BMW R1100 S · model year

1999 BMW R1100 S

7 NHTSA complaints. 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

Complaints
7
Recalls
0

The verdict

The 1999 BMW R1100 S posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.

25th pctile
complaint volume, own model years
0
recall campaigns

The 1999BMWR1100 S 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.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1999 R1100 S is wheels:rim with 2 filings, followed by steering: steering wheel/handle bar (1) and wheels (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 1999 R1100 S. 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.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1999 BMW R1100 S

PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.

NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.

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
WHEELS:RIM2
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1
WHEELS1
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR1
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION1

Recent Complaints

20020826POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION INPUT SHAFT SEAL FAILED. DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE ROOT CAUSE. PELICAN PARTS R1100S BULLETIN BOARD SUGGESTS THIS FAILURE IS COMMON, AND RECOMMENDED SUBMITTING THIS FORM.*AK

20011012STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

I HAVE NEVER CRASHED MY 1999 BMW R1100SA MOTORCYCLE AND MAINTAINED IT STRICTLY BY BMW SUGGESTED SCHEDULE. 64K MILES ON THE ODO NOW. THOUGH BIKE HAS NOT LEFT ME STRANDED, IT HAS HAD ENDLESS PROBLEMS - BIG PROBLEMS AND BEEN OUT-OF-SERVICE FOR REPAIR IN EXCESS OF 85 DAYS IN 2 YEARS. IT HAD A BREAK IN THE FRAME (I COULD NOT HAVE BROKEN THE FRAME!); THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AND THE NEW ONE DOES NOT FIT CORRECTLY AND IS BREAKING THROUGH A FRAME BRACE, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF ANOTHER FRAME PROBLEM (PRESENTING SAFETY ISSUE); THE ENGINE HAS BEEN REBUILT TWICE ~ OVER HEATING, IMPROPERLY CUT VALVES AND PITTING CYLINDERS, EXCESSIVE COMPRESSION BLOW-BY; 3 SETS OF REPLACED HEADER PIPES DUE TO PITTING FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT; 4 SETS OF FAILED THROTTLE/CHOKE CABLES - CABLES SHREDDED AT JUNCTURE BOX; TWICE REPLACED REAR WHEEL BEARINGS; REPLACED CLUTCH AND TRANS. DUE TO FLOODING W/OIL BECAUSE OF FAILED REAR ENGINE SEAL THE BMW APPROVED DEALER IGNORED; EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION STILL; BOTH THROTTLE BODY C

20011012ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

I HAVE NEVER CRASHED MY 1999 BMW R1100SA MOTORCYCLE AND MAINTAINED IT STRICTLY BY BMW SUGGESTED SCHEDULE. 64K MILES ON THE ODO NOW. THOUGH BIKE HAS NOT LEFT ME STRANDED, IT HAS HAD ENDLESS PROBLEMS - BIG PROBLEMS AND BEEN OUT-OF-SERVICE FOR REPAIR IN EXCESS OF 85 DAYS IN 2 YEARS. IT HAD A BREAK IN THE FRAME (I COULD NOT HAVE BROKEN THE FRAME!); THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AND THE NEW ONE DOES NOT FIT CORRECTLY AND IS BREAKING THROUGH A FRAME BRACE, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF ANOTHER FRAME PROBLEM (PRESENTING SAFETY ISSUE); THE ENGINE HAS BEEN REBUILT TWICE ~ OVER HEATING, IMPROPERLY CUT VALVES AND PITTING CYLINDERS, EXCESSIVE COMPRESSION BLOW-BY; 3 SETS OF REPLACED HEADER PIPES DUE TO PITTING FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT; 4 SETS OF FAILED THROTTLE/CHOKE CABLES - CABLES SHREDDED AT JUNCTURE BOX; TWICE REPLACED REAR WHEEL BEARINGS; REPLACED CLUTCH AND TRANS. DUE TO FLOODING W/OIL BECAUSE OF FAILED REAR ENGINE SEAL THE BMW APPROVED DEALER IGNORED; EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION STILL; BOTH THROTTLE BODY C

20000823WHEELS

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

19991029WHEELS:RIM

FRONT WHEEL RIM IS MADE OF ALUMINUM WHICH IS TOO SOFT AND NOT PROPERLY DESIGNED FOR ROAD STRESS AND WAS BENT BY MILD IMPACT WITH ROAD DEBRIS CAUSING TIRE TO DEFLATE AND VEHICLE TO BECOME UNCONTROLLABLE. NLM

19991029STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

FRONT WHEEL RIM IS MADE OF ALUMINUM WHICH IS TOO SOFT AND NOT PROPERLY DESIGNED FOR ROAD STRESS AND WAS BENT BY MILD IMPACT WITH ROAD DEBRIS CAUSING TIRE TO DEFLATE AND VEHICLE TO BECOME UNCONTROLLABLE. NLM

19991029WHEELS:RIM

FRONT WHEEL RIM IS MADE OF ALUMINUM WHICH IS TOO SOFT AND NOT PROPERLY DESIGNED FOR ROAD STRESS AND WAS BENT BY MILD IMPACT WITH ROAD DEBRIS CAUSING TIRE TO DEFLATE AND VEHICLE TO BECOME UNCONTROLLABLE. NLM

Compare 1999BMWR1100 S to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Vehicle Safety Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1999 BMW R1100 S have?▼
The 1999 BMW R1100 S has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 BMW R1100 S?▼
The most-complained component for the 1999 BMW R1100 S is WHEELS:RIM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR and WHEELS.
Is the 1999 BMW R1100 S 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.

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 1999 BMW R1100 S; 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.