NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE20-002: Brake fluid leak at front brake caliper
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE20-002 on April 1, 2020 and closed it on September 21, 2020. NHTSA's investigations file lists 3 BMW models for it and links recall 20V-476 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE20-002 (also written PE20002)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed September 21, 2020
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- BMW of North America, LLC
- Components
- Service Brakes; Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Fluid; Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Foundation Components; Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Foundation Components — Disc
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 20V-476: Front Brake Calipers May Leak/FMVSS 122, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 3 BMW models, including the R1250 GS Adventure and R 1250 RT
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE20-002.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) on April 1st, 2020 to investigate six consumer complaint allegations of brake fluid leaking from the front brake calipers on their 2019-2020 model year (MY) BMW R1250 motorcycles. At the closing date of this investigation, the number of ODI complaints has risen to fourteen.
During the investigation, ODI contacted several consumers to validate and confirm their complaints.
ODI learned from these conversations that the subject motorcycles were leaving brake fluid puddles on or near the front tires. One consumer forwarded pictures of a subject motorcycle leaking brake fluid on a BMW dealer showroom floor. In response to an ODI Information Request (IR) letter, BMW supplied ODI with 139 dealer field reports. Many of them also described leaking brake calipers that failed at 0 to 4 miles shown on the bike odometer. ODI was also able to gather pictures from BMW related to the field reports and they too showed calipers leaking brake fluid. BMW disclosed in the IR response that they switched to a Hayes designed and manufactured front caliper starting with MY 2019 of the subject motorcycles. The previous model years used Brembo manufactured calipers. ODI analyzed warranty claims and production data provided by BMW. ODI found that 1,169 vehicles were repaired for front brake caliper leaks. A total of 838 subject vehicles were repaired before the date of first sale.
The motorcycles, found to be leaking and serviced prior to the date of first sale, appeared to be in violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 122 for ?Motorcycle Brake Systems?, under Section 5.2.3. The FMVSS requires that ?during all tests and on their completion, there shall be no friction material detachment and no leakage of brake fluid. Discussions between the NHTSA Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance and BMW resulted in the manufacturer recalling MY 2019-2020 R1250 GS, GS Adventure and R1250 RT, 2020 S1000 RR and S1000 XR motorcycles for front brake calipers leaking when parked, failing to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 122, Motorcycle Brake Systems.
As part of the safety recall, BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the front brake calipers with an improved design free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 6, 2020.
Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
This Preliminary Evaluation has been closed with a voluntary safety recall released by the manufacturer (20V-471).
The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID using the following complaint identification numbers: 11340459, 11319970, 11320627, 11311740, 11319565, 11319858, 11311520, 11308994, 11323486, 11316146, 11319832, 11319554, 11322813, 11308930.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE20-002. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
BMW
All BMW recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
BMW VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE20-002
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.