BMW R 1200 GS · model year

2012 BMW R 1200 GS

13 NHTSA complaints, and 2 recall campaigns 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 2012BMWR 1200 GS carries 13 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, 3 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 2012 R 1200 GS is fuel/propulsion system with 4 filings, followed by power train (3) and engine (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2012 R 1200 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.

13
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

13 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/PROPULSION SYSTEM4
POWER TRAIN3
ENGINE2
SUSPENSION1
STRUCTURE1
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1

Recalls (2)

17E05200021/08/2017

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain accessory turn signals manufactured for 2006-2017 R1200GS, 2007-2008 and 2010-2017 R1200GS Adventure, 2017 F700GS and F800GS, 2013-2017 F800GT, 2015-2016 F800R, 2014-2017 F800GS Adventure, 2014-2016 S1000R, 2015-2017 R1200R, 2016-2017 R1200RS, and

21V06000008/02/2021

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2014 S 1000 RR/R/ HP4, R 1200 GS/GS Adventure/R/RT, K 1300 S, K 1600 GT/GTL/GTL Exclusive and 2014 R nine T motorcycles. The fuel pump, and auxiliary fuel pump in certain models, may crack and leak fuel during vehicle operation.

Recent Complaints

20210907FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

The contact owns a 2012 BMW R 1200 GS. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the contact noticed in the rear-view mirror that there was fluid leaking from the motorcycle onto the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the flange for the fuel pump fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V060000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as a possible solution to the failure however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Mileage: 100,000

20201007ENGINE

SEVERAL TIMES THE BIKE THREW AN ERROR MESSAGE ABOUT "ENGINE CONTROLLER FAULT" AND LOST POWER, GOING INTO "LIMP-HOME" MODE. ALL OCCURRENCES WERE WHILE THE BIKE WAS BEING OPERATED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, SOMETIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF A CORNER. THE BIKE WAS UNRIDEABLE IN LIMP-HOME MODE SO WAS NAVIGATED OUT OF TRAFFIC AND SHUT DOWN AT ROADSIDE. AFTER A BRIEF WAIT THE BIKE WAS STARTED AGAIN AND RAN NORMALLY.THE ISSUE WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER AT THE 12K SERVICE AND AN UPDATED FLASH WAS APPLIED TO THE ECU, BUT THE BIKE HAS SINCE NOT BEEN RIDDEN SO I DO NOT KNOW IF THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. I AM UPLOADING WITH THIS FILING A PDF FILE CONTAINING THE RESULTS OF AN OBD SCAN I RAN ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE TAKING IT IN FOR THE 12K SERVICE, AND YOU CAN SEE IN THAT PDF THE ERROR CODES THAT WERE REPORTED AT EACH OCCURRENCE.

Mileage: 10,000

20200907FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL PUMP FAILURE: ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2019 I WAS RIDING MY BMW R 1200GS ON HIGHWAY US-60 IN ARIZONA EAST OF MESA ARIZONA. I PULLED OVER AT US-60 AND IDAHO ROAD TO CHECK MY CELL PHONE AND AS I LOOKED DOWN I COULD SEE A PUDDLE OF GAS LEAKING OUT OF THE UNDERSIDE OF MY BMW. I PROMPTLY TURNED THE BIKE OFF AND LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY OBVIOUS DAMAGE. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE NAKED EYE. I PUSHED MY BIKE TO AS SAFE PLACE ( CHEVRON GAS STATION AND PARKED IT ON THE SIDE OF THE STATION. THEN HAD A FRIEND WITH A TRAILER AND PICKUP DRIVE OUT TO MEET ME AND PUT BIKE ON TRAILER AND TOOK HOME. TOOK BIKE HOME TO MY GARAGE, LOOKED FOR WAY TO FIX LEAK. IT WAS BEYOND MY CAPABILITY, SO LATER THAT WEEK I TOOK THE BMW R 1200 GS TO INDEPENDENT SHOP TO FIX LEAK. THE MECHANIC "COLLIN" AT THE TIME STATED "THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WITH BMW FUEL PUMPS." I CALLED LOCAL DEALER 844-866-2677 AND THEY STATED " SOME 2012 BMW R 1200 GS HAVE BAD FUEL PUMPS, BUT NOT YOURS AFTER I GAVE THEM

Mileage: 38,000

20190122FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

SPRAY LEAK FROM FUEL PUMP, QUICK CONNECTOR ON THE FLANGE BROKE AND HAD A STRONG SPRAY OF FUEL LEAKING ON THE HOT ENGINE AND MY CLOTHES, THIS HAPPEND ON THE FREEWAY WHILE RIDING AT 70MPH. THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS BIKES UP TO 2011, MINE IS 2012.

Mileage: 60,000

20180926FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL PUMP FLANGE HAS A VERTICAL CRACK ON THE INSIDE OF THE BOSS, WHERE THE THREADS ARE.

