2002 BMW R1150GS problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 BMW R1150GS, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 8, 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 components.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 11 | 52% |
| Power Train | 4 | 19% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 5% |
| Seats | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My 2002 bmw 1150gs motorcycle has only just over 41k miles on the odometer. These motorcycles are advertised to the public as able to drive forever across continents, but that is not the case. I was very surprised when it lost some internal gears last weekend and something let go in the gearbox when shifting between…”
Power Train · filed Apr 26, 2012
“Tl*the contact owns a 2002 bmw r1150ra (na). While driving 50-55 mph, the contact smelled gas fumes and then noticed fuel leaking from the quick release mechanism. As of september 27, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. The manufacturer stated that they would replace the quick release mechanism for free…”
Fuel System, Other · filed Sep 27, 2007
“In april 2005, I experienced a final drive failure on my 2002 bmw r1150gs. During a 36,000 mile service, I reported a slight oil leak around the rubber boot on the final drive shaft. Bmw replaced the final drive bearing that was still under warranty. The entire final drive was replaced during the service at no charge…”
Power Train · filed Sep 18, 2006
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL LINE LEAKAGE
Preliminary Evaluation PE03054 · opened Dec 1, 2003 · closed Jan 23, 2004 · led to recall 04V028000
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 BMW R1150GS.
Leaks have been reported in fork legs. The cause is reported be from oil lubricating film with accompanying dirt/grease ring is incorrectly interpreted to be a leaking fork leg. Investigations have shown that the part…
MC51142327 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2013
Bmw: procedure for determining and replacing incandescent and halogen light bulbs under warranty. *rm
SIB-63-02-01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2010
Bmw vehicles: fuel level sensor repairs. Where it is necessary to replace the right or the left side fuel level sensor due to a failure, the entire pump and housing or delivery unit (suction jet assembly) do not need to…
SIB-16-02-09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 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
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
The 2002 BMW R1150GS has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 2002 BMW R1150GS?
- · 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.