2003 BMW K1200LT problems
The 2003 BMW K1200LT has 26 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (38%) concerns drivetrain & axles. Next are fuel system (23%) and transmission (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 26 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 39% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 2 and 4
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 39,000 miles 26 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 6 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 7 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 6 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 1 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 1 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 4 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 26 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 39,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 63,000 miles (10 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 2 complaints mention a crash; 4 complaints mention a fire; 2 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 91% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 5 model years of the BMW K1200LT with enough data (11 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The final drive differential failed, locked up the rear tire, cause catastrophic loss of control, ejection from the motorcycle at highway speed, and total loss of the machine. The rider suffered moderate injuries, mostly abrasions and bruises, and broken bones. The tire pressures and final drive fluid level had been checked that day, and were correct. A $10,000 machine was totaled because of a cheap part that is a known defect, has occurred over and over, and BMW has not been ordered to fix this safety issue!
2003 BMW k1200lt burned to ashes on 12-08-2020. Caught fire while parked after running for a few minutes. Smoke from front. Flames in the lower front left of engine. Recent services- feb 2020, included replacing quick connect fuel lines with new metal upgrades, after fuel leak detected. 42k miles. Huge fire. Extreme danger warning.
BMW 0703 k1200ltc motorcycle rear end failed at less than 19,000 miles creating a hazard to my safety. However by hearing the gear noise in time I was able to stop the bike before the rear seal allowed oil out of the rear end. So it had to be a bearing failure in my opinion. At this time no repairs have been made yet.
BMW k1200lt 2003 motorcyle I purchased used with 8700 miles on the bike. At 18646 having all the maintenance done by the dealer, I experienced a rumbling sound traveling on an interstate at 65 MPH. I pulled over thinking it might be a bad tire and noticed oil dripping on the rear tire/rim. Oil on the rear brakes did hamper my slowing down. BMW repaired the final drive saying the outside bearing failed causing the oil seal to fail. At 25,423 miles the final drive failed again.