BMW X1
Owners filed 676 complaints across 15 model years of the BMW X1. The 2016 drew the most (159).
Which BMW X1 years should you avoid?
Going by 676 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the BMW X1 years to avoid are 2016 and 2017.
- 2016159 complaints, 2.8× a typical X1 year, most often about the transmission.
- 2017156 complaints, 2.7× a typical X1 year, most often about the transmission.
Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026. Complaints take a few years to arrive, so a new model year looks better than it is.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every BMW X1 model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Too new | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | Service Brakes | Routine | |
| 2025Too new | 17 | 3 | 1 | 3 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2024 | 30 | 3 | — | 3 | Service Brakes | Routine | |
| 2023 | 71 | 6 | — | 2 | Electronic Stability Control (esc) | Routine | |
| 2022 | 1 | 2 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2021 | 10 | 1 | — | 4 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2020 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2019 | 13 | 3 | — | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2018 | 60 | 4 | 2 | 6 | Structure › Body | Routine | |
| 2017Avoid | 156 | 2 | — | 3 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2016Avoid | 159 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2015 | 52 | 2 | 4 | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2014 | 55 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2013 | 38 | 2 | 1 | 2 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2012 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.