2 recalls covering model years 2021, 2022. To check whether your vehicle is affected, look up your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a recall may apply only to some vehicles of a given year.
On affected BMW R 18 motorcycles with the optional reverse gear, a seal on the reverse gear control unit may deteriorate. Moisture can then get inside the unit, which may overheat. Dealers will replace the reverse gear control unit. Motorcycles that already received a repair under the previous recall still need this new repair, according to the notice.
On some BMW R18 motorcycles, the seal on the reverse gear control unit may deteriorate over time, allowing moisture to get inside the unit. Once moisture gets inside, it can cause the control unit to overheat. This overheating is the safety problem this recall is meant to fix.
Recalls and NHTSA owner complaints for each model year, side by side. Complaints are unverified owner reports, and better-selling or older years naturally collect more — read this as a record, not a ranking.
| Model year | Recalls | High / critical | Do-not-drive / park-outside | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls covering the 2021–2022 BMW R 18. 2 of them are rated high or critical on this site. The most recent is "BMW R 18 Reverse Gear Unit May Overheat" (NHTSA campaign 26V658000), reported Oct 7, 2026.
The 2021 BMW R 18 has the most, with 2 recalls. The 2021 model year has the fewest of the years we cover, with 2. Newer model years have had less time to collect recalls, so a low count on a recent year is not a guarantee.
No. None of the 2 BMW R 18 recalls on file carries a do-not-drive or park-outside advisory from NHTSA.
Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall often applies to only some vehicles of a model year, and the VIN lookup shows the ones still unrepaired on your car. Recall repairs are free at any franchised BMW dealer, including for second owners.
Recalls and complaint record for one model year at a time: