CSR

BMW · NHTSA safety record

2020 BMW X1

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

13

Complaints

1

Crashes

1

Fires

3

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2020 BMW X1 have filed 13 safety complaints with NHTSA between April 2021 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 4 of them (31%). The typical failure was reported at 35,000 miles, the median across the 2 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE

20V283000 · May 20, 2020

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X1 xDrive28i, X1 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i and X2 sDrive28i, 2020 MINI Clubman Cooper S All4, 2021 MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and Cooper S E) and MINI Hardtop 4 Door (Cooper and Cooper S) vehicles. Due to a problem with the rollover sensor within the air bag control unit, in the event of a rollover crash, the head air bag, seat belt pretensioners and other safety systems, may not activate.
The risk
If the safety systems do not deploy as intended in a roll over crash, it may increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began July 17, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 76 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (1)

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.

Pedestrian alert sounds

DP22005

Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000

the electrical system

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 13.

POWER TRAIN 4 31%
ENGINE 3 23%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 15%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 15%
SEAT BELTS 2 15%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 15%
AIR BAGS 1 8%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 8%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 8%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2021 at 4.

2021 2026
2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

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

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2 injured · 3,000 miles

THE TRUNK COVER HAS PIECES OF EITHER PLEXI OR FIBER GLASS THAT GETS INTO YOUR SKIN. I HAVE GOTTEN TINY SHARDS OF THE GLASS IN MY SKIN AND IT BECOME UNIMAGINABLY PAINFUL AND IT IS VERY HARD TO GET OUT OF THE SKIN.

NHTSA complaint 11406288. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

I was in a front end crash at approximately 30 to 35 miles per hour and airbags did not deploy nor did the seatbelt lock. My chest hit the steering wheel and I was transported by EMS to hospital. Nothing was broken. I had a bruise upper right chest but my pain is in my sternum which is not visibly bruised but is very sore and my activity and mobility is impaired. My radiator was busted and car was towed by local police department to tow yard which is where it is right now. Soon to be moved to a repair center as the police report becomes available. It has not been inspected at this point. Just want to make the issue known.

NHTSA complaint 11429002. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire

I had a series of concerning incidents with my car. The trunk door was getting stuck halfway, but I was able to close it after turning on the engine. I also encountered a malfunction error on the backup camera, a Drive Train warning sign, and the car alarm going off by itself. The most alarming issue was when the car started smoking and then caught fire underneath the hood near the driver's side windshield. Thankfully, my father and I were able to put out the flames with a water hose before calling 911 to report the incident to the fire department. The car is considered a total per Geico Insurance.

NHTSA complaint 11611674. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:THROTTLEBODY/MANIFOLD

towed · 67,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 BMW X1. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 10 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. During the failure, the messages, "Chassis Stabilization: Drive Moderately," "Collision Warning System Malfunction," "Pedestrian Warning Reduced," and "Drivetrain: Continued Driving Possible" were displayed. The vehicle was pulled over into a remote emergency lane and driven 10 miles to an exit. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a short circuit to ground at the throttle body. The contact was informed that the throttle ground wire and controller needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired.

NHTSA complaint 11753485, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The fuel tank got punctured on the freeway causing the car to lose power. The problem seems that BMW plastic fuel tank is located on the right side at the bottom of the car so any stone or particle on the freeway can puncture the plastic tank from the bottom causing no fuel and the car losing power. Seems like that is problem with design and BMW is aware of it since the new models of the car starting 2023 have an extra underbody protection for the fuel tank which is missing on the previous year models.

NHTSA complaint 11666751. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Wastegate actuator turbo failure. Causes sudden loss of power to engine. Turbo function impacted. Drivetrain malfunction warning on dashboard. No prior warning sent. Problem with wastegate has been confirmed by Independent Service Center. Found similar issue with BMW E-Series Model 530e xdrive sedan Production dates 2/22/17-6/18/20 which extended warranty to 15 yr/150000 miles for same part. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11646229. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
it all started with the Battery and Powertrain and lound Loud niose from under my vehicle and my rear tail light code default. service forgetting to put the clamps back on i took the vehicle back from service and drove over 200 miles when the code for the above mention malfuntion appeared again they admitted the negilence of the service team...from that point on they my car was in and out of service for weeks at a time from September 2023 until Febuary 2024. I endlessly tried to resovle reimbursement and prove my vehicle was unsafe to drive and manufacture defects. i also consulted corporate several times submitting claim and nothing was esculated or followed up. listed below are the issues

NHTSA complaint 11590598, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS
I got my BMW X1 in December of 2020 and currently has 21,000 miles. I've notice unusual wear and tear on the driver side seatbelt so I brought it into the dealer but all they said was that it needs to be replaced. I don't think this is a normal wear and tear because as I've said, I only drove this vehicle for 21,000 miles. The tear is expanding and I believe this can be a serious safety issue during an accident or sudden stops. I was concerned if this was an issue to similar vehicles or if it's just my vehicle.

NHTSA complaint 11590316. 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 14 3
2024 30 3
2023 70 6
2019 11 3
2018 59 4
2017 155 2
2016 159 3
2015 52 2
2014 53 2
2013 38 2

Other 2020 BMW models

Every BMW on this site — 249 vehicles, 484 recall campaigns and 2 open investigation s.

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

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