NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 BMW X1. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 2 MILES FROM FROM HOME THE STEERING LOCKED UP WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A TOWN ROAD AND TURNING. WAS ABLE TO GET TO SHOULDER OF ROAD. AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTING CAR THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARED AND CONTINUED TO MY DESTINATION. LATER THAT DAY ON MY RETURN TRIP, AFTER DRIVING ONLY A FEW BLOCKS THE STEERING AGAIN LOCKED UP WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION THIS TIME GOING STRAIGHT ON A PARKWAY. AFTER STOPPING ON THE SIDE OF ROAD, IT WOULD NOT RESET ITSELF LIKE BEFORE AND HAD TO BE TOWED FOR SERVICE. DEALER PAID FOR TOWING,LOANER,AND REPAIRS. I ASKED IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY SAID NO.THEY SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE REPAIRS INCLUDED REPLACING THE STEERING RACK.
MANUFACTURER HAS FACTORY INSTALLED A DEVICE WHICH AUTOMATICALLY DISABLES PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS WHEN THE PASSENGER USES A SEAT CUSHION ON THE RATHER UNCOMFORTABLE SPORT SEAT. WE DO NOT OWN A PET, NOR DO WE USE AN INFANT CAR SEAT. WE ARE A RETIED COUPLE AND THE CUSHION IS NECESSARY IN THE PASSENGER SEAT DUE TO MY WIFE'S HIP DISCOMFORT. BMW HAS REFUSED TO ENABLE THE AIR BAGS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEN ANYTHING IS PLACED ON THE SEAT (OTHER THAN A HUMAN BEHIND!) THE SEAT CUSHION BETWEEN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND THE PASSENGER DEAFEATS THE FEDERALLY MANDATED AIR BAG ON THAT SIDE.WE ARE NOTIFYING BMW THAT THIS MANUFACTURING DESIGN ANOMOLY WILL CAUSE US TO HOLD THEM LIABLE IN THE EVENT OF A FRONT END COLLISION WHERE THE AIR BAG FAILS TO OPERATE. A SIMPLE OVERIDE IS POSSIBLE TO CURE THIS ISSUE BUT BMW HAS REFUSED TO COOPERATE. CAN YOU HELP US?
2016 BMW X1 NEW SAV EQUIPPED WITH COMFORT ACCESS . APPROACHED LOCKED PARKED HATCHBACK AND DEPRESSED HATCH EXTERIOR LOCK HANDLE. HATCH OPENED TO MID-HEIGHT OPENING TO ALLOW 6 FT TALL PERSON TO GET INTO THE TRUNK HATCH AREA. WITHIN APPROXIMATELY TEN SECONDS, LOUD WARNING SOUND PLAYED WHILE HATCH STARTED TO AUTOMATICALLY CLOSE. THIS WAS STARTLING AND UNEXPECTED. TRIED TO REMOVE MYSELF QUICKLY FROM VEHICLE AND WAS STRUCK BY CLOSING TAILGATE. SUFFERED BLEEDING FOREHEAD GASH AND NEEDED SEVERAL STITCHES AT THE EMERGENCY ROOM. DID NOT HIT ANY BUTTONS ON THE VEHICLE OR THE REMOTE KEY. ALSO DID NOT DO ANY FOOT WIGGLE DANCE OR KICKING IN PROXIMITY OF REAR BUMPER TO ACTIVATE CLOSURE OF HATCH TAILGATE (THIS FEATURE IS SILLY BUT I CAN APPRECIATE IT BEING UTILIZED TO OPEN THE HATCH, BUT NOT TO CLOSE IT IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS). I WAS GIVEN AN INDIRECT IMPRESSION AFTER THE INCIDENT THAT BECAUSE THE CAR WAS ARMED WITH THE ALARM SYSTEM THAT PERHAPS IT TREATED THE OPENING OF THE HATCH AS AN INTRUSION THEREBY CLOSING ITSELF. HOWEVER I CANNOT SUBSTANTIATE THIS AS I DO NOT WANT TO SACRIFICE FURTHER INJURY ). UNCLEAR OF WHY THIS HAPPENED BUT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY THE AUTO CLOSURE SHOULD NOT PHYSICALLY OCCUR UNLESS A PHYSICAL BUTTON IS DEPRESSED. THERE ARE FOUR SUCH BUTTONS ON THIS VEHICLE: ON THE LOWER DRIVERS DOOR, TWO ON THE INSIDE RIGHT HAND EDGE OF THE TAILGATE, ANOTHER ON THE REMOTE KEY. I HOPE THIS NOTICE WILL MAKE OTHER X1 USERS AWARE OF THIS CONCERN. I DO HOPE THE MANUFACTURER WILL PROGRAM OR DESIGN A FIX TO ADDRESS THE CONCERN. IT IS A PROBLEM AND PERHAPS A HIDDEN DANGER AS ONE DOES NOT EXPECTED TO BE MAMED OR INJURED BY THEIR CAR IN THIS MANNER. BMW NJ CORPORATE WAS INFORMED AND SUGGESTED TO WORK OUT A FIX DIRECTLY WITH THE BMW DEALER. MANUFACTURER SHOULD REDESIGN FEATURES TOWARDS CUSTOMER SAFETY.
