2021 Ktm 690 SMC R: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
4 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2021 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Fuel/Propulsion System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 4 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel system concerns | 4 | 100.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 4 |
| Structure:Body | 2 |
| Seats | 1 |
Fuel/Propulsion System: 4; Structure:Body: 2; Seats: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 4 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 | 2 |
2025: 2; 2026: 2
Pattern summary
Fuel/Propulsion System leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 4 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11663548 · 2025-05-28 (May 28, 2025)
The fuel tank is swelling so much that all the Plastics are breaking and the tank itself is just about touching the exhaust header clamp. im getting worried it may explode if it touches the exhaust clamp.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11663548 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11674726 · 2025-07-19 (July 19, 2025)
The fuel tank is expanding, leading to the fairings cracking, especially the right hand side (rear). Two fairings have been cracked and it’s impossible to refit them. The tank vent is working and on multiple occasions has vented fuel out in the garage. Multiple people reported ethanol to play a role in the expansion of the tank, however this bike has never seen anything below 91 octane. The risk of the tank bursting or nearing the exhaust is given and poses a safety risk. I have not presented it to a dealer yet, however did my own research and …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11674726 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11756361 · 2026-08-11 (August 11, 2026)
The fuel tank has been expanding consistently now for the past few years. It has began to crack the attachment points for the body plastics. I sent pictures and reported this years ago to KTM and they told me it would have to be inspected which they may not cover and even still wouldn’t guarantee it would be replaced/fixed. This puts my safety at risk if I experience a crash or collision since the integrity of the tank is in question and it puts others safety at risk because it could rupture from a fall and cause a fire. There are no warning la…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11756361 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11765654 · 2026-09-20 (September 20, 2026)
Description of Defect: I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding the plastic fuel tank on my 2021 KTM 690. On this specific motorcycle architecture, the plastic fuel tank is a load-bearing, structural component that acts as the rear subframe. The rear passenger footpegs and the entire rear seat assembly mount directly onto this plastic fuel tank structure.The tank has severely warped, expanded, and deformed. This material warping introduces severe structural stress to the factory mounting points, creating a high risk of catastrophic stru…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11765654 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
4 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 1100.0%ODI 11577271Fuel Tank (structural member) expanded due to faulty vent in fuel cap/plug; breaking off the mounts to the relay/fuse block. Still available for inspection as KTM has no listed recall and vehicle is out of warranty. Tank expanded enough to break the relay/ fuse block mounts, dislodging them and their electrical connections; shorting the battery. Problem was confirmed by KTM mechanic at dealership; verified "other vent paths clear; recommend replacing fuel cap" . Copy of dealer invoice available apon request. Vehicle has been inspected only by m… | 150.0%ODI 11413436 · 800 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2020 KTM 690 SMC R. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE MOTORCYCLE SLID OUT WHEN THE CONTACT WENT TO STAND THE MOTOR BIKE UP; THE MOTORCYCLE PROCEEDED TO EXPLODE WITHOUT WARNING, ENGULFING THE CONTACT IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND UPON EXAMINATION THE MOTORCYCLE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND … | 4100.0%ODI 11663548The fuel tank is swelling so much that all the Plastics are breaking and the tank itself is just about touching the exhaust header clamp. im getting worried it may explode if it touches the exhaust clamp. | 1100.0%ODI 11721210Fuel tank has swollen over time, causing body panels to no longer fit properly, fuel tank is under the seat and is a structural component of the motorcycles frame by design, my concern is that the tank is in very close proximity to exhaust system and is now considerably closer to exhaust from swelling, which concerns me that it could continue to swell and cause a fire when it contacts exhaust, also side panels on rear of bike are starting to break mounting points and im concerned may come off the bike on the highway and cause an accident. This … | 1100.0%ODI 11746101The fuel tank is swelling badly, which is a known issue with these motorcycles. It is swelling so badly it is breaking the plastics that attach to the tank and causing immense panel gaps. I am concerned that at some point the tank itself will crack causing a fuel leak. I have checked the fuel cap vent and it flows air freely through it when blown through. This has been an ongoing issue that has progressively gotten worse. The attached images show a panel gap, and a repair that had to be made to a split piece of body work. