NHTSA Complaint #10490417 — 2008 BMW R1200 GS ADVENTURE

WHILE RIDING WITH PRETEEN SON ON THE PASSENGER SEAT, GAS FUMES BECAME APPARENT. UPON INSPECTION FOUND THE TOP OF THE RIDERS RIGHT FUEL PUMP WAS LEAKING FUEL VIA SEVERAL CRACKS THUS ALLOWING FUEL TO ESCAPE AND BECOME A HAZARD. THE FOLLOWING HAS ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED TO YOU BUT IT EXPLAINS THE ISSUES WITH THIS FAULTY FUEL PUMP BETTER THAN I COULD FAILURE OF THE FUEL PUMP HOUSING HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL QUICK DISCONNECT REINFORCEMENT FLANGE CRACKS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE CYCLING AND LEAKS, SENDING RAW FUEL DOWN THE LEFT FAIRING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE VEHICLES LEFT EXHAUST PIPE AND IGNITION SYSTEM COMPONENTS. CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE THE COMBINATION OF HIGH FUEL PRESSURE AND NEGLIGENT DESIGN CREATE SUBSTANTIAL RISK FOR RIDERS OF THE IMPACTED VEHICLES. THERE ARE MULTIPLE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE, A FEW OF WHICH ARE OUTLINED BELOW: 1. RIDERS BECOME FUEL SOAKED AS FUEL LEAKS DOWN THE LEFT FAIRING AND THEN IS FORCED BY FAIRING AIRFLOW DYNAMICS ON TO THE RIDERS LEFT LEG. 2. FUEL VAPORS, CAPTURED BY THE FAIRING AND HEATED BY THE EXHAUST PIPE BECOME EXTREMELY VOLATILE AND COULD LEAD TO A FIRE AND/OR EXPLOSION. 3. FUEL VAPORS RISING FROM THE FAIRING AND EXITING THE TOP OF THE FAIRING BETWEEN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND FUEL TANK, ARE BLOWN BY AIRFLOW INTO THE RIDERS FACE. PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY SUGGESTS THAT THE HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL QUICK DISCONNECT REINFORCEMENT FLANGE WAS INADEQUATELY DESIGNED FOR THE FUEL PUMP OUTLET PRESSURES. BMW'S CHOICE OF A NON-METALLIC (COMPOSITE) PUMP HOUSING COMBINED WITH A COMPOSITE HIGH-PRESSURE DISCONNECT FITTING WAS UNWISE AND THE FAILURE MECHANISM IS OBVIOUS. HIGH PUMP PRESSURE EXPANDS THE COMPOSITE HIGH-PRESSURE FITTING CAUSING IT TO READILY LOAD THE FUEL PUMP HIGH-PRESSURE QUICK DISCONNECT FLANGE. OVER TIME, PRESSURE CYCLING CAUSES THE QUICK DISCONNECT REINFORCEMENT FLANGE TO CRACK ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK. *TR