BMW K1200LT Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 203 consumer complaints across the 6 model years of the BMW K1200LT (1999–2005) that have at least 5 complaints. 2000 has the most, with 51. Across all years, the part named most often is transmission and drivetrain (129 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst K1200LT years →
All K1200LT model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 19 | 23,200 | 2 | 12 | — | Stable |
| 2003 | 21 | 33,320 | 0 | 6 | — | Falling |
| 2002 | 37 | 27,150 | 0 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 25 | 46,173 | 0 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 51 | 36,775 | 0 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 50 | 37,290 | 0 | 4 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Transmission and drivetrain129 63%
- Brakes27 13%
- Fuel system22 11%
- Suspension15 7.4%
- Wheels3 1.5%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)3 1.5%
- Other or unknown3 1.5%
- Vehicle speed control2 1.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2003: “While riding, fuel began pouring out over my right foot. It turned out that the fuel line quick disconnects (used for removing the fuel tank) deteriorated because they are plastic (the plastic part has been discontinued--the replacement part is now metal). My dealer replaced the disconnects with the new, metal part.”
NHTSA complaint #10604805, filed 2014-06, 50,737 miles2000: “I was traveling with friends back home from a 200 mile trip. The bike started making noise in the rear and one of the riders with me said that my bike was not acting wright. We stopped looked at my rearend and oil was leaking. I got back on bike to make it home and the longer I rode the more noise it made. Took it to the dealer and was told that my rearend bearings had gone out.”
NHTSA complaint #10507402, filed 2013-04, 15,378 miles1999: “On june 17, 2011 the final drive of my 1999 Bmw K1200LT started leaking gear oil from the crown bearing seal. The suspected cause is the crown bearing failure pushed the seal out of place and allowed the gear oil to leak on the rear brake disc and rear tire. This in turn caused the rear brake to fail due to oil on the brake pads and the rear tire to be unstable with oil on it. I replaced the rear drive in january 2012.”
NHTSA complaint #10449181, filed 2012-02, 46,000 milesOther BMW models
3,165 complaintsBMW 328I
2,576 complaintsBMW X3
2,016 complaintsBMW 325I
1,377 complaintsBMW Z4
1,271 complaintsBMW 3 Series
832 complaintsBMW 528I
830 complaintsBMW 330I
813 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology