NHTSA Complaint #10438769 — 2012 BMW K 1600 GTL

ON TURNING ON THE IGNITION KEY IN MY GARAGE, THE FUEL PUMP WAS AUDIBLE, AND THE BIKE FAILED TO START WHEN THE STARTER BUTTON WAS PRESSED. IMMEDIATELY I NOTICED A VERY LARGE TORRENT OF GASOLINE POURING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE, RIGHT OVER THE EXHAUST HEADERS, WHICH WERE FORTUNATELY NOT YET HOT. THE AMOUNT OF GASOLINE LOST WAS AROUND 1 LITER, BEFORE I REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION KEY. FORTUNATELY, NO FIRE RESULTED AS I ROLLED THE BIKE OUT OF THE POOL OF GASOLINE AND ON OUT OF THE GARAGE. AFTER THE BIKE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BOB'S BMW IN JESSUP, MD, I WAS INFORMED TODAY THAT THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT THE HOSE CLIPS THAT ATTACH THE FUEL HOSE TO THE FUEL RAIL WERE MISSING. THE PART ASSEMBLY INVOLVED IS BMW PART # 13537723527. THIS DEFECT, WHICH THE TECHNICIAN SAID WAS FACTORY-ASSEMBLED BY BMW IN GERMANY, NOT AT THE DEALER, WAS THUS PRESENT WHEN THE BIKE WAS DELIVERED NEW TO ME. THIS REPRESENTS A POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING RISK OF A SEVERE GASOLINE VEHICLE FIRE AND EXPLOSION. I REQUEST THAT BMW BE REQUIRED TO INSPECT ALL OF THE K1600 SERIES BIKES FROM THIS FACTORY TO ASCERTAIN HOW MANY OF THEM WERE SHIPPED WITH THIS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS DEFECT. THE FACTORY SHOULD INSTITUTE NEW PROCEDURES TO GUARANTEE THAT THESE MOTORCYCLES CANNOT BE SHIPPED IN THIS HAZARDOUS CONDITION TO UNSUSPECTING BUYERS. *TR