NHTSA Complaint #10578398 — 2011 BMW R1200 R

THE FUEL GAUGE QUIT WORKING. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS DUE TO THE FUEL SENSOR. MY BMW HAS ONLY 1100 MILES ON IT. MULTIPLE POST ONLINE ON MY EXACT MODEL - AS WELL AS MULTIPLE SAFETY COMPLAINTS ON THIS VERY SITE TO NHTSA - SHOW THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM. IT IS AN EXTREME HAZARD ON A MOTORCYCLE TO RUN OUT OF GAS AS A MOTORCYCLE BUCKS AS IT RUNS OUT OF GAS (DIES AND CATCHES, ETC.) AND I ALMOST COME OFF THE BIKE IN TRAFFIC. AND IT MAKES LEAVING THE ROAD DIFFICULT SO A DANGER TO OTHER TRAFFIC (HTTP://WWW.STATE.NJ.US/MVC/PDF/LICENSES/MCM996.PDF). WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WHY NHTSA IS DOING NOTHING DESPITE MULTIPLE SAFETY COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE OVER WHAT IS NOW A FOUR (4) YEAR PERIOD ON SOMETHING THAT HAS A SIMPLE FIX - A GAS GAUGE. AS THE 2011 POST MAKES CLEAR, THAT OCCUPANT WAS "ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND, AND NEARLY CAUSED A REACTION ACCIDENT ...OF CARS ...THAT HAD TO SUDDENLY STOP AND/OR EVADE CONTACT WITH OTHER VEHICLES SLOWING DUE TO MY INABILITY TO KEEP UP IN TRAFFIC." AS THAT POSTER NOTED, " I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED MY FAULTY FUEL GAUGE ISSUE IS VERY VERY COMMON.... AFFECTING A VERY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF BMW R1200R MOTORCYCLES. ... THE "REPAIR" IS NOT NECESSARILY A GUARANTEED FIX, MANDATING THAT MANY R1200R OWNERS HAVE TO MAKE MULTIPLE TRIPS TO A BMW DEALER TO PERHAPS, AND FINALLY, RECEIVE A FUEL SENSOR STRIP THAT ACTUALLY IS FUNCTIONAL." BMW HAS JUST ANNOUNCED ANOTHER RECALL FOR THIS BIKE BUT APPARENTLY IS STALLING NHTSA ON THIS ISSUE. MY DEALER IS BMW OF FT. WORTH AND THEY WERE HAPPY TO TELL ME MY WARRANTY EXPIRED TWO WEEKS BEFORE HAD IT BROUGHT BACK IN TO BE FIXED (IT ONLY HAS 1100 MILES) AND I COULD EITHER PAY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS -OR- JUST PICK IT UP AS IS WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING AND DANGEROUS FUEL GAUGE. NO CONCERN WHATSOEVER FOR MY SAFETY OR THE RISK CAUSED BY OPERATING A MOTORCYCLE WITH A DEFECTIVE GAUGE. *TR