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Structure:Body | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11413436 · 800 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2020 KTM 690 SMC R. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE MOTORCYCLE SLID OUT WHEN THE CONTACT WENT TO STAND THE MOTOR BIKE UP; THE MOTORCYCLE PROCEEDED TO EXPLODE WITHOUT WARNING, ENGULFING THE CONTACT IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND UPON EXAMINATION THE MOTORCYCLE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND … | 250.0%ODI 11756361The fuel tank has been expanding consistently now for the past few years. It has began to crack the attachment points for the body plastics. I sent pictures and reported this years ago to KTM and they told me it would have to be inspected which they may not cover and even still wouldn’t guarantee it would be replaced/fixed. This puts my safety at risk if I experience a crash or collision since the integrity of the tank is in question and it puts others safety at risk because it could rupture from a fall and cause a fire. There are no warning la… | 1100.0%ODI 11721210Fuel tank has swollen over time, causing body panels to no longer fit properly, fuel tank is under the seat and is a structural component of the motorcycles frame by design, my concern is that the tank is in very close proximity to exhaust system and is now considerably closer to exhaust from swelling, which concerns me that it could continue to swell and cause a fire when it contacts exhaust, also side panels on rear of bike are starting to break mounting points and im concerned may come off the bike on the highway and cause an accident. This … | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Seats | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11440146The seat of this motorcycle unhooks itself from the front under hard acceleration.This continues to happen every single time. Extremely dangerous. Unit is under warranty and manufacturer refuses to fix the issue. I believe the issue is that the seat hooks are just a hair too short and this allows the seat to unhook, only under heavy acceleration. Consumer seat came off after 2K miles and under warranty but dealer refuses to repair it and claims it is consumer's fault. | 125.0%ODI 11765654Description of Defect: I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding the plastic fuel tank on my 2021 KTM 690. On this specific motorcycle architecture, the plastic fuel tank is a load-bearing, structural component that acts as the rear subframe. The rear passenger footpegs and the entire rear seat assembly mount directly onto this plastic fuel tank structure.The tank has severely warped, expanded, and deformed. This material warping introduces severe structural stress to the factory mounting points, creating a high risk of catastrophic stru… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11696373Vehicle Stalls repeatedly at idle and low speed coast. This vehicle is available for inspection. This stalling causes a serious safety concern. It greatly increases the chances of having an accident by not giving the operator complete control of the vehicle. This is a widely known defect and the vehicle is presently in possession of the selling dealer for further diagnostics. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the said incidents. |
| Unknown Or Other | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11690199Kickstand spring failed during highway travel causing engine to stall due to side stand switch activation. It is unavailable to inspect as it completely fell off after spring failure, on the 360 dash cam footage you can see one of the attaching ears is missing when it fell off. A motorcycle shutting off traveling down a busy highway (880n Santa clara county) could put one at significant risk of a collision. I was able to hold up the stand with my left leg to maintain travel to the next off ramp to safety, but this as well prevented the ability … |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 1 | None | ODI 11663548The fuel tank is swelling so much that all the Plastics are breaking and the tank itself is just about touching the exhaust header clamp. im getting worried it may explode if it touches the exhaust clamp. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 1 | None | ODI 11674726The fuel tank is expanding, leading to the fairings cracking, especially the right hand side (rear). Two fairings have been cracked and it’s impossible to refit them. The tank vent is working and on multiple occasions has vented fuel out in the garage. Multiple people reported ethanol to play a role in the expansion of the tank, however this bike has never seen anything below 91 octane. The risk of the tank bursting or nearing the exhaust is given and poses a safety risk. I have not presented it to a dealer yet, however did my own research and … |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 1 | None | ODI 11756361The fuel tank has been expanding consistently now for the past few years. It has began to crack the attachment points for the body plastics. I sent pictures and reported this years ago to KTM and they told me it would have to be inspected which they may not cover and even still wouldn’t guarantee it would be replaced/fixed. This puts my safety at risk if I experience a crash or collision since the integrity of the tank is in question and it puts others safety at risk because it could rupture from a fall and cause a fire. There are no warning la… |
