1999 BMW K1200LT problems & reliability
50 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 BMW K1200LT. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 37 | 74% |
| Suspension | 4 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 4% |
| Engine | 1 | 2% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 2% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 2% |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 2% |
| Structure | 1 | 2% |
| Unknown | 1 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 34 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 38,565 miles (middle 50% between 30,500 and 46,791 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 bmw k1200lt. The contact stated that upon start up of his motorcycle, the motorcycle caught fire without warning. The contact attempted to extinguish the motorcycle with water but to no avail. The contact was able to move his motorcycle out of his building and the fire department was able…”
Engine · filed Oct 20, 2020
“Spring of 2009, the abs light on the dash board of my ten year old bmw 1999 k1200 lt began flashing. Took it to a bmw dealer, bmw dealer diagnosed it as abs module failure, claimed it was due to brake fluid not being changed regularly, as listed in owners manual, same as harley. This is the same deal harley is dealing…”
Service Brakes · filed Feb 7, 2018
“I've owned this bike since 2002 and sill have it. During that time I have experience two rear drive failures as described in odi no. 10439549, and currently being investigated under campaign dp12001. At the time bmw was in denial about the issue or claimed that it was rare. Well, I know 6 people with this same…”
Power Train · filed May 2, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- M/C final drive ball bearing failure
Defect Petition DP12001 · opened Jan 20, 2012 · closed Jun 20, 2013
Technical service bulletins
6 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 BMW K1200LT.
With the introduction of the new watertight fuse box a change was made from large type fuses to mini fuses. While the correct fuses are installed in the fuse box, the older, large type fuses were supplied in the…
MC611104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 24, 2021
Map data should be stored on a 64 GB SD card. In GARMIN Express the note appears that a maximum of 32 GB is possible.
MC62133778 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2015
Bmw motorcycle: wheel speed dependent, clearly audible clanking noise occurs when braking to adjust speed. E series (k25; k25/02; k25/03; k25/11; k25/12; k25/hp; k26; k27; k28; k29; k29/hp; k40; k41; k43; k43/hv; k44…
SB-17927831-02 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2009
Bmw motorcycle: engine fuels containing ethanol. Bmw motorrad has no objection to the use of si engine fuels containing up to a maximum of 10% ethanol and imposes no warranty restrictions. Ethanol mixtures in…
SB-00-021-07 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2007
Customers may complain of delayed throttle response during acceleration from low rpm in warm weather. *slc
1300201021 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2001
Brief information regarding wmc
#2857 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1999 BMW K1200LT in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1999 BMW K1200LT?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 38,565 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.