BMW R1100S · model year

1999 BMW R1100S

3 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

The 1999BMWR1100S carries 3 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 R1100S is structure:frame and members with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control:catalytic convertor (1) and power train:manual transmission (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 R1100S. 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.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 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
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

Compare 1999BMWR1100S to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1999 BMW R1100S have?
The 1999 BMW R1100S has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 BMW R1100S?
The most-complained component for the 1999 BMW R1100S is STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR and POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1999 BMW R1100S 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 1999 BMW R1100S; 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.