Reverse Gear Control Unit May Overheat

Affected vehicles (4)

Component / system

Defect

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.

Risk / consequence

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

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.

Chronology of events

1. December 2025

   In December 2025, BMW became aware of a thermal event in a non-US market involving a Model Year 2019 BMW K 1600 B. An engineering investigation was initiated, the part was held for analysis, and the supplier was contacted. Attention was focused upon the reverse gear control unit. Between December 2025 and February 2026, an additional field incident in a non-US market occurred, where the reverse gear control unit overheated and resulted in a thermal incident. These parts were requested to be returned for analysis. In late January 2026, it was possible to perform an onsite inspection of the motorcycle involved in the

2. December 2025

   December 2025 field incident. The field data for all markets was analyzed. It was found that the warranty rate of the reverse gear control unit was significantly larger in countries with year-round tropical climate / hot and humid conditions than the average warranty rate in other countries.

3. On March 26th, BMW decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall. BMW has not received any reports, nor is BMW otherwise aware, of any accidents or injuries related to this issue.

Notification schedule

Dealer notification

Apr 02, 2026 - Apr 02, 2026 No Dealers

Owner notification

May 25, 2026 - May 25, 2026 Phased Recall