| 2026-09 | 1 | None | ODI 11765654Description of Defect: I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding the plastic fuel tank on my 2021 KTM 690. On this specific motorcycle architecture, the plastic fuel tank is a load-bearing, structural component that acts as the rear subframe. The rear passenger footpegs and the entire rear seat assembly mount directly onto this plastic fuel tank structure.The tank has severely warped, expanded, and deformed. This material warping introduces severe structural stress to the factory mounting points, creating a high risk of catastrophic stru… |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2022: 1 complaints · 2023: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Fuel/Propulsion System | Structure:Body | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/Propulsion System | — | 2ODI 11756361The fuel tank has been expanding consistently now for the past few years. It has began to crack the attachment points for the body plastics. I sent pictures and reported this years ago to KTM and they told me it would have to be inspected which they may not cover and even still wouldn’t guarantee it would be replaced/fixed. This puts my safety at risk if I experience a crash or collision since the integrity of the tank is in question and it puts others safety at risk because it could rupture from a fall and cause a fire. There are no warning la… ODI 11765654Description of Defect: I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding the plastic fuel tank on my 2021 KTM 690. On this specific motorcycle architecture, the plastic fuel tank is a load-bearing, structural component that acts as the rear subframe. The rear passenger footpegs and the entire rear seat assembly mount directly onto this plastic fuel tank structure.The tank has severely warped, expanded, and deformed. This material warping introduces severe structural stress to the factory mounting points, creating a high risk of catastrophic stru… | 1ODI 11765654Description of Defect: I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding the plastic fuel tank on my 2021 KTM 690. On this specific motorcycle architecture, the plastic fuel tank is a load-bearing, structural component that acts as the rear subframe. The rear passenger footpegs and the entire rear seat assembly mount directly onto this plastic fuel tank structure.The tank has severely warped, expanded, and deformed. This material warping introduces severe structural stress to the factory mounting points, creating a high risk of catastrophic stru… |
| Structure:Body | 2ODI 11756361The fuel tank has been expanding consistently now for the past few years. It has began to crack the attachment points for the body plastics. I sent pictures and reported this years ago to KTM and they told me it would have to be inspected which they may not cover and even still wouldn’t guarantee it would be replaced/fixed. This puts my safety at risk if I experience a crash or collision since the integrity of the tank is in question and it puts others safety at risk because it could rupture from a fall and cause a fire. There are no warning la… ODI 11765654Description of Defect: I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding the plastic fuel tank on my 2021 KTM 690. On this specific motorcycle architecture, the plastic fuel tank is a load-bearing, structural component that acts as the rear subframe. The rear passenger footpegs and the entire rear seat assembly mount directly onto this plastic fuel tank structure.The tank has severely warped, expanded, and deformed. This material warping introduces severe structural stress to the factory mounting points, creating a high risk of catastrophic stru… | — | 1ODI 11765654Description of Defect: I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding the plastic fuel tank on my 2021 KTM 690. On this specific motorcycle architecture, the plastic fuel tank is a load-bearing, structural component that acts as the rear subframe. The rear passenger footpegs and the entire rear seat assembly mount directly onto this plastic fuel tank structure.The tank has severely warped, expanded, and deformed. This material warping introduces severe structural stress to the factory mounting points, creating a high risk of catastrophic stru… |
| Seats | 1ODI 11765654Description of Defect: I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding the plastic fuel tank on my 2021 KTM 690. On this specific motorcycle architecture, the plastic fuel tank is a load-bearing, structural component that acts as the rear subframe. The rear passenger footpegs and the entire rear seat assembly mount directly onto this plastic fuel tank structure.The tank has severely warped, expanded, and deformed. This material warping introduces severe structural stress to the factory mounting points, creating a high risk of catastrophic stru… | 1ODI 11765654Description of Defect: I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding the plastic fuel tank on my 2021 KTM 690. On this specific motorcycle architecture, the plastic fuel tank is a load-bearing, structural component that acts as the rear subframe. The rear passenger footpegs and the entire rear seat assembly mount directly onto this plastic fuel tank structure.The tank has severely warped, expanded, and deformed. This material warping introduces severe structural stress to the factory mounting points, creating a high risk of catastrophic stru… | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.