'SPECIFICALLY BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE FOR THE ACTIVE DRIVING ASSISTANT AND ACC STOP & GO + ACTIVE DRIVING ASSISTANT AS I USE CRUISE CONTROL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND HAVE THE FOLLOWING ISSUES: OTHE STOP & GO DOES NOT REMAIN ACTIVE LONG ENOUGH TO WORK THROUGH STOP LIGHT TIMINGS OTHE ACTIVE DRIVING ASSISTANT SLOWS DOWN IMPROPRIETY FOR VEHICLES PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OTHE ACTIVE DRIVING ASSISTANT CREATES TO MUCH DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FOLLOW-ON VEHICLE ALLOWING CARS TO CUT IN FRONT OF ME ODOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY IN MISTY RAIN OR IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT ODETECTION OF FOLLOW-ON VEHICLE IS NOT CONSISTENT ' SOMETIMES SLOWS DOWN AND STOPS AT NORMAL RATE AND OTHER TIMES IT IS A HARD STOP OR EMERGENCY BREAKING ODOES NOT CONSISTENTLY DETECT THAT VEHICLES ARE IN FRONT OF ME AND I HAVE TO INTERVENE IN STOPPING VEHICLE MANY TIMES OEMERGENCY STOP HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHEN NO IMPENITENCE IS IN FRONT OF ME ' POTENTIALLY WORRISOME BECAUSE CARS COULD SLAM INTO ME.
I BELIEVE THAT THE EXHAUST TAIL PIPES COME OUT TOO FAR. I WAS GETTING SOMETHING OUT OF THE REAR OF MY X1 AND BURNED MY LEFT LEG ON THE LEFT REAR EXHAUST PIPE. THE CAR WAS PARKED ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET AND TURNED OFF AT THE TIME. HOWEVER, I HAD JUST FINISHED DRIVING IT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 BMW X1. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VIBRATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED AT FULL CAPACITY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS WORKING UP TO SPECIFICATIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,500. UPDATED 10/19/16*LJ *CN
YOUR BOX WAS BAD IT WOULD JUMP OUT A GEAR FORCE ME TO HIT A CURB AT ONE TIME. ALL WHEEL DRIVE WAS BAD. BACK WHEELS PUSH FRONT WHEELS SO FRONT TIRES WEAR OUT ABOUT EVERY 2000 MILES, NO NOTICE OF RECALL GIVEN. AIR BAG PROBLEM NO NOTICE OF RECALL SENT. ROOF UNSAFE NOT AIR BAGS. SEAT BELTS, NO RECALL NOTICE SENT. ON X1 IS LARGE BUT I GEAR BOX WAS BAD THE CAR WOULD JUMP OUT OF GEAR, AT ONE POINT I HIT A CURB MESS UP THE WHEEL, NO NOTICE WAS SENT. SOMEONE HIT THE BACK OF MY CAR WHEN THE CAR JUMP OUT OF GEAR AND LEFT A MARK. I ONLY RECEIVED ON RECALL NOTICE. KNOW IT'S ON NET BMW X1'S HAVE BEEN RECALLED FROM 2015-2020. THE ONE NOTICE WAS DRIVERS SEAT BELT, MY LEASE WAS EXTENDED FOR 6 MONTHS AND DID NOT ADVISE ME OF ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS AND I WAS DRIVING AN UNSAFE CAR FROM 2016/SEPT THRU 2020 WITH NO KNOWLEDGE. I RETURNED THE CAR AND AFTER PAYING 6 MONTHS OF EXTRA PAYMENTS THEY WANT ME TO PAY FOR DAMAGES THAT THE RECALLS CALL CAUSED. WHY ARE THEY NOT SENDING NOTICE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS THE CAR HAS. DOSE SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE.
WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP THE CAR HESITATES TO ACCELERATE. THERE IS A TWO - THREE SECOND DELAY AFTER YOU STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR. THIS HAS RESULTED IN ALMOST BEING HIT BROADSIDE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CAR LITERALLY DRIFTS FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE RESPONDING. WAY SCARY AND VERY DANGEROUS. AFRAID TO CROSS LANES WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE FUEL SAVING AUTO/ON/OFF HAS ALWAYS BEEN DISENGAGED WHEN THIS OCCURS. NOT USING SPORT OR ECO SETTING EITHER. VERY UNSAFE CAR. PROBLEM HAS EXISTED OVER THE PAST 14 MONTHS SINCE PURCHASED NEW. HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT PROBLEM TO DEALERSHIP AND BMW NORTH AMERICA NUMEROUS TIMES. BMW TRIED TO UPDATE SOFTWARE BUT IT DIDN'T ADDRESS PROBLEM. OTHERS ON BIMMERFEST IN THE USA ARE ALSO STATING THEY ARE HAVING A SIMILAR PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AT A PRICE OF OVER $40K.
Error - secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026