Total Complaints
8 filings
BMW X1 SAV · model year
2016 BMW X1 SAV
8 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2016BMWX1 SAV carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 2 fires, 2 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 SAV is air bags with 1 filings, followed by seat belts (1) and engine (1). 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 1 active recall campaign, 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 SAV. 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.
8
Complaints
2
Crashes
2
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
Recalls (1)
17V06200026/01/2017
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2016-2017 X1 xDrive28i and X1 sDrive28i vehicles. The affected vehicles have an instrument panel that may not allow the front passenger air bag to deploy properly in the event of a crash.
Recent Complaints
20190423FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHEN I EXTEND THE PASSENGER SEAT ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK, THE FUSE BLOWS UP. THERE ARE SPARKS UNDER THE SEAT. AFTER THAT ALL THE BUTTONS TOWARDS PASSENGER SEAT ARE NOT RESPONSIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SAME DAY AND THEY FIXED IT ON THE SAME DAY BY REPLACING THE FUSE. AS SOON AS I GOT THE CAR, I TRIED EXTENDING THE SEAT AND FUSE BLOWS UP AGAIN. THE DEALER TOOK IT FOR 2 WEEKS, CHECKS IT AND JUST RETURNS IT SAYING THE FAULTY WIRE HAS BEEN TRIMMED AND ADVISED ME NOT TO ADJUST THE SEAT. THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ANY PERMANENT SOLUTION. WHEN I CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE REGARDING THIS MATTER, I GOT THE SAME RESPONSE ADVISING ME NOT TO ADJUST THE SEAT. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE. IT HAD 24K MILES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED AS OF TODAY.
Mileage: 24,000
20190423FireSEATS
WHEN I EXTEND THE PASSENGER SEAT ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK, THE FUSE BLOWS UP. THERE ARE SPARKS UNDER THE SEAT. AFTER THAT ALL THE BUTTONS TOWARDS PASSENGER SEAT ARE NOT RESPONSIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SAME DAY AND THEY FIXED IT ON THE SAME DAY BY REPLACING THE FUSE. AS SOON AS I GOT THE CAR, I TRIED EXTENDING THE SEAT AND FUSE BLOWS UP AGAIN. THE DEALER TOOK IT FOR 2 WEEKS, CHECKS IT AND JUST RETURNS IT SAYING THE FAULTY WIRE HAS BEEN TRIMMED AND ADVISED ME NOT TO ADJUST THE SEAT. THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ANY PERMANENT SOLUTION. WHEN I CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE REGARDING THIS MATTER, I GOT THE SAME RESPONSE ADVISING ME NOT TO ADJUST THE SEAT. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE. IT HAD 24K MILES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED AS OF TODAY.
Mileage: 24,000
20181107VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL IS ACTIVE, THE COLLISION WARNING WILL LIGHT AND THE BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NOTHING IN FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON A STRAIGHT, FLAT ROAD WITH NO SHADOWS, UNDULATIONS, OR CARS ANYWHERE IN SIGHT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD SINCE IT HAS HAPPENED WITH CARS TRAVELING IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. BMW TECHS CANNOT ID THE PROBLEM AND SAY THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT. THE PROBLEM IS INFREQUENT AND HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO OCCUR DURING A TEST DRIVE. MET TODAY WITH A BMW NA TECHNICAL SERVICE EXPERT WHO INSISTED THAT I WAS 'CONFUSING' THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM'S NORMAL OPERATION. NOT SO. MY LEASE ENDS IN 2 MONTHS AND I DON'T WANT THE NEXT OWNER TO GET RAMMED FROM BEHIND.
Mileage: 20,000
20171118ENGINE
2016 BMW X1 XDRIVE 28I HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT RANDOM TIMES. THE DELAY CAN TAKE UP TO 1 SECOND BEFORE THE ACCELERATOR RESPONDS AND THE VEHICLE STARTS MOVING. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN TRYING TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC.
Mileage: 12,000
20171118FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2016 BMW X1 XDRIVE 28I HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT RANDOM TIMES. THE DELAY CAN TAKE UP TO 1 SECOND BEFORE THE ACCELERATOR RESPONDS AND THE VEHICLE STARTS MOVING. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN TRYING TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC.
Mileage: 12,000
20171118POWER TRAIN
2016 BMW X1 XDRIVE 28I HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT RANDOM TIMES. THE DELAY CAN TAKE UP TO 1 SECOND BEFORE THE ACCELERATOR RESPONDS AND THE VEHICLE STARTS MOVING. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN TRYING TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC.
Mileage: 12,000
20171030CrashAIR BAGS
ON 10/28, MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL OFFSET HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A CHEVY SILVERADO. THE IMPACT OCCURRED INSIDE OF A TURNING LANE WHERE THE CHEVY WAS TRAVELING APPROX. 15 MPH, AND MY DAUGHTER BEGAN ACCELERATING OUT OF THE TURN LANE AT 5-10MPH WHEN THEY COLLIDED. THE SILVERADO'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, THE BMWS DID NOT. NO FRONT AIRBAGS OR KNEE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. SHE HIT HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL, WHILE WEARING HER SEATBELT, SO THIS ALSO BEGS THE QUESTION, WHY THE SEATBELT PRETENSIONERS DID NOT HOLD HER BACK FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. BMW 'S ALSO COME EQUIPPED WITH EMERGENCY FLASHERS UPON ACCIDENT, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN EITHER. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT NONE OF THE BMW SAFETY SYSTEMS WENT INTO EFFECT DURING THIS COLLISION. BMW ASSIST ALSO NEVER CALLED, WHICH AGAIN IS ANOTHER TOUTED BMW SAFETY SYSTEM IN ALL THEIR CARS.
20171030CrashSEAT BELTS
ON 10/28, MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL OFFSET HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A CHEVY SILVERADO. THE IMPACT OCCURRED INSIDE OF A TURNING LANE WHERE THE CHEVY WAS TRAVELING APPROX. 15 MPH, AND MY DAUGHTER BEGAN ACCELERATING OUT OF THE TURN LANE AT 5-10MPH WHEN THEY COLLIDED. THE SILVERADO'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, THE BMWS DID NOT. NO FRONT AIRBAGS OR KNEE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. SHE HIT HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL, WHILE WEARING HER SEATBELT, SO THIS ALSO BEGS THE QUESTION, WHY THE SEATBELT PRETENSIONERS DID NOT HOLD HER BACK FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. BMW 'S ALSO COME EQUIPPED WITH EMERGENCY FLASHERS UPON ACCIDENT, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN EITHER. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT NONE OF THE BMW SAFETY SYSTEMS WENT INTO EFFECT DURING THIS COLLISION. BMW ASSIST ALSO NEVER CALLED, WHICH AGAIN IS ANOTHER TOUTED BMW SAFETY SYSTEM IN ALL THEIR CARS.
Compare 2016BMWX1 SAV to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2016 BMW X1 SAV have?▼
The 2016 BMW X1 SAV has 8 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 BMW X1 SAV?▼
Yes, the 2016 BMW X1 SAV has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 BMW X1 SAV?▼
The most-complained component for the 2016 BMW X1 SAV is AIR BAGS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS and ENGINE.
Is the 2016 BMW X1 SAV 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.