BMW preliminary evaluation PE19002
Steering Oscillation. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the steering on 1 model year (2018). Opened Mar 25, 2019, closed Oct 16, 2019 after 7 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThe Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened investigation PE19-002 on March 25, 2019. This investigation was opened based on six consumer complaints alleging 2018 and 2019 BMW K-1600 motorcycles were unstable at highway speeds and that the instability was exacerbated while in traffic. ODI opened the PE to determine the severity and frequency associated with the alleged defect. In response to an ODI Information Request (IR) letter, BMW submitted a total of 20 complaints, 15 field reports and 5 warranty claims. Although the subject vehicles of the investigation include 2018 and 2019 model years, all the complaints, warranty and field reports submitted by BMW were on the 2018 MY bikes. BMW stated in its response that it did not have any complaints, warranty or field reports for the 2019 MY K 1600 series. Since opening the PE, ODI has received an additional six consumer complaints related to this investigation. In July 2019, ODI met with BMW at its New Jersey facility to see a presentation and then follow (in a trailing vehicle) a BMW rider on a subject bike. The purpose of the trailing exercise was to observe how the motorcycle handled on various road types and traffic conditions. During this demonstration the ODI investigator witnessed some instability or ?wobble? that was aggravated when passing large trucks. There were, however, no lane departures experienced by the subject vehicle?s rider during the trailing event. The ODI investigator was unable to fully determine the safety impact of the observed phenomena. In addition to witnessing the BMW rider demonstration in New Jersey, ODI interviewed complainants who allege their bikes felt unsafe and were dangerous above 55 mph. To better understand the safety impact described by consumers and quantifiably measure the level of instability experienced, ODI has decided to upgrade the investigation to an Engineering Analysis (EA). As part of the EA, ODI will conduct an analysis of the subject motorcycle?s geometry, suspension and other characteristics as well as conduct stability testing. ODI will have the subject motorcycle tested at NHTSA's Vehicle Research Testing Center (VRTC) under controlled conditions to both quantifiably and subjectively measure the subject motorcycle?s stability. VRTC will obtain the subject vehicle(s) for evaluation and testing. These tests will be performed by professional riders to learn if they experience riding discomfort they feel is unsafe and gauge if the ?wobble? condition presents a safety concern. An Engineering Analysis (EA19-003) has been opened to examine and better understand the severity of the alleged defect. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID using the following complaint identification numbers: 11098821, 11111044, 11111232, 11128491, 11149745, 11166420, 11191569, 11194573, 11208774, 11219239, 11246011, 11257720
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2018 BMW K 1600 GT.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE19002 a recall?
No. A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is PE19002 still open?
No. It closed on Oct 16, 2019 without a recall.
Which vehicles does PE19002 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 1 model year: 2018 BMW K 1600 GT. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.