What breaks most · 2005 to 2014 model years
BMW R 1200 GS problems by year
Owners have filed 94 safety complaints with NHTSA about the BMW R 1200 GS across model years 2005 to 2014. Three years stand out: 2007 for fuel system complaints, 2005 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2008 for fuel system complaints. The quietest years are 2010, 2006 and 2011.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2005, 2008
- Fewest complaints: 2010, 2006, 2011
- Complaints on file
- 942005 to 2014, all trims
- Worst year
- 200716 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 63 fires · 6 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 26kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 22Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (5) | |
| 5 | 0 | 2 | Wheels (2) | |
| 16 | 3 | 3 | Fuel system (4) | |
| 14 | 1 | 3 | Fuel system (8) | |
| 12 | 0 | 3 | Fuel system (4) | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 6 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (3) | |
| 10 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (4) | |
| 6 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 9 | 1 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (3) |
What fails on the 2007 BMW R 1200 GS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 25% |
4 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 19% |
3 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 13% |
2 | 2 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
1 | 0 | — |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 6% |
1 | 1 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 6% |
1 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 6% |
1 | 0 | Shop all exterior lighting parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
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.
-
After starting the bike and allowing it to warm up, i noticed a large puddle forming under the front of the bike. Upon closer inspection i found the fuel line quick connect to the fuel pump had split and spraying fuel when under pressure. This was dripping down onto the hot header.
-
Rear drive failure while riding two up, oil soaked rear wheel, wheel wobble. Between wobble and oil control lost (and slow speed at that point).
-
There is a small plastic cam on the throttle body that gets pulled by the throttle cable to control the butterfly valve. They break easily and cause a loss of power and engine control. I have seen many others posting on line with same issue
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 R 1200 GS years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007, 2005, 2008 carry the most filings on the BMW R 1200 GS. The 2007 alone has 16 complaints, led by fuel system.
What is the most common BMW R 1200 GS problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is fuel system with 4 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do BMW R 1200 GS problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all BMW R 1200 GS complaints that include mileage is about 26,000 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.