The 2018 BMW K 1600 Gtl has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 13,832 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the steering. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
POWER TRAIN26V2140002026-04-029,160 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
An overheated reverse gear control unit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the reverse gear control unit, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 28, 2026. A second letter will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this…
POWER TRAIN19V6920002019-10-014,672 affected
Defect
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…
Consequence
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
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…
Complaints by component
STEERING
5
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
4
POWER TRAIN
3
ENGINE
2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1
SUSPENSION
1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:THROTTLE
1
Total complaints20
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“At the end of april, 2026, I was using the 'reverse gear' function to assist with parking the motorcycle. I needed to move back about 15 feet into the parking spot. As I was moving backward, at approximately 3 to 5 feet, the reverse function suddenly stopped propelling the motorcycle backward…”
“At the end of april, 2026, I was using the 'reverse gear' function to assist with parking the motorcycle. I needed to move back about 15 feet into the parking spot. As I was moving backward, at approximately 3 to 5 feet, the reverse function suddenly stopped propelling the motorcycle backward…”
“The contact owns a 2018 bmw k1600 gtl motorcycle. The contact stated that while riding at an undisclosed speed, the motorcycle inadvertently shifted into limp mode. The motorcycle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with throttle body failure. The dealer informed the contact that the…”
“The contact owns a 2018 bmw k 1600 gtl motorcycle. The contact stated fuel was leaking from intake. There was an abnormal odor of fuel detected. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted who referred the contact to the…”
“While riding this motorcycle at highway speeds (60+mph) near semi truck traffic. The air flow coming off of the truck would impact the motorcycle, the bike would wobble significantly making it very hard to control and on the cusp of losing control. The same would happen when there were cross winds…”
“Tl* the contact owns a bmw k1600. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v-692000 (power train) however, the parts to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. An unknown…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2018 bmw k1600 gtl. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v692000 (power train) however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Bmw…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2018 bmw k 1600 gtl. The contact stated while driving at 65 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated engine problem warning message displayed. The contact was able to park on the side of road and after a couple of…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2018 BMW K 1600 Gtl as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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