Home · 2019 BMW R 1250 Rt · Complaints

What 9 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 BMW R 1250 Rt

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (9)Brakes (7)Body & structure (1)Engine (1)

Newest first · 9 complaints

May 15, 2026Body & structure

When I purchased the motorcycle as a demo the front fender was loose from the fittings/placement. I repaired it and reported it to the BMW dealer. In the years that I have owned this motorcycle I have had to repair the same issue at least three times. I believe the dealer has also repaired it at least once after my complaint. Please see pictures attached. This is a serious safety issue as the Fender may come loose and interfere with the rotation of the front tire, resulting in an accident, or worse, injury.

NHTSA ODI 11738171

Oct 18, 2021Brakes

Hill Start Control malfunction this feature Hold the bike when it comes to a stop uphill or downhill of 5' degree gradient or more for max 2.5 minute, when auto mode on the brake will automatically hold the bike when it comes to a stop on a gradient and release when cultch lever release bike take off, when hill hold suddenly release without warning the bike roll backward or forward depending on the situation cause crash because your hand or foot are not on the brake you rely on HSC. My 2019 BMW R1250RT HSC stop working at 15000 miles at that time intermittently once or twice a month as time goes on it getting more frequently now happen every time at any gradient and random time will release the brake suddenly from 2,3,5,10,15,20,25 seconds very annoying and scary when I'm on a uphill, at 30000 miles I bring my bike in for repair for the first time, dealer program it works for two week and stop working, second time program again I could not make it home HSC not working, 3rd time they bleed the brake system and told me the bike works as design no fault in abs system because I had the auto HSC on cause this complaint. The fact is HSC not working with auto mode turn on or off, when I pickup my bike the manager rode test and verified HSC not working in both mode, the next day dealer call me they going to order the ABS module it took two months. Fourth repair 10/13/21 replace the ABS module/pump I pickup the bike did not make it home HSC not working. I almost crash/drop my bike many times, No warring light on dash, I ride my bike seven days a week now 42000 miles on the odometer.

NHTSA ODI 11437250

Jun 11, 2021Brakes

Purchased 2019 BMW R1250RT on August 1, 2019. Noticed brake fluid leaking from day one but really didn't think anything of it at first. Fast forward to December 2020 and was doing a routine search on another vehicle and I thought I should check for recalls on my bike. Thats when I found Recall Campaign No: 20V-476. Bike has been sitting in garage ever since with 920 miles on it. I paid over 27,000.00 grand total. I took the bike to the dealer yesterday and asked about repairs and owner told me BMW are replacing brake rotors with Brembo brakes. Ok, great do it! Owner states that they are not available. I asked him if he and BMW were going to buy my bike back given that I cant ride it or sell it. He stated that I would have to take it up with BMW Corporation. I finally decided to just sell it to him at $17000.00. So now I am going after BMW for the other $10,000.00.

NHTSA ODI 11420550

Mar 4, 2021Brakes

EXISTING NHTSA RECALL NUMBER IS 20V476 RECALL WAS STARTED AUG 2020. BMW ISSUED STOP SALE ON MY MODEL AND RELATED MODELS. FOUND OUT DURING SERVICE OCT 2020 THAT MY BIKE WAS AFFECTED. BMW TODAY MARCH 4TH 2021 TOLD ME THEY DON'T HAVE A DATE FOR REPLACEMENT BRAKE PARTS. I CANNOT TRADE OR SELL THIS BIKE WITH THIS RECALL AND BMW HAS NO REMEDY. BMW HAS HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO FIX THIS RECALL PERMANENTLY AND AS SUCH I THINK THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO BUY BACK CUSTOMER'S MOTORCYCLES. EXISTING NHTSA RECALL NUMBER IS 20V476

NHTSA ODI 11399085

Feb 17, 2021Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 BMW R 1250 RT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V476000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, SERVICE BRAKES) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GO AZ MOTORCYCLES (15500 N HAYDEN RD, SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85260; (480)609-1800) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11396660

Mar 28, 2020Brakes

LEAKING BREAK CALIPERS AFTER 618 MILES. THE ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED DURING MY INITIAL 600 MILE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. BMW IS SELLING THESE BIKES WITH KNOW BREAK ISSUE THAT AFFECTS THE R1250RT AND R1250GS MODELS. BMW HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN, BUT HAS NOT SELLING THESE BIKE OR ISSUED A RECALL. NEW REPLACEMENT CALIPERS HAVE BEEN ORDER FOR 30 DAY NOW. NEW CALIPERS WILL HAVE DIFFERENT PART NUMBER DUE TO THE ORIGINAL PART HAVING A FAULTING DESIGN AS I UNDERSTAND IT.

NHTSA ODI 11319565

Mar 27, 2020Brakes

I PURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE IN EARLY MARCH 2020. I LEFT THE MOTORCYCLE ON ITS CENTER AT MY RELATIVE'S RESIDENCE, IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. TWO AND A HALF WEEKS LATER I RETURNED TO MY RELATIVE'S RESIDENCE TO RETRIEVE IT AND NOTICED AN ACCUMULATION OF BRAKE FLUID ON THE FRONT WHEEL, AT THE 6 O'CLOCK POSITION. I CLEANED THE FLUID AND INSPECTED THE BRAKE CALIPER. I DID NOT THINK OF TAKING PHOTOS OF MY FINDINGS AT THE TIME. I RETURNED HOME WITH THE MOTORCYCLE. ON 3-27-2020 I RODE THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE BMW MOTORCYCLES OF CONCORD, CA. THE TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS AND CONFIRMED BOTH CALIPERS HAD EVIDENCE OF FLUID LEAKAGE. I WAS TOLD BY BECKY, A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, BMW IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT DOESN'T HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT THIS MOMENT. FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THE POWERS THAT BE, WHETHER BMW OR NHTSA, LAUNCH AN OFFICIAL RECALL FOR THIS POTENTIAL GRAVE DEFECT.

NHTSA ODI 11319554

Mar 4, 2020Brakes

IN JANUARY 2020, I WAS ADDING SOME ACCESSORIES TO MY BIKE IN THE GARAGE AND NOTICED BRAKE FLUID ON THE BOTTOMS OF THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPERS. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE BRAKE MOUNTING BRACKETS AT THE END OF THE FORKS WERE STAINED FROM LEAKING FLUID. I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER, EUROCYCLES OF SONOMA. THEY HAD ME BRING IN THE BIKE ON FEBRUARY 8TH. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE TECH, THEY TOOK THE CALIPERS APART AND REPLACED SEALS AND PISTONS FOLLOWED BY PRESSURE TESTING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE FRONT CALIPERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THE REPLACEMENTS WOULD ARRIVE IN THE 9TH WEEK OF 2020. I JUST FOLLOWED UP(3-4-20) WITH THE SERVICE DEPT AND THEY ARE STILL ON BACK ORDER WITH A NEW ETA OF THE 2ND WEEK OF MARCH. ON THE BMW RIDERS FORUMS, MANY 2019 R SERIES OWNERS ARE REPORTING LEAKING BRAKES.

NHTSA ODI 11316146

Jul 11, 2019Engine

ENGINE STALLS WHEN TRYING TO LEAVE A RED LIGHT AFTER THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN AND MOVES A FEW FEET.

NHTSA ODI 11230958

Working with the data? Download all 9 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 12, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2019 BMW R 1250 Rt verdict →