NHTSA Complaint #11233327 — 2009 BMW K 1300 S

THIS MOTORCYCLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE PREVIOUS NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V617000, FOR A FUEL PUMP FLANGE FAILURE WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A FUEL LEAK AND POTENTIAL FIRE, AND WORSE. SINCE THE RECALL, WE'VE HAD 2 SEPARATE SITUATIONS OF FUEL LEAKAGE WHILE IN MOTION. THE FIRST WAS NOVEMBER 18, 2017, TRAVELING AT SPEED ALONG A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY, RAW GASOLINE WAS SMELLED BY THE PASSENGER. FUEL WAS DRIPPING STEADILY OVER THE LOWER ENGINE COMPONENTS. THE BIKE WAS NOT SAFE TO RETURN TO THE ROAD, TRUCKED BACK HOME. WE WERE INFORMED THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN SATISFIED, ALL RISKS WERE OURS TO ASSUME. WE REPLACED THE PLASTIC FUEL PUMP MALE QUICK DISCONNECT FITTING WITH A METAL UNIT, AS THE MALE UNIT SHOWED A CRACK. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS JULY 16, 2019. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, FREEWAY TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND ASSOCIATED SPEED FOR EVENING COMMUTE, STRAIGHT ROUTES OF TRAVEL. THE SMELL OF GASOLINE WAS AGAIN DETECTED AND RAW GAS WAS AGAIN OBSERVED DRIPPING FROM THE CONNECTORS, LEAKING FROM BETWEEN THE COLLAR AND THE FEMALE CONNECTOR. THE CRACKS THE RECALL COLLAR WAS TO ADDRESS AND KEEP FROM CONTINUING, APPEAR TO HAVE ACTUALLY CONTINUED TO DEVELOP AND INCREASE, LEADING TO POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING CIRCUMSTANCES. THE MALE AND FEMALE QUICK DISCONNECT FITTINGS CAN BE REPLACED WITH METAL, BUT THESE REPLACEMENTS MUST BE THREADED INTO AN ALREADY COMPROMISED SETTING. THE PREVIOUS RECALL COLLAR IS A FAILURE. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTLY FIXED BY A REDESIGNED FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT USING METAL QUICK DISCONNECTS, INSTEAD OF APPLYING WHAT AMOUNTS TO A BAND-AID SOLUTION. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH DAMAGE OR FRACTURING IS CONTINUE TO OCCUR UNDER THE FLANGE 'FIX'. BUT THIS CONTINUED FAILURE IS PUTTING THE RIDER AT RISK FOR VEHICLE FIRE, INJURY, OR EVEN DEATH.