Mileage: 55,000

20171226FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL PUMP STARTING LEAKING WHILE ENGINE IS RUNNING. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL, BUT NOT FOR MY MODEL YEAR 2012. OBVIOUSLY, THE DEFECT WASN'T CORRECTED ON MY BIKE, CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I AM PLANNING ON BRINGING THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE SHOP TOMORROW FOR REMEDIATION.

Mileage: 36,000

20150827POWER TRAIN

I WAS TRAVELLING SAFELY IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT SPEED LIMIT IN HEAVY INTERSTATE TRAFFIC. I CHANGED LANES INTO THE FAST LANE UNDER SLIGHT ACCELERATION AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER COMPLETELY. I COULD NOT RESTART THE BIKE AND SO TRIED TO GET INTO THE SLOW LANE AS THERE WAS NO ROOM ON THE INSIDE SHOULDER. IN TRYING TO MOVE SAFTELY TO THE SHOULDER I WAS NEARLY STRUCK BY THREE DIFFERENT VEHICLES, ONE SEMI TRAILER AND TWO PASSENGER CARS THAT WERE TRAVELLING AT NEARLY TWICE MY RATE OF SPEED DUE TO MY LOSS OF POWER. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE, I STRAINED MYSELF TRYING TO COME TO A SAFE STOP PRIOR TO THE ENTRANCE TO A HIGHWAY EXIT LANE, WORRIED THAT I MAY BE STRUCK. I CALLED THE DEALER FOR THE VEHICLE AND WITH MINIMAL TROUBLESHOOTING IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL STRIP (GAUGE) FOR THE FUEL LEVEL HAD FAILED AND WAS FALSELY DISPLAYING A 185 MILE RANGE. IN FACT THE TANK WAS EMPTY. THIS GAUGE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED FOR BEING FAULTY BY THE DEALER AND THEY SAW THIS IN THEIR RECORDS WHICH IMMEDIATELY L

Mileage: 226,000

20150827ENGINE

I WAS TRAVELLING SAFELY IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT SPEED LIMIT IN HEAVY INTERSTATE TRAFFIC. I CHANGED LANES INTO THE FAST LANE UNDER SLIGHT ACCELERATION AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER COMPLETELY. I COULD NOT RESTART THE BIKE AND SO TRIED TO GET INTO THE SLOW LANE AS THERE WAS NO ROOM ON THE INSIDE SHOULDER. IN TRYING TO MOVE SAFTELY TO THE SHOULDER I WAS NEARLY STRUCK BY THREE DIFFERENT VEHICLES, ONE SEMI TRAILER AND TWO PASSENGER CARS THAT WERE TRAVELLING AT NEARLY TWICE MY RATE OF SPEED DUE TO MY LOSS OF POWER. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE, I STRAINED MYSELF TRYING TO COME TO A SAFE STOP PRIOR TO THE ENTRANCE TO A HIGHWAY EXIT LANE, WORRIED THAT I MAY BE STRUCK. I CALLED THE DEALER FOR THE VEHICLE AND WITH MINIMAL TROUBLESHOOTING IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL STRIP (GAUGE) FOR THE FUEL LEVEL HAD FAILED AND WAS FALSELY DISPLAYING A 185 MILE RANGE. IN FACT THE TANK WAS EMPTY. THIS GAUGE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED FOR BEING FAULTY BY THE DEALER AND THEY SAW THIS IN THEIR RECORDS WHICH IMMEDIATELY L

Mileage: 226,000

20150827EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

I WAS TRAVELLING SAFELY IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT SPEED LIMIT IN HEAVY INTERSTATE TRAFFIC. I CHANGED LANES INTO THE FAST LANE UNDER SLIGHT ACCELERATION AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER COMPLETELY. I COULD NOT RESTART THE BIKE AND SO TRIED TO GET INTO THE SLOW LANE AS THERE WAS NO ROOM ON THE INSIDE SHOULDER. IN TRYING TO MOVE SAFTELY TO THE SHOULDER I WAS NEARLY STRUCK BY THREE DIFFERENT VEHICLES, ONE SEMI TRAILER AND TWO PASSENGER CARS THAT WERE TRAVELLING AT NEARLY TWICE MY RATE OF SPEED DUE TO MY LOSS OF POWER. AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE, I STRAINED MYSELF TRYING TO COME TO A SAFE STOP PRIOR TO THE ENTRANCE TO A HIGHWAY EXIT LANE, WORRIED THAT I MAY BE STRUCK. I CALLED THE DEALER FOR THE VEHICLE AND WITH MINIMAL TROUBLESHOOTING IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL STRIP (GAUGE) FOR THE FUEL LEVEL HAD FAILED AND WAS FALSELY DISPLAYING A 185 MILE RANGE. IN FACT THE TANK WAS EMPTY. THIS GAUGE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED FOR BEING FAULTY BY THE DEALER AND THEY SAW THIS IN THEIR RECORDS WHICH IMMEDIATELY L

