NHTSA vehicle safety data

2020 BMW K 1600 B Recalls & Complaints

The 2020 BMW K 1600 B has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 1 owner complaint on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized BMW dealer.

Includes campaigns NHTSA files under the spelling "K1600B".

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2020 BMW K 1600 B. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2020 BMW K 1600 B owner complaints

Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA about the 2020 BMW K 1600 B, describing incidents dated May 14, 2021.

Most-cited components

Steering 1 complaint
Unknown or Other 1 complaint

Newest complaints

ODI #11417724 · Filed May 19, 2021
At highway speeds when approaching any large vehicle the motorcycle oscillates to the point of loss of control. This occurs at distances up to 300 yards. In brisk cross winds on open road the same condition exists, but is multiplied in close proximity to other vehicles. I had the bike inspected and…

Read the full complaint

Reverse Gear Control Unit May Overheat

NHTSA #26V214000 · Power Train — Manual Transmission — Seals/Gaskets · NHTSA notice

Reported April 2, 2026 · BMW of North America, LLC

Potentially affected: 9,160 vehicles

Completion not yet reported (dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

An overheated reverse gear control unit increases the risk of a fire.

Manufacturer 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, anticipated late October 2026. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 25, 2026.

Damaged Link Strut May Affect Riding Stability

NHTSA #22V023000 · Suspension — Rear · NHTSA notice

Reported January 21, 2022 · BMW of North America, LLC

Potentially affected: 5,063 vehicles

Repair completion: 75.61% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified June 21, 2022

Defect description

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 K1600 GT, K1600 GTL, and K1600 B motorcycles. The link strut connecting the rear suspension to the frame may have insufficient strength, which can cause the link strut to become damaged.

Safety consequence

A damaged link strut can cause the rear of the motorcycle to contact the rear wheel, affecting riding stability and control, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the rear link strut, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters to inform owners of the safety risk were mailed on March 11, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed June 21, 2022. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Transmission may Cause Rear Wheel to Lock up

NHTSA #19V692000 · Power Train — Manual Transmission · NHTSA notice

Reported October 1, 2019 · BMW of North America, LLC

Potentially affected: 4,672 vehicles

Repair completion: 88.08% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified March 11, 2020 · Vehicles built April 26, 2017 – September 26, 2019 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

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 and/or the damage of transmission parts.

Safety 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.

Manufacturer 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 customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2020 BMW K 1600 B. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

1 owner complaint has been filed with NHTSA for the 2020 BMW K 1600 B.

Steering; Unknown or Other

ODI #11417724

Incident: May 14, 2021 · Filed: May 19, 2021

At highway speeds when approaching any large vehicle the motorcycle oscillates to the point of loss of control. This occurs at distances up to 300 yards. In brisk cross winds on open road the same condition exists, but is multiplied in close proximity to other vehicles. I had the bike inspected and serviced by a BMW dealer and nothing mechanical was found. My background is in aviation, and in my 30 years experience this acts and feels like an aerodynamic instability issue. I have been riding for 40 years and outside of "tank slap," when racing I have never experienced anything like this on a road bike under normal riding conditions. There are many forum posts with the same concerns, but no viable solutions. BMW has not been helpful.

Other BMW K 1600 B model years

Check your 2020 BMW K 1600 B VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your BMW K 1600 B at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a BMW VIN