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BMW · NHTSA safety record

2017 BMW X1

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 156 safety complaints about the 2017 BMW X1 with the US government. Of those, 3 describe a crash, 10 people were injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the body structure and the seat belts.

The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 57 complaints, 37% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 50,210 miles, the median across the 13 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers August 2018 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

156 complaints on file

156

Complaints

3

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

10

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints halved year on year: 9 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 27 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year. A further 1 defect investigation is open and unresolved.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
POWER TRAIN 57 · 37%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 50 · 32%
SERVICE BRAKES 26 · 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 24 · 15%
STRUCTURE 20 · 13%
ENGINE 12 · 8%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 4 · 3%
AIR BAGS 3 · 2%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 3 · 2%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 3 · 2%
SEAT BELTS 3 · 2%
SUSPENSION 3 · 2%
0 23 46

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 156.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2022 at 44.

48 36 24 12
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2017 BMW X1. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

19V349000 · May 9, 2019

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2016-2019 X1 sDrive28i and X1 xDrive28i vehicles. In the event of a crash where the occupants head contacts the B-pillar, the pillar may not absorb an adequate amount of the impact. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impact."
The risk
In the event of a crash, the insufficient impact absorption can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vertical trim pieces on the upper portion of the interior B-Pillars, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 1, 2019. Second notices will be sent as parts become available, starting on September 27, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 106,182 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

16V747000 · October 17, 2016

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, MINI Hardtop 4 Door Cooper, Mini Hardtop 4 Door Cooper S, MINI Cooper Clubman, and Cooper S Clubman, 2017 Rolls-Royce Ghost, and 2016 528i vehicles. The vehicle-sensitive locking mechanism of the seat belt Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) for the driver's seat may not lock as designed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
The risk
In the event of a crash where heavy braking is applied, the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) may activate when the occupant is more forward in the seat, possibly increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 3, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 15,455 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

1 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

EA21002

Still open engineering analysis · opened September 17, 2021

the air bags

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

4 injured · crash · towed

On [XXX] [XXX] was operating her 2017 BMW X1 traveling northbound on [XXX]. While driving in the middle lane, her vehicle was struck on the right side. The point of impact was the right front passenger side, extending toward the rear passenger area. The force of the collision was significant enough to eject the right front passenger tire from the vehicle. Despite the severity of the impact, the right front passenger airbag failed to deploy. As a result of the collision and the car’s failure to properly respond to the crash, [XXX] sustained injuries that required hospitalization. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11670388. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE

1 injured · crash · towed · 58,000 miles

The contact owns a 2017 BMW X1. The contact stated his wife was driving at 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed to slow the vehicle down however her purse got entrapped near the brake pedal and accelerator pedal causing her to crash into the vehicle in front who was stopped. The air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt failed to retract. The contacts wife collided with the steering wheel due to the impact. The contact's wife suffered chest injuries where a doctor later confirmed she had a cracked sternum. A police report was filed, and the vehicle was towed to a Collison Center. The dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.

NHTSA complaint 11474112. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

1 injured · 10,000 miles

THE TAILGATE CONSISTENTLY CLOSES ON ITS OWN. WITHOUT MY FOOT EVEN BEING NEAR THE SENSOR THAT IS LOCATED UNDER THE BACKEND. T HAS SLAMMED ME IN A BACK A FEW TIMES WHEN I'VE HAD MY HEADPHONES IN AND DID NOT HEAR THE BEEPING. I WON'T EVEN LET MY KNEES GET ANYTHING OUT OF IT. THE DEALERSHIP IN FL HAS ALLEGEDLY FIXED IT BUT CONTINUES TO DO IT. IT DID IT ON THE DEALERSHIP AS WELL. I MOVED IN AND CONTINUE TO DO IT TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA AND THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG. WHEN IT HIT YOU IN THE BACK IT HURTS REALLY BAD.

NHTSA complaint 11299705. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

1 injured · 1,000 miles

THE REAR TRUNK OF THE CAR STARTS CLOSING BY ITSELF. I INJURED MY HAND DUE TO SUCH SUDDEN CLOSURE. THIS PROBLEM IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITH THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS HITTING IT AND BMW IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING OR FIXING THE ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint 11355481. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
I am reporting a recurring safety warning on my 2017 BMW X1 xDrive28i. The vehicle repeatedly displays the message “Secure vehicle against rolling” on the dashboard even though the gear selector indicates that the vehicle is in Park. A diagnostic scan with BlueDriver also recorded BMW fault code 420106 – “Shift Lock Solenoid: Unlock stuck.” The warning has returned multiple times and appears to indicate a problem with the vehicle’s Park/shift-lock or parking-lock recognition system. Because this warning concerns the possibility of the vehicle rolling while parked, I consider it a potential safety issue. Until the problem is diagnosed and repaired, I have been using the electronic parking

NHTSA complaint 11762954, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The BMX1 overheated while parked and on with no warning of any levels being low or any obvious issues for it to overheat. I just saw the starter and overheated recall which led me to check my suv.

NHTSA complaint 11752650. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
What You’re Noticing (and Why It Matters) 1. Engine Mounts Wearing Out Engine mounts can wear over time, but premature failure (early loosening, vibration, clunking) can point to: Defective parts Poor design for that model year This is a common complaint in some BMW models, especially as mileage increases. 2. Brake System & Sensor Issues Warning lights staying on even after replacing sensors can mean: Faulty wiring or control module (not just the sensor itself) Ongoing system miscommunication BMW braking systems rely heavily on electronics, so one issue can trigger repeated alerts. 3. Oil Gasket / Housing Leaks You mentioned oil leaking from a plastic housing—this is important. BMW engines

NHTSA complaint 11725881, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Secure vehicle against rolling error

NHTSA complaint 11713046. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I am writing to formally file a report regarding the severe mechanical damage to the vehicle I purchased on June 14th, 2024, identified as A 2017 BMW- X1 sDrive28i, with VIN NUMBER [XXX] . It has come to my attention that this damage was not disclosed at the time of purchase, which constitutes a violation of consumer protection laws. As a consumer, I have the right to receive truthful and accurate information about the products I purchase. The failure to disclose significant mechanical issues is a violation of the Federal Trade Commission's regulations and applicable state consumer protection laws, including the prohibition against deceptive acts and practices. This vehicle poses as a

NHTSA complaint 11701704, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Every time I get in the vehicle or turn the vehicle off I get a message "Secure vehicle against rolling contact service specialist". Even if I press the emergency brake it still continues, this appears to be a known problem with the BMW X1 and not sure if it will cause my car to roll away.

NHTSA complaint 11691848. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the BMW X1

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 17 3 —
2024 30 3 —
2023 70 6 —
2021 9 1 —
2020 13 1 —
2019 11 3 —
2018 59 4 —
2016 159 3 —
2015 52 2 —
2014 54 2 —
2013 38 2 —

Other 2017 BMW models

X3 92 X5 74 I3 52 330I 41 430I 25 540I 20 530I 18 328D 12

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every BMW on this site — 257 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst