Head-to-head reliability

BMW S 1000 XR vs Chevrolet Silverado

How the BMW S 1000 XR and Chevrolet Silverado compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

BMW S 1000 XR4 complaints · 7 recalls Fewer issues per year
Chevrolet Silverado7,916 complaints · 100 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

BMW S 1000 XR averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. BMW S 1000 XR has 4 complaints and 7 recalls on record; Chevrolet Silverado has 7,916 complaints and 100 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.

The numbers

Side-by-side NHTSA record

Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.

CategoryBMW S 1000 XRChevrolet Silverado
Total complaintsAll model years combined4 Better7,916
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns7 Better100
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints0 Better229
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years0.4 Better791.6
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints0 Better159
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints0 Better3

Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.

What actually goes wrong

The problems owners report

The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.

BMW S 1000 XR

  1. 01STRUCTURE2
  2. 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
  3. 03SERVICE BRAKES1
In owners' words — STRUCTURE

Loss of “E” clips on retaining pins for passenger pegs, retaining pins vibrate out of holes causing loss of passenger pegs while riding. Potentially causing serious road debris and loss of passengers footing could cause accident or serious bodily injuries to…

Loss of “E” clips for windshield retaining pins, causing excessive shaking of the windshield and disrupting visibility and creating the potential for the windshield to fly back into the rider.

Chevrolet Silverado

  1. 01ENGINE2,358
  2. 02POWER TRAIN2,257
  3. 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1,456
  4. 04SERVICE BRAKES1,200
  5. 05UNKNOWN OR OTHER840
In owners' words — ENGINE

My 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 with the 6.6L Duramax diesel has experienced three separate P2463 Diesel Particulate Filter excessive soot accumulation events at approximately 4,300, 5,500, and 10,280 miles. Each event required a Chevrolet dealer to perform…

At approximately 3,000 miles, the engine began making a loud knocking noise that became progressively worse while driving. The truck was diagnosed as needing a complete engine replacement. No warning lights, no check engine light, nothing. For someone inexper…

Official recalls

Safety recalls on record

Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.

BMW S 1000 XR — 7 recalls

Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Foundation Components — Disc — Caliper
#20V476000

The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 R 1250 GS, GS Adventure and R 1250 RT, 2020 S 1000 RR and S 1000 XR motorcycles. The front brake calipers may leak brake fluid when parked. As such, these motorcycles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Saf…

The risk: Overtime, a leaking front brake caliper can reduce the amount of brake fluid in the reservoir. Low volume could affect brake performance, increasing the risk of crash.

The fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the front brake calipers with an improved version, free of charge. BMW issued owners an interim notification on October 12, 2020. As of January 19, 2021, a remedy w…

Electrical System — Software
#23V051000Mar 2023

The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022-2023 S 1000R and 2020-2023 S 1000XR motorcycles. During a software update performed at a dealership, the "Dynamic Pro" riding mode feature "front wheel lift-off assistant" may have been inadvertently deactivated without alerting the rider.

The risk: Riding a motorcycle without knowing that the "front wheel lift-off assistant" has been deactivated can result in unexpected handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: BMW will instruct owners to check the configuration settings in the "Dynamic Pro" riding mode and adjust the settings as needed. Dealers will also inspect the motorcycles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 202…

Electrical System — Software
#23V051000Mar 2023

The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022-2023 S 1000R and 2020-2023 S 1000XR motorcycles. During a software update performed at a dealership, the "Dynamic Pro" riding mode feature "front wheel lift-off assistant" may have been inadvertently deactivated without alerting the rider.

The risk: Riding a motorcycle without knowing that the "front wheel lift-off assistant" has been deactivated can result in unexpected handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: BMW will instruct owners to check the configuration settings in the "Dynamic Pro" riding mode and adjust the settings as needed. Dealers will also inspect the motorcycles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 202…

Electrical System — Software
#23V051000Mar 2023

The defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022-2023 S 1000R and 2020-2023 S 1000XR motorcycles. During a software update performed at a dealership, the "Dynamic Pro" riding mode feature "front wheel lift-off assistant" may have been inadvertently deactivated without alerting the rider.

The risk: Riding a motorcycle without knowing that the "front wheel lift-off assistant" has been deactivated can result in unexpected handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: BMW will instruct owners to check the configuration settings in the "Dynamic Pro" riding mode and adjust the settings as needed. Dealers will also inspect the motorcycles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 202…

Chevrolet Silverado — 100 recalls

Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
#25V815000

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles may not have received an owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, “Child Re…

The risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Dealers will provide the owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 30, 2025. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252532020. Vehicle Identifi…

Fuel System, Gasoline — Delivery — Fuel Pump — Control/Drive Module
#26V129000May 2026

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and GMC Sierra 3500 vehicles with gasoline engines and dual fuel tanks (RPOs L8T and N2N). The rear fuel pump may not transfer adequate fuel to the front tank, causing an engine stall.

The risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

The fix: The vehicle's engine control module (ECM) will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 8, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782…

Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
#26V114000

The defect: General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Cou…

The risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

The fix: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-970…

Tires — Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
#26V530000

The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and GMC Sierra 2500 vehicles equipped with the enhanced towing option and 20-inch accessory tire/wheel package. The tire information label may state the incorrect rear tire pressure, resulting in underinflated tires an…

The risk: Driving with underinflated tires can increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect, update the engine control module (ECM) software, apply a tire label overlay, inflate tires to the correct pressure, and perform a tire pressure monitor system (TPMS) re-learn process as necessary, free of charge. Owne…

Year by year

Which model years to avoid

Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.

YearBMW S 1000 XRChevrolet Silverado
2026082
20250136
20240498
20230425
202201310
20212915
20202831
201901977
20180589
201701153
Years to scrutinize: the 2020 BMW S 1000 XR drew the most complaints (2); the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado drew the most (1,977). Inspect these model years especially closely.

Check the actual car

Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.

Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific BMW S 1000 XR or Chevrolet Silverado in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

BMW S 1000 XR vs Chevrolet Silverado — comparison facts
Comparison
BMW S 1000 XR vs Chevrolet Silverado
BMW S 1000 XR total complaints
4
Chevrolet Silverado total complaints
7,916
BMW S 1000 XR total recalls
7
Chevrolet Silverado total recalls
100
BMW S 1000 XR avg complaints/year
0.4
Chevrolet Silverado avg complaints/year
791.6
More reliable overall
BMW S 1000 XR
BMW S 1000 XR top complaint area
STRUCTURE
Chevrolet Silverado top complaint area
ENGINE