Mileage: 226,000

20140329STRUCTURE

I OWN A TOURATECH ZEGA PRO ALUMINIUM PANNIER SET ON MY BMW R1200GS 2012 BIKE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS ON MARCH 3RD 2014, DURING A ROUTINE BIKE RIDE ON A HIGHWAY, THE RIGHT HAND SIDE 45L PANNIER BECAME DETACHED AND FELL OFF THE BIKE, ALTHOUGH I HAVE REGULARLY CHECKED THE BIKE & PANNIERS BEFORE RIDING. I NOTICED THE MISSING PANNIER ONLY UPON ARRIVING MY DESTINATION. I'M EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THIS HAS HAPPENED AS I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH MY TOURATECH SET, AND WAS USING IT ON A DAILY BASIS. I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS DETACHMENT DURING A REGULAR EVENTLESS BIKE RIDE. I CAN ASSURE YOU NO FAULTY USE OF THET ATTACHMENT SINCE I HAVE NOT DETACHED THE ZEGA PRO CASE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE FOR OVER 2 YEARS. THE CASE WAS USED AND CHECKED BY MYSELF DAILY, AS WELL AS BEFORE THE SPECIFIC RIDE OF THE INCIDENT, AND DID NOT APEAR TO BE UNSTABLE OR FAULTY. I DO THINK THIS IS SOMETHING TOURATECH SHOULD LOOK AT, AS THIS HAS OBVIOUSLY SERIOUS SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. I THINK TOURATECH SHOULD TAKE

Mileage: 18,000

20130818POWER TRAIN

BRAKING STARTED TO FEEL SOFT AND SLOW, I NOTICED THAT FLUID HAD STARTED TO LEAK FROM FINAL DRIVE AREA. TOOK TO DEALER (RIDE WEST BMW, SEATTLE), FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. DEALER VERIFIED FINAL DRIVE FAILURE.TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THESE WERE THE REPLACED ITEMS: CROWN BEARINGS, SEALING O-RING, SUPPORT RING, OUTER-AXLE SUPPORT BEARING, HOUSING COVER SEAL, AXLE SEALING RING, CIRCLIP, BRAKE PADS. *TR

Mileage: 16,886

20111213SUSPENSION

BMW MOTORRAD USA CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES PO BOX 1227 WESTWOOD, NJ 07675-1227 DEAR SIR: I HAVE RECENTLY HAD A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE WITH MY NEW 2012 R1200GS ADVENTURE. I BROUGHT MY MOTORCYCLE TO MY DEALER FOR THE 600 MILE BREAK-IN SERVICE AND MENTIONED TO SERVICE MANAGER THAT I HAVE BEEN FEELING A WOBBLE THROUGH THE HANDLEBARS WHEN CORNERING AND WHEN DRIVING OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT. WHEN I ARRIVED TO PICK UP THE MOTORCYCLE THE DEALER WAS HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX THE WOBBLE. IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT FORWARD SUSPENSION NEEDLE BEARING IN THE FINAL DRIVE UNIT. I ASKED IF IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR A BEARING TO FAIL SO QUICKLY. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE BEARING WAS NOT EVEN INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY, IT WAS MISSING FROM THE FINAL DRIVE UNIT! THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE WAS BEING SUPPORTED ONLY BY THE BEARING DUST CAP! THIS WAS CAUSING THE REAR WHEEL TO MOVE SIDE TO SIDE CAUSING THE INSTABILITY. MY DEALER, ADVENTURE BMW OF CHESAPEAKE VIRG

Mileage: 774

20111213POWER TRAIN

BMW MOTORRAD USA CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES PO BOX 1227 WESTWOOD, NJ 07675-1227 DEAR SIR: I HAVE RECENTLY HAD A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE WITH MY NEW 2012 R1200GS ADVENTURE. I BROUGHT MY MOTORCYCLE TO MY DEALER FOR THE 600 MILE BREAK-IN SERVICE AND MENTIONED TO SERVICE MANAGER THAT I HAVE BEEN FEELING A WOBBLE THROUGH THE HANDLEBARS WHEN CORNERING AND WHEN DRIVING OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT. WHEN I ARRIVED TO PICK UP THE MOTORCYCLE THE DEALER WAS HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX THE WOBBLE. IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT FORWARD SUSPENSION NEEDLE BEARING IN THE FINAL DRIVE UNIT. I ASKED IF IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR A BEARING TO FAIL SO QUICKLY. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE BEARING WAS NOT EVEN INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY, IT WAS MISSING FROM THE FINAL DRIVE UNIT! THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE WAS BEING SUPPORTED ONLY BY THE BEARING DUST CAP! THIS WAS CAUSING THE REAR WHEEL TO MOVE SIDE TO SIDE CAUSING THE INSTABILITY. MY DEALER, ADVENTURE BMW OF CHESAPEAKE VIRG

Mileage: 774

Compare 2012BMWR 1200 GS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 BMW R 1200 GS have?
The 2012 BMW R 1200 GS has 13 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 BMW R 1200 GS?
Yes, the 2012 BMW R 1200 GS has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 BMW R 1200 GS?
The most-complained component for the 2012 BMW R 1200 GS is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and ENGINE.
Is the 2012 BMW R 1200 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 2012 BMW R 1200 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.