "THE PLASTIC PART BREAKS AND IS NOW DESIGNED USING A METAL PART". THERE WAS A RECALL (52513) THAT WAS ISSUED IN JANUARY 2004 CONCERNING INSPECTING THE QUICK DISCONNECT FOR LEAKAGE, AND REPLACE AS NEEDED, BUT THAT RECALL WAS NEVER PERFORMED ON MY BIKE AND ACCORDING TO BMW WAS SOMEHOW NOT APPLICABLE TO MY BIKE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN ON A BIKE (OR CAR FOR THAT MATTER) YET ACCORDING TO THE DEALER IS PRETTY PREVALENT AND THERE I

Mileage: 10,000

20101129FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE DRIVER NEXT TO ME ASKED WHAT WAS LEAKING FROM MY MOTORCYCLES. ON FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND IT TO VE FUEL FROM BROKEN FUEL LINE CONNECTOR WHICH WAS LEAKING ONTO THE ENGINE AND WHILE RIDING WAS BEING BLOWN ONTO MY PANTS. ON CHECKING ONLINE AND WITH LOCAL DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT THIS HAPPENS OFTEN ON THIS AND OTHER MODEL BMW MOTORCYCLES. I KNOW THAT I DO NOT FEEL SAFE WITH RAW GASOLINE BEING PUMPED ONTO A HOT ENGINE JUST WAITING FOR A SPARK TO IGNITE IT YET I CAN'T FIND A RECALL ON THIS CONNECTOR TO REPLACE IT WITH A METAL ONE WHICH IS AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 15,434

20090803FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

QUICK DISCONNECT FITTING BETWEEN FUEL TANK AND INJECTOR SYSTEM FAILED ...DIFFERENT THAN PE03054 ... MALE COUPLING IS PLASTIC AND CRACKS. LEAK OCCURRED AT 65MPH, SPAY GAS ON HOT MOTOR AND LEG. STOPPED BIKE , TOUCHED FITTING, IT BROKE IN HALF, SPRAYING ME WITH MORE GAS. DEALER KNEW OF PROBLEM, RECOMMENDED REPLACING UNBROKEN QUICK DISCONNECT. BELIEVE THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD ... SURPRISED THAT NO RECALL RECEIVED SINCE THEY ALSO HAD PE03054. DEALER INDICATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ...NEW FITTING IS AVAILABLE MADE OF METAL WHICH IMPLIES BMW KNEW OF PROBLEM. *TR

Mileage: 12,489

20090803SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC

TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE ON BMW'S K1200RS MOTORCYCLE. JUST WEEKS OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP THE BRAKE FAILED - I WAS ALMOST INJURED. EVERY YEAR SINCE I HAVE HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS - THE PROBLEM IS A DEFECTIVE ABS MODULATOR THERE IS AN UNUSUALLY HIGH FAILURE RATE OF THE ABS MODULATOR ON MODEL YEARS 2000-2004 BMW K1200RS. *TR

Mileage: 12,000

Compare 2003BMWK 1200 RS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2003 BMW K 1200 RS have?
The 2003 BMW K 1200 RS has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 BMW K 1200 RS?
The most-complained component for the 2003 BMW K 1200 RS is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM and SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC.
Is the 2003 BMW K 1200 RS 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 as of 2025. 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.