Total Complaints
1 filings
BMW R100RT · model year
1996 BMW R100RT
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996BMWR100RT carries 1 consumer safety complaint 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 1996 R100RT is vehicle speed control with 1 filings. 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 1996 R100RT. 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.
1
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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020904VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THIS DEFECT EXISTS IN MODEL YEAR 1996 BMW R100RT MOTORCYCLES. SPECIFICALLY, THE THROTTLE CABLE IS KNOWN TO FRAY AND HANG OPEN, CAUSING THE RIDER TO BE UNABLE TO CLOSE THE THROTTLE AND STOP THE MOTORCYCLE FROM ACCELERATING. I RECENTLY WAS TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THE THROTTLE HUNG IN THE FULL-OPEN POSITION. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO SHUT OFF THE MOTORCYCLE BY USING THE KILL-SWITCH AND COAST TO A STOP AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD I BEEN ON ANY OTHER TYPE OF ROAD, ESPECIALLY A MOUNTAINOUS ROAD WITH CURVES, I COULD EASILY HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE AND CRASHED. AFTER MY DEALER REPLACED THE CABLE (AT A COST OF $200), I LEARNED THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE. AMAZINGLY, BMW REQUIRES THIS CABLE TO BE REPLACED EVERY 18,000 MILES. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE AN INDICATION THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF POTENTIAL CABLE PROBLEMS. MY CABLE HAD BEEN IN SERVICE FOR ONLY 15,000 MILES, 3,000 MILES SHORT OF THE NORMAL SERVICE POINT. MY DEALER HAS A COLLECTION OF THROTTLE CABLES OVER
Compare 1996BMWR100RT to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 BMW R100RT have?▼
The 1996 BMW R100RT has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 BMW R100RT?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 BMW R100RT is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1996 BMW R100RT 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.