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2021 BMW R 18Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 2021 BMW R 18, most often about the power train. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 24V-716 the manufacturer reports only 60% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 60%Owner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem1Power train

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 7, 2026. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2021 BMW R 18 has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Power train10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2021 BMW R 18 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

60%repaired · 2026 Q3

Manual transmission: seals/gaskets

Recall 24V-716 · Sep 26, 2024 · 5,048 vehicles · 3,009 repaired

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

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with BMW.

Best & worst years

2021 vs. every other R 18 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the R 18 median. How we score

'21'22'23'24
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What R 18 owners report

Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

Failed reverser mechanism recall. Dealer replaced the module and claimed reverese is still inoperable and I needed to pay to have it diagnosed. Even though the problem started with less than 1000 miles on the bike. Being unable to back the heavy bike up without assistance forces me to either try to…
Complaint 11767369 · Sep 28, 2026

Own a 2021 R 18?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.