2018 BMW K1600B recalls and problems

The 2018 BMW K1600B has 2 recalls and 44 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is power train.

How the 2018 compares

Highest

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

Highest complaint count among 7 K1600B model years — the most of any year.

2recalls

44complaints

0crashes

0fires

0injuries

3,400median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

Check your VIN →

2 recalls

Power Train

Apr 2, 2026 · NHTSA campaign 26V214000 · 9,160 vehicles

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2017-2025 K 1600 GT, GTL, B and 2018-2025 Grand America vehicles. The seal for the reverse gear control unit may deteriorate and allow moisture inside the control unit, which can result in the unit overheating.

Risk: An overheated reverse gear control unit increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the reverse gear control unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 30, 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 25, 2026.

Power Train

Oct 1, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V692000 · 4,672 vehicles

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2017-2020 K 1600 GT and 2018-2020 K 1600 GTL and K 1600 B motorcycles. Certain transmission parts may not have been produced to the appropriate hardness level. This could affect the function of the transmission, possibly causing double engagement of two gears and/or the damage of transmission parts.

Risk: Double gear engagement or transmission damage can cause the rear wheel to lock up, affecting the vehicle stability and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy & notes

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift forks, the selector sleeve of 5th/6th gear and the gear wheel of 6th gear, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk was mailed November 1, 2019. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Unknown or other8

Vehicle Speed Control2

Electronic Stability Control1

Structure1

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

NHTSA investigations

Steering Oscillation

EA19003 · opened Oct 11, 2019 · closed Jan 16, 2025

Summary

On October 11, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) 19003 to investigate reports of steering oscillations in model year (MY) 2018-19 BMW K1600 motorcycles. Complainants alleged steering oscillations (wobble and shake) and instability while traveling at highway speeds that were exacerbated while riding in traffic. ODI opened the EA, upgrading its PE19002 investigation, to evaluate the severity and frequency associated with the alleged defect and potential testing options. ODI sent an Information Request containing several technical questions about testing and simulation that BMW conducted during development and production of the subject vehicles. BMW provided responsive details that were reviewed and analyzed by engineers both in ODI and at NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC). BMW provided documentation that confirmed that during the design phase, it had conducted extensive testing and simulations to evaluate and quantify the aerodynamic (wind) loads and overall stability. BMW continues to research aerodynamic improvements that can help reduce effects from turbulent air. In the meantime, to mitigate undesirable effects from aerodynamic loads and other vehicle dynamic forces at excessively high speed, BMW limited the K1600 Grand America variant to approximately 100mph. All produced vehicles of this variant have this speed limitation.Recently, a peer motorcycle was recalled under NHTSA recall number 23V836 for high-speed st…

2018 vs. other BMW K1600B years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2018. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2018 BMW K1600B have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns covering the 2018 BMW K1600B, the latest from Apr 2, 2026 (power train). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2018 BMW K1600B?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention power train (20), steering (11), unknown or other (8). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.