NHTSA vehicle safety data
2020 BMW K 1600 GTL Recalls & Complaints
The 2020 BMW K 1600 GTL has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns on file as of October 21, 2026. try.vin has no NHTSA owner complaints on file for the 2020 BMW K 1600 GTL. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized BMW dealer.
NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2020 BMW K 1600 GTL. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
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 October 21, 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. 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 October 21, 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 October 21, 2026)
Owners notified March 11, 2020 · Vehicles built February 14, 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.
Other BMW K 1600 GTL model years
Check your 2020 BMW K 1600 GTL VIN
Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your BMW K 1600 GTL at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
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