BMW R1200C Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 32 consumer complaints across the 3 model years of the BMW R1200C (1998–2003) that have at least 5 complaints. 1998 has the most, with 14. Across all years, the part named most often is transmission and drivetrain (6 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All R1200C 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 13 | 2,865 | 0 | 3 | — | Not enough data |
| 2002 | 5 | 17,732 | 0 | 3 | — | Not enough data |
| 1998 | 14 | 15,231 | 2 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Transmission and drivetrain6 18%
- Engine cooling6 18%
- Suspension5 15%
- Exterior lighting5 15%
- Brakes4 12%
- Seats3 9.1%
- Wheels2 6.1%
- Body and structure2 6.1%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2002: “My final drive had a catastrophic failure at 29,963 miles on 12/18/08. It was determined that the crown gear or bearings deteriorated, chewed up the seals, and caused gear oil to leak onto my rear wheel. A Bmw dealer rebuilt the drive using oem parts, and it failed again at 32,164 miles on 6/25/09. It was rebuilt a 2nd time and recently failed a 3rd time on 9/29/11 at 47,647. This time I purchased a brand new final drive from Bmw in germany for almost $1400 rather than rebuilding again, however, I'm afraid its only a matter of time. …”
NHTSA complaint #10446551, filed 2012-02, 29,963 miles2003: “An all too common problem with the final drives in our R1200C's and r1200cl's is the dreaded final drive failure. Most of us who have experienced this, first noticed either a lateral wobble of the rear wheel, drops of fluid on our rear wheels, and/or fluid stains sprayed radially on the rear tire. Well, I took a 600 mile jaunt last weekend to make sure the bike could handle the new touring bags and the t-bag I bought. The trip was great - near quincy, ca. When I got home, I noticed some oil spots on the right rear bag, the horror of horrors, radial stripes on the right side of the rear tire. …”
NHTSA complaint #10446560, filed 2012-02, 24,000 miles1998: “I 0wn a 1998 Bmw R1200C cruiser motorcycle, I bought it new. My tail light assembly wich includes brake light and blinkers creates a crack on the left side causing the assembly to eventually crack in two parts loosing the left blinker assembly. I have replaced this faulty part once before 2 years and approximently 3000 miles ago. My motorcycle was out of warenty so it cost me $180.00 for a new part plus installation. The new part is cracked again.”
NHTSA complaint #10028405, filed 2003-07, 7,280 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