2014 BMW R1200RT Officially Recalled in US

BMW has officially recalled the 2014 R1200RT in the U.S., after the company released a worldwide warning to customers about a potential defect with the rear suspension system.

According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the piston rod on the R1200RT’s Dynamic Electronic Suspension Adjustment (ESA) rear shock absorber may break without warning.

The problem was first discovered April 1 after a warranty claim was filed in France. According to the claim, the piston rod failed after 700 miles of use, causing the rear suspension to collapse. BMW sent the defective assembly to its supplier, Tenneco Automotive from Belgium, for analysis. On May 27, BMW received a second warranty claim from Sweden, this time on a unit with 1,500 miles on the odometer.

On May 30, Tenneco was able to replicate the failure on a spring strut assembly undergoing slider tool drum endurance testing.

BMW will replace the shocks on affected units. Owners have already been asked not to ride their R1200RTs until the recall work has been completed. They should expect notification letters from BMW later this month.

[Source: NHTSA]

By Dennis Chung