What breaks most · 2009 to 2015 model years
BMW K1300 S problems by year
Owners have filed 65 safety complaints with NHTSA about the BMW K1300 S across model years 2009 to 2015. Three years stand out: 2009 for engine and cooling complaints, 2010 for fuel system complaints and 2011 for electrical system complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2009, 2010, 2011
- Complaints on file
- 652009 to 2015, all trims
- Worst year
- 200956 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 10 fires · 3 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 2kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 7Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 1 | 4 | Engine and cooling (34) | |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (2) |
What fails on the 2009 BMW K1300 S
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 61% |
34 | 1 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 13% |
7 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 11% |
6 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel System, Other | 7% |
4 | 0 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 7% |
4 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
3 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wheels | 2% |
1 | 0 | — |
| Tires | 2% |
1 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Had stalling recall performed in approximately january 2011. Software update has failed to correct the stalling condition. The engine still stalls under a variety of conditions, but especially in stop and go riding. Previous recall has failed to correct the stalling problem.
-
When the motorcycle is fully warmed up and turned off briefly it frequently will not restart. The starter motor struggles to crank a little but the engine does not turn over. An hour of cooling down and it will start. Has occurred many times over ownership since new.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which BMW K1300 S years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2009, 2010, 2011 carry the most filings on the BMW K1300 S. The 2009 alone has 56 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common BMW K1300 S problem?
On the 2009 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 34 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do BMW K1300 S problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all BMW K1300 S complaints that include mileage is about 2,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.