Total Complaints
9 filings
BMW R1150 R · model year
9 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2004BMWR1150 R carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 2004 R1150 R is fuel system, gasoline with 5 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (2) and power train:manual transmission (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. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2004 R1150 R. 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.
Total Complaints
9 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 5 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
SUSPENSION
ON CERTAIN MOTORCYCLES, THE FRONT SPRING STRUT UPPER STUD BOLT WELD CAN FAIL. THIS COULD CAUSE THE BOLT TO BREAK.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1150R. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH HE BEGAN TO SMELL FUEL. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE NEAR THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MOTORCYCLE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,500. UPDATED 07/03/14 MA UPDATED 07/08/2014 *JS
Mileage: 2,500
I PURCHASED THIS BIKE LAST OCTOBER, AND UPON GETTING IT HOME SMELLED GAS, I DID GET A REPORT FROM THE DEALER WHO ORIGINALLY SOLD THE BIKE WHAT HAD BEEN DONE UNDER WARRANTY, ETC. IT WAS INDICATED THAT THE GAS TANK HAD BEEN REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. I TRIED 3 NEW O RINGS, A USED FUEL PUMP BASE PLATE ASSEMBLY AND WAS STILL EXPERIENCING A LIGHT WEEPING, THERE WAS ALSO INDICATIONS OF LONG TERM WEEPING THAT HAD DISCOLORED THE PAINT. I FINALLY TOOK THE TANK OFF AGAIN AND EXAMINED THE INSIDE WITH A MIRROR AND DISCOVERED 3 SMALL CRACKS ON THE BACK OF WHERE THE THREADED CERTS ARE FORMED INTO THE TANK DURING MANUFACTURER. I HAVE SINCE SCOTCH BRIGHTENED THEM AND APPLIED 3 COATS OF SEAL-ALL WHICH SEEMS TO BE HOLDING SO FAR, IT'S BEEN 5 DAYS. I WAS NOT TOLD WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ORIGINAL TANK BUT PRESUME IT WAS THE SAME DEFECT AND THE DEALER NOT KNOWING INSTALLED ANOTHER DEFECTIVE TANK. THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID SMELL SOME GAS PERIODICALLY BUT DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. I DO HAVE PICTURES
Mileage: 29,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1150 R. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL LINES QUICK DISCONNECT. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE IN THE EMERGENCY LANE AND INSTALLED A BRASS CLAMP IN THE FUEL LINE TO STOP THE LEAK. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V028000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS) MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.
Mileage: 11,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW R1150(N/A). THE CONTACT TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE IN FOR SERVICE, THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT THE ABS UNIT WAS INOPERABLE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AND THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 8,700. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 10/11/2011 *LN *TR
Mileage: 8,700
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1150 GS ADVENTURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN FIRST GEAR AND WHEN THE SPEED INCREASE TO 40 MPH THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE WHEN HE SHIFTED INTO SECOND GEAR TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT TRIED TO SHIFT AND BACK UP, BUT THE GRINDING NOISE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THE SPLINE INPUT SHAFT HAD SEVERE WEAR AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CLUTCH PLATE WAS STRIPPED AS WELL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 33,000.
Mileage: 33,000
AFTER COMING HOME FROM WORK 10 MILES AWAY, I PARKED MY CYCLE IN THE GARAGE AND IMMEDIATELY MY WIFE COULD SMELL GAS ON ME AND FUMES IN THE GARAGE. I CHECKED THE BIKE AND COULD SEE YELLOW FUEL STAINS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I COULD ONLY FIND THE LEAK WHEN THE KEY WAS ON AND THE FUEL PUMP FORCING FUEL THROUGH LINES BEHIND THE SHIELD. I REMOVED THE SHIELD AND FOUND ONE QUICK DISCONNECT SEPARATED. I ATTEMPTED TO CONNECT IT BUT SOON REALIZED IT WAS BROKEN. I CALLED THE DEALER WHO STATED THEY HAD A METAL REPLACEMENT TO THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC ONE THAT ALWAYS BREAKS. I ASKED HIM IF THERE WAS A RECALL AND HE STATED NO. SO I BOUGHT BOTH FITTINGS AND CLAMPS. $66. I HAVE YET TO PUT THEM ON. THEN I FOUND OUT THAT OFFICIALLY THERE IN FACT WAS SOME SORT OF RECALL FOR THIS. I WILL CONTACT THE BMW DEALERSHIP ON MONDAY AND VOICE A COMPLAINT THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE OFFERED TO DO THE REPAIR. ONLY 8800 MILES ON THIS BIKE. *TR
Mileage: 8,835
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW R1150R MOTORCYCLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE CONTACT BEGAN TO SMELL AN OVERPOWERING GASOLINE ODOR. THE CONTACT HAD RECENTLY REFUELED THE MOTORCYCLE. WHEN HE CAME TO A STOP, THE CONTACT NOTICED GASOLINE LEAKING FROM THE FUEL LINE AND THE QUICK DISCONNECT. HE THEN NOTICED A SLEEVE WAS FRACTURED. THE GASOLINE SPEWED ALL OVER THE CONTACT'S AND THE PASSENGER'S CLOTHING. HE THEN NOTICED A FUEL STAIN ON THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,020. UPDATED 9/22/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE BIKE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. UPDATED 09/24/10
Mileage: 17,020
I WAS STARTING AND BOARDING MY MOTORCYCLE AS NORMALLY USED. THE DAY WAS BRIGHT AND SUNNY AND ABOUT 70 DEGREES F. FUEL BEGAN TO LEAK FROM THE RIGHT SIDE JUST ABOVE THE RIGHT CYLINDER. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED THE QUICK DISCONNECT FUEL LINE FITTING HAD BEGUN TO LEAK GASOLINE. THE FUEL WAS COLLECTING ON THE CYLINDER HEAD AND POURING ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPING. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND STEPPED BACK FROM THE BIKE. LUCKILY NO FIRE ENSUED BUT THE BIKE AND I WERE COVERED IN RAW GAS. I HAD A FLAT BED TOW TRUCK TRANSPORT THE BIKE TO A LOCAL BMW DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY. REPAIRS WERE MADE AND I WAS CHARGED $102 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE QUICK DISCONNECT. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THIS IS A "COMMON" ISSUE WITH THIS BIKE. THIS COULD HAVE ENDED MUCH WORSE IN MANY WAYS. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF ANY SUCH CONDITION. I AM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER OF THE VEHICLE. *TR
Mileage: 11,500
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED FUEL BEGAN LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS CALLED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE FUEL CUT OFF VALVE CORRODED AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE PART HAS BEEN ORDERED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY THE DEALERSHIP. UPDATED 09/15/06. *JB
Mileage: 9,000
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.