2019 BMW K1600B recalls and problems

The 2019 BMW K1600B has 3 recalls and 8 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is suspension.

How the 2019 compares

High

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

High complaint count among 7 K1600B model years — 2nd most.

3recalls

8complaints

0crashes

0fires

0injuries

1,100median 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.

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3 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.

Suspension

Jan 21, 2022 · NHTSA campaign 22V023000 · 5,063 vehicles

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 K1600 GT, K1600 GTL, and K1600 B motorcycles. The link strut connecting the rear suspension to the frame may have insufficient strength, which can cause the link strut to become damaged.

Risk: A damaged link strut can cause the rear of the motorcycle to contact the rear wheel, affecting riding stability and control, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will replace the rear link strut, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters to inform owners of the safety risk were mailed on March 11, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed June 21, 2022. 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.nhtsa.gov.

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

Suspension5

Steering4

Unknown or other3

Electronic Stability Control1

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…

2019 vs. other BMW K1600B years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2019. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2019 BMW K1600B have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns covering the 2019 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 2019 BMW K1600B?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention suspension (5), steering (4), unknown or other (3). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.