RoadVitals

2001 BMW 1 Series

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Dec 21, 2011
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2001 BMW 1 Series, most frequently naming the brakes, electrical and steering categories. 22 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes133.3%
  • Electrical133.3%
  • Steering133.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

BrakesElectricalSteering
Filed Dec 21, 2011

I WAS DRIVING VERY SLOWLY DOWN MY BLOCK (2001 BMW X5) AND I WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND I WAS INTENDING TO MAKE A 90 DEGREE TURN IN THE DIRECTION OF MY GARAGE. AS I WAS JUST INTO THE TURN THE CAR ACCELERATED FROM 1MPH TO ABOUT 30 MPH OR EVEN FASTER IN LESS THAN A SECOND- IT WAS OUT OF CONTROL. I WAS IN SHOCK NOT EXPECTING THIS SCENARIO- I TRULY THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE OR CRASH. I WAS BRAKING ENTIRE TIME AND NO STOPPING WAS HAPPENING. I WAS HEADED FOR MY LIVING ROOM WINDOW. TRIED TO STEER IT AWAY AND ONCE I HIT THE LAWN MY STEERING ABILITY WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE. WAS TRYING TO FIGURE IF I SHOULD HIT THE TREE BECAUSE MY CAR WAS HEADING FOR MY NEIGHBOR'S FRONT WINDOW. TIRE TRACKS AND SKID MARKS ALL OVER MY FRONT LAWN AND DRIVEWAY. AT THAT POINT I TURNED KEY OFF. CAR STOPPED. HAD ABOUT 2 OR 3 SECONDS TO REACT . IT HAPPENED SO FAST AND OUT OF NOWHERE. BY THE WAY AS I WAS TRAVELING DOWN MY STREET, I HAPPENED TO COMPLETELY STOP ABOUT 100 FEET FROM MY INTENDED RIGHT TURN. A NEIGHBOR WAS PULLING OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAY AND I WAS GOING TO LET THAT PERSON HAVE THE RIGHT AWAY. THE CAR WAS AT A DEAD STOP 100 FT. FROM MY DRIVEWAY ENTRANCE. WAS TRAVELING AT A VERY SLOW SPEED AS I APPROACHED MY DRIVEWAY. HAD NO VELOCITY AT THAT POINT- VERY SLOW ENTRANCE INTO DRIVEWAY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10440872
Incident
Dec 16, 2011
Mileage
120,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SIB-65-10-13

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE

BMW: REPLACEMENT OF THE OC3 SENSOR SEAT MAT ON THE PASSENGER SEAT. MODELS E82, E88, E90, E91, E92, E93. MODEL YEARS UNKNOWN. *KB UPDATED 12/6/13. *PE

SIB-17-02-09

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL

BMW: OIL LEAKS FROM THE AIR HOSE ON TURBOCHARGER. THIS IS DESIGNATED FOR E70, AND E90 MODELS WITH M57Y DIESEL ENGINES. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP MAY BE ILLUMINATED. *KB

SB-61-19-12

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DURING THE SCHEDULED 3 MONTH/ 5,000 MILE SERVICE IT COULD POSSIBLY BE DETERMINED THAT SOME OF THE CONTACT PROTECTIVE SLEEVE S IN THE CHARGING SOCKET MAY BE MISSING. BMW MODEL E28E. *KB

SB-62-01-13

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

INSTRUMENT PANEL AND GUAGES ARE INOPERATIVE. BMW MODEL F30. *KB

SB-34-01-13

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL:AUTOMATIC (ASC)

ASC (AUTOMATIC STABILITY CONTROL) OPERATION TO SENSITIVE. CRUISE CONTROL ACTION FUNCTION CAN OCCASIONALLY ACTIVATE AND DEACTIVATE DUE TO THE ASC IMPLAUSABILITY WHEN THE DSC WARNING LAMP IS FLASHING ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. BMW. *KB

SB-62-03-13

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAY IS INTERMITTENTLY INOPERATIVE. BMW F25, AND F30 MODELS. *KB

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

BMW 1 Series by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2012010—
2011333045.9
2010830—
2009182038.6
2008183043.5
2007600—
2006500—
2005300—
2004300—
2003100—
2002100—
2001Viewing100—
2000100—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.