The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021-2024 BMW R 18B and R 18 Transcontinental motorcycles. The headlight low beam attachment points may break, shifting the reflector out of position, and resulting in insufficient illumination. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk
Insufficient illumination from the headlight can reduce visibility or cause a glare for oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the headlamp, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 5, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| BMW R 18 B | 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| BMW R 18 Transcontinental | 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW R 18 B | 2021 | 0 | 1 |
| BMW R 18 B | 2022 | 0 | 1 |
| BMW R 18 B | 2023 | 0 | 1 |
| BMW R 18 B | 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| BMW R 18 Transcontinental | 2021 | 0 | 1 |
| BMW R 18 Transcontinental | 2022 | 0 | 1 |
| BMW R 18 Transcontinental | 2023 | 0 | 1 |
| BMW R 18 Transcontinental | 2024 | 0 | 1 |
Other exterior lighting recalls in 2023
36 of the 894 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2023 concerned the exterior lighting; BMW of North America, LLC filed 347 campaigns in all.
| 23V871000 21 Dec 2023 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 23V848000 15 Dec 2023 | Ford Motor Company |
| 23V834000 8 Dec 2023 | Forest River, Inc. |
| 23V825000 7 Dec 2023 | PILOTCAR EV INC. |
| 23V814000 4 Dec 2023 | Nissan North America, Inc. |
| 23V802000 28 Nov 2023 | Ford Motor Company |
| 23V765000 13 Nov 2023 | Newell Coach Corp. |
| 23V762000 11 Nov 2023 | Nova Bus (US) Inc. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2023