BMW X1 · model year

2016 BMW X1

186 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016BMWX1 carries 186 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 X1 is unknown or other with 64 filings, followed by power train (30) and visibility/wiper (18). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 34 investigation files overlapping the 2016 X1. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

186
Complaints
3
Crashes
1
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

186 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER64
POWER TRAIN30
VISIBILITY/WIPER18
STRUCTURE:BODY15
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM11
ENGINE8
SERVICE BRAKES8
STEERING4
AIR BAGS4
SUSPENSION4
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY2
SEAT BELTS2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT2
STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:CEILING2

Recalls (3)

15V88700030/12/2015

STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling one model year 2016 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door vehicle manufactured November 24, 2015, and one BMW X1 Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) manufactured October, 19 2015. The steering gearbox may have been manufactured with incorrect parts.

16V74700017/10/2016

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

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 s

19V34900009/05/2019

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

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

Recent Complaints

20260105UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Known HVAC-produced moisture drainage issue that cause water to get trapped inside the system and cabin air filter housing, causing significant mold or mildew to grow on the filter itself and spread spores through cabin ventilation system and contaminates air inside cabin which poses serious health hazards.

20250617ENGINE

- Roof and pillars I have been having for almost a year when trying to open and slide on the track. It is harsh and noisy. - Engine oil filter housing and coolant leak. This issue is critical. Finally on April 10, 2025 I ended spending $1007.52 to get the housing replaced to stop the ongoing drip drip effect. - Steering gear box. This issue remains despite the fact that I replaced struts. For almost a year since I bought the vehicle, there appears to be a clunking type noise especially when going over rail tracks on the road where I am forced to almost come to a complete stop to let the car go over the tracks out of fear of sustaining damage.

20250617FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

- Roof and pillars I have been having for almost a year when trying to open and slide on the track. It is harsh and noisy. - Engine oil filter housing and coolant leak. This issue is critical. Finally on April 10, 2025 I ended spending $1007.52 to get the housing replaced to stop the ongoing drip drip effect. - Steering gear box. This issue remains despite the fact that I replaced struts. For almost a year since I bought the vehicle, there appears to be a clunking type noise especially when going over rail tracks on the road where I am forced to almost come to a complete stop to let the car go over the tracks out of fear of sustaining damage.

20250609ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 BMW X1. The contact stated that it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 81,295, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 135,400.

Mileage: 135,400

20250602UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My 2016 BMW X1 28i is leaking coolant. I am also getting a smell of something burning inside the car when driving. This is consistent with problems associated with the 2024 recall for water pump. I was told by my dealership that my vehicle was not one affected by the recall. I think it might be one that is. The vehicle could catch fire if there is a failure of the wiring.

20250602VISIBILITY/WIPER

About 24 months back the sunroof curtain of my BMW X1 started having problems when I retract or operate it. It used to make stretching noises when I tried to open my sunroof and after a few times I heard a crackling noise and before I can stop it the curtain tore. Initially it was a small tear, so it did not bother much but over time the curtain completely left the guide/rail on one side and started sagging. Given it is a sunroof the curtain is as long as the vehicle and so now it is sagging to a point that it obstructs driver's visibly in back mirror. BMW won't do anything about it saying it is out of warranty and ultimately to avoid accidents I had to remove the curtain completely. I also tried getting it fixed, but the issue is not just the curtain but the rails of the curtain which is a non-replaceable part :( I would have to replace full sunshade assembly which is upwards of $1600. Also, it seems to be a common problem with these vehicles. Here are more examples of it: [XXX] . Ple

20250508STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:CEILING

Sunroof shade came off the tracks and is now sagging partially obstructing the view of my rear view mirror, if this sags more or falls off completely I will be unable to see out the rear window and can cause a collision. I see this has been an issue with multiple vehicles and should be addressed with the company immediately.

20250426POWER TRAIN

Every time I get in or out of my car, the secure vehicle against rolling indicator light comes on.

20250128UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Error message when getting in the truck says “Secure vehicle against rolling”.

20250117POWER TRAIN

The car is indicating the I need to press the parking brake to secure the car from rolling after I have placed it in park and pressed the electronic parking brake.

20250108UNKNOWN OR OTHER

"Secure vehicle from rolling" keeps coming on the dashboard when I turn the car off or put into park.

20241205TIRES

225/50 R18. Purchased in March 2024 and tread is already at 4/32 and 5/32 as of Dec 2024 for 2 of them. Tires driven for 13K miles. This is completely unacceptable and unsafe. I believe there is a defect, for tires to be so new and tread to be degrading so quickly.

20241204UNKNOWN OR OTHER

After I got my 2016 BMW X1 from Service, I heard a rough sound when I reversed the vehicle from Park. After a few days, I noticed my vehicle showing an error saying "Secure Vehicle against rolling" every time I parked the vehicle and advising me to use my hand brake. I then did some search on the web and finally took it for servicing at BMW Rockville, Maryland where the service department is managed by Auto Nation. They gave me a quote for around $2500 to fix this issue. Based on the research of this issue on the web, it looks like a $10 spring malfunction causes this issue. I have less than 55,000 miles on my vehicle. I am not sure if this issue is caused by some incorrect service work performed by Auto Nation The report from Auto Nation is at the link below [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20241203UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My 2016 X1 is showing in the dashboard a “secure vehicle against rolling” transmission message; the fault is due to a little spring in the selector level which has been reported in other BMW and MINI models. I recently found a report in the NHTSA website related to a 10 year warranty extension for the Mini [XXX] ) but it does not include the X1 model, which suffers from the same type of defect. The warning showed up for the first time on Tuesday [XXX]. I have made an appointment with the car dealer to diagnose the issue. Multiple X1 owners have reported the same issue in multiple forums, for example: [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20241119SERVICE BRAKES

Warning light stating "Secure vehicle against rolling". Even when the vehicle is in park it could still roll and injure or kill someone.

20241107UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Message-secure vehicle from rolling

20241024POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT

The contact owns a 2016 BMW X1. The contact stated that after arriving to the destination and shifting the vehicle into park(P), the message "Secure Vehicle against Rolling Malfunction" was displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission shifter lever control cable. The contact was informed that the transmission shifter lever control cable was abnormally stretched. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000.

Mileage: 46,000

20241004POWER TRAIN

The transmission lock sensor is defective in this car design- the spring in the gearshift assembly that contacts the transmission lock sensor has a faulty design and is prone to breaking. This leads to a warning in the car that the transmission lock has not occurred when the car is in park (although it is actually functioning). This creates a "false alarm" situation that then does not allow the user to know if the transmission is truly locked in park This defect has occurred in my car as diagnosed by both dealer and independent mechanic. This is a common and known defect amongst X1 owners (as well as the mechanical sibling Mini Cooper). It is also well known amongst the BMW dealer service; It should be consider a recall defect

20240830STRUCTURE:BODY

Sunroof shade ripped off

20240825ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Received an error message: Transmission. Use parking break to prevent rolling. Dealership said it was the internal gear shift. It didn’t recognize the vehicle was in park. It was an expensive repair because they had to remove the console to fix. Was told it was an issue with my model.

Compare 2016BMWX1 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 BMW X1 have?
The 2016 BMW X1 has 186 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 1 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 BMW X1?
Yes, the 2016 BMW X1 has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION). Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 BMW X1?
The most-complained component for the 2016 BMW X1 is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 64 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and VISIBILITY/WIPER.
Is the 2016 BMW X1 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.