Total Complaints
2 filings
BMW R100 · model year
1990 BMW R100
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990BMWR100 carries 2 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 1990 R100 is power train:manual transmission with 1 filings, followed by power train (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 1990 R100. 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.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20120208POWER TRAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 BMW R100GS MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO RATTLE. THE GEARS LOCKED AND RELEASED TEMPORARILY, BUT THE MOTORCYCLE HAD TO BE DOWNSHIFTED AND SHUT OFF BEFORE THE GEARS WOULD FULLY RELEASE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33,000.
20120131POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 BMW R100GS. THE CONTACT STATED THE TRANSMISSION VIOLENTLY RATTLED AFTER THE VEHICLE STOPPED MOVING. THE FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT THREE TIMES. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. UPDATED 03/09/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN TOOK THE TRANSMISSION APART, HE DISCOVERED THE GEARS WERE DESIGNED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. BMW CONVERTED A FOUR SPEED TO A FIVE SPEED BY REMOVING THE FLOATING CONNECTION DISKS, ADDING A GEAR AND ALLOWING THE GEAR FINGERS DIRECT GEAR TO THE GEAR CONNECTIONS. WHEN THE BUSHINGS WERE WORN, THE FINGER HIT IN THE THEIR RECEIVER ON THEN NEXT GEAR. IN NEUTRAL, WITH THE CLUTCH ENGAGED THE FINGERS ALL HIT ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER. THE FINGERS ON THE CLUTCH SIDE OF THE FOURTH HIT THE SECOND GEAR ALL THE TIME. THE CONSUMER S
Mileage: 12,000
Compare 1990BMWR100 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 BMW R100 have?▼
The 1990 BMW R100 has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 BMW R100?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 BMW R100 is POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN.
Is the 1990 BMW R100 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.