BMW R1200 R · model year

2008 BMW R1200 R

6 NHTSA complaints, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2008BMWR1200 R carries 6 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 2008 R1200 R is fuel/propulsion system with 5 filings, followed by service brakes (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 3 active recall campaigns, 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 2008 R1200 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.

6
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

6 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
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM5
SERVICE BRAKES1

Recalls (3)

20V47100010/08/2020

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2009-2011 K1300 (S, GT), 2010-2011 S1000 RR, 2005-2011 R1200 (GS, GS Adventure, R, RT, S, ST), 2006-2010 HP2 (Enduro, Megamoto, Sport), 2005-2008 K1200 (R, R Sport, S, GT), and 2012 K1600 (GT, GTL) motorcycles that were repaired under recall 13V-6

08V25400005/06/2008

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

BMW IS RECALLING 4,922 MY 2007-2008 R1200R, MY 2006-2007 R1200 GS, MY 2007 R1200 ST, AND MY 2008 R1200 GS ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLES. DUE TO THE CURRENT ROUTING OF THE FRONT BRAKE LINES, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT DURING RIDING, THE BRAKE LINES COULD BE UNDER STRAIN. IF THE VIBRATION/STRAIN IS SIGNIFICANT, THE

08V29000001/07/2008

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

BMW IS RECALLING 46 MY 2008 R1200 R, R1200 GS, AND R1200 GS ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLES. DUE TO A MATERIAL DEFECT IN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT OF THE TRANSMISSION, THE SHAFT COULD BREAK. IF THIS OCCURRED, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO SEIZE.

Recent Complaints

20170806FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THE FUEL TANK {FROM THE INSIDE OUT} AT THE FILLER HOLE HAS MASSIVE CORROSION RENDERING THE TANK USELESS. FUEL HAS THE ABILITY TO LEAK AN LEAK SUBSTANIALLY WHEN THE BIKE IS IN MOTION. FUME LEAKAGE READILY APPARENT AS WELL. PER THE CERTIFIED BMW MECHANIC AN THE SERVICE SUPERVISOR AND I AGREE THE FUEL TANK IS USELESS DUE TO MASSIVE PRE-MATURE CORROSION AN DEGRADATION OF THE TANK ITSELF. NOTE THAT THE MOTORCYCLE IS MAINTAINED UNDER A CARPORT AND ALWAYS OUT OF THE ELEMENTS. THIS IS A KNOWN FAILURE WITH BMW AND OF COURSE BMW HAS A HISTORY AS YALL WELL KNOW OF REFUSING TO STEP UP AN CORRECT DESIGN FAILURES UNLIKE OTHER COMPANIES SUCH AS TOYOTA. THE DISCOVERY WAS MADE WHEN THE WELL DOCUMENTED FUEL STRIP FAILURE OCCURRED AND THE 3RD STRIP WAS BEING INSTALLED. HOLES THE SIZE OF A POSTAGE STAMP AND "ROTTEN PAPER THIN" DEGRADATED METAL UNDERNEATH THE FILLER CAP IS EASILY TOTALLY DETAECTABLE. PER BMW THE TANK IS USELESS AN THERE IS NO FIX UNDER THAN REPLACEMENT- AND GET THIS PER THE BMW DEALER QUO

Mileage: 54,000

20170806FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL PUMP FLANGE LEAKING DUE TO CRACKING. BMW'S 1ST FACTORY ATTEMPT WAS TO PUT A "SIZING" RING ON FLANGE TO COMPRESS THE MICRO CRACKS WHICH OF COURSE WAS A JACKLEG APPROACH QUITE COMMON TO BMW MOTORCYCLES. EVENTUALLY WITH IN 1 YR FUEL STARTED MASSIVELY FLOWING DOWN ONTO HOT ENGINE MAKING THE BIKE A ROLLING FIREBALL POTENTIALLY.

Mileage: 54,000

20150415SERVICE BRAKES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW R1200 R. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE SERVICE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS MODULATOR FAILED AND NEEDED BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,210. UPDATED 5/18/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER ADVISED THIS FAILURE WAS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE THREE OR FOUR MODEL. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS FAILURE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. UPDATED 11/16/2015*JS

Mileage: 16,210

20130821FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL GAUGE FAILURE, SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING AND READS EMPTY AT ALL TIMES. *TR

Mileage: 6,800

20130220FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

LOW FUEL WARNING LAMP DID NOT COME ON LEADING TO ME RUNNING OUT OF FUEL ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. FUEL GAUGE INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 1/4 TANK (3 BARS) BUT WAS INACCURATE. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION SINCE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FROM RUNNING OUT OF FUEL CAN BE QUITE DANGEROUS ON A MOTORCYCLE. THE "FUEL STRIP" (PER BMW NOMENCLATURE) FAILS CAUSING FUEL GAUGE TO READ INACCURATELY AND RENDERING LOW FUEL WARNING LAMP INOPERATIVE. THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE ON MANY BMW MOTORCYCLE MODELS FROM 2005-2013. *TR

Mileage: 4,900

20130219FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FROM THE DEALER'S REPAIR ORDER DESCRIPTION: "THE CUSTOMER REPORTS THE FUEL GAUGE READS LOW (LIGHT ON) WHEN FULL AND READS FULL WHEN EMPTY. ALSO THE RESIDUAL RANGE TO ZERO COUNTS DOWN FROM 253 TO THREE DASHES IN ABOUT THREE MILES AFTER EVERY FILL-UP." FUEL LEVEL SENDER PART 16147697815 REPLACED. *TR

Mileage: 4,252

Compare 2008BMWR1200 R to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2008 BMW R1200 R have?
The 2008 BMW R1200 R has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 BMW R1200 R?
Yes, the 2008 BMW R1200 R has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 BMW R1200 R?
The most-complained component for the 2008 BMW R1200 R is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES.
Is the 2008 BMW R1200 R 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.