What breaks most · 2004 to 2016 model years
BMW R 1200 RT problems by year
Owners have filed 122 safety complaints with NHTSA about the BMW R 1200 RT across model years 2004 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2009 for fuel system complaints, 2007 for fuel system complaints and 2006 for fuel system complaints. The quietest years are 2004, 2010 and 2013.
- Years to check closely: 2009, 2007, 2006
- Fewest complaints: 2004, 2010, 2013
- Complaints on file
- 1222004 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 200923 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 10 fires · 1 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 25kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 21Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (1) | |
| 10 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (5) | |
| 17 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (9) | |
| 21 | 0 | 3 | Fuel system (9) | |
| 9 | 0 | 3 | Fuel system (4) | |
| 23 | 0 | 3 | Fuel system (12) | |
| 5 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (4) | |
| 10 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (6) | |
| 11 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 6 | 0 | 2 | Suspension (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (1) |
What fails on the 2009 BMW R 1200 RT
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 52% |
12 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 17% |
4 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 9% |
2 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 9% |
2 | 0 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 9% |
2 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 9% |
2 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 4% |
1 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 4% |
1 | 0 | Shop all suspension 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.
-
Throttle body cams broken, no symtoms, could have caused crash from complete power loss to the engine, could have crashed or been hit. Dealer replaced.
-
Fuel pump assembly started leaking and fuel started running down the left side of the motorcycle. The pump assembly was leaking badly and the bike could not be operated. Ref:pe12-036.
-
The plastic flange on the top of the fuel pump /hose coupler area was found to have one radial crack which possibly could have resulted in leaking fuel under pressure from the fuel pump. The possibility exists for leaking fuel to drip onto the top of the hot engine and result in a fire.
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 RT years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2009, 2007, 2006 carry the most filings on the BMW R 1200 RT. The 2009 alone has 23 complaints, led by fuel system.
What is the most common BMW R 1200 RT problem?
On the 2009 model year, the most-reported component is fuel system with 12 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do BMW R 1200 RT problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all BMW R 1200 RT complaints that include mileage is about 25,000 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.