BMW K 1600 B · model year

2018 BMW K 1600 B

7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2018BMWK 1600 B carries 7 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 2018 K 1600 B is unknown or other with 2 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1) and fuel/propulsion system (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 2018 K 1600 B. 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.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 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
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
WHEELS1
SUSPENSION1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1

Recent Complaints

20260204FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

The contact owns a 2018 BMW K-1600 B Motorcycle. The contact stated that the fuel pump was leaking. The motorcycle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was related to the fuel pump. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V060000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The local dealer was contacted, who confirmed there was no open recall associated with the VIN. The motorcycle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 8,600.

Mileage: 8,600

20251130UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2018 BMW K1600** To whom it may concern My name is [XXX] and I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2018 BMW K1600 motorcycle VIN [XXX] . My motorcycle has a serious and dangerous stability problem that happens at normal highway speeds. While riding at about sixty miles per hour and higher the motorcycle begins to wobble and feel unstable. The front end becomes light and the handlebars feel like they want to move on their own. The back of the motorcycle moves from side to side as if the rear is shifting under me. At times it feels like the bike is sliding or going out from underneath me even though the road is straight and smooth. This is a very unsafe feeling and it can happen at any time on the highway. This instability becomes worse when passing large trucks or riding in crosswind. The movement is not caused by rider input. The bike has correct tire pressure and has no suspension or frame modifications. This issue appears linked to the design or mechanical components of the

20241114UNKNOWN OR OTHER

When I drive my motorcycle on the highway with 70 mph +/- 5 miles, the bike is unstable, the steering bar is shaking, and it is hard to keep the bike in the lane. I complained to the dealer, they balanced the wheel, tested the bike, but the problem has not been solved.

20241114WHEELS

When I drive my motorcycle on the highway with 70 mph +/- 5 miles, the bike is unstable, the steering bar is shaking, and it is hard to keep the bike in the lane. I complained to the dealer, they balanced the wheel, tested the bike, but the problem has not been solved.

20241114SUSPENSION

When I drive my motorcycle on the highway with 70 mph +/- 5 miles, the bike is unstable, the steering bar is shaking, and it is hard to keep the bike in the lane. I complained to the dealer, they balanced the wheel, tested the bike, but the problem has not been solved.

20210921FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The motorcycle (BMW K1600 Grand America) goes into "Limp Mode" with the engine warning light where the motorcycle has no power until stopped, shutdown, and restarted. This happened to my motorcycle 4 times. Each time the BMW service cannot find any indication stored in the onboard computer. Also, there have been many reported issues of this in the BMW motorcycle forums. This issue is extremely dangerous because the last time this issue occurred, I was on a highway traveling at 70MPH in the left lane and suddenly lost power. Another time this occurred was during rush hour traffic. Both occurrences are very troubling.

20210513VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE MOTORCYCLE WILL RANDOMLY GO INTO WHAT BMW CALLS "LIMP MODE" AND THE OPERATOR WILL LOSE ALL THROTTLE CONTROL. POTENTIALLY FATAL IF IT HAPPENS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE HEAVY TRAFFIC ON AN INTERSTATE, AT NIGHT WITH NOWHERE TO PULL OVER LIKE IT DID WITH ME. THIS HA HAPPENED TWICE SO FAR WITH NO FIX IN SIGHT

Mileage: 7,500

Compare 2018BMWK 1600 B to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2018 BMW K 1600 B have?
The 2018 BMW K 1600 B has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 BMW K 1600 B?
The most-complained component for the 2018 BMW K 1600 B is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.
Is the 2018 BMW K 1600 B 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.