2010 BMW 1 Series Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2010 BMW 1 Series, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags440.0%
- Driver assistance110.0%
- Electrical110.0%
- Engine110.0%
- Fuel system110.0%
- Interior & seats110.0%
- Exterior lighting110.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
FAILED PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR. DOES NOT DETECT PASSENGER. "AIRBAG OFF" IS ILLUMINATED WHEN PASSENGER IS PRESENT.
I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM BMW ADVISING THAT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AND TO CONTACT MY LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE THEM INSTALLED. I HAVE CONTACTED MY DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT DUE TO LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF PARTS, I COULD NOT HAVE THEM INSTALLED UNTIL MARCH 2018.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER CAR ON THE FREE WAY AT NIGHT BY HER SELF AND IT WENT FROM 65 MILES TO HOUR TO 25 MILES AN HOUR AND THEN IT STOPPED. I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY HOME AND MY WIFE WAS VERY SCARED. I THEN HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MAG BMW IN DUBLIN OHIO. ONCE THERE I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD A GAS LEAK IN THE INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK THAT IS CAUSING THE CAR TO LOOSE POWER AND THAT IS WHY IT STOPPED. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE PERSON THAT IT WOULD COST ME $3000 TO GET IT REPAIRED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT BMW DOES NOT USE THAT FUEL TANK ANYMORE SO I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP ALSO. I ASKED IF YOU NO LONGER USE THE FUEL TANK IT MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT AND THEN BMW SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. I WAS TOLD THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AND THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE. AS YOU CAN SEE THIS COULD HAVE TURNED OUT VERY BAD IF MY WIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC GOING 65 MILES PER HOUR AND THEN JUST STARTS TO SLOW DOWN WITH NO NOTICE OR NO ISSUE. THE CAR IS STILL IN MY GARAGE WITH NO WORK BEEN DONE JUST INCASE SOME ONE NEEDS TO LOOK AT THE CAR. I DID HAVE TO PAY $400 DOLLARS TO BE TOLD ABOUT THE GAS TANK PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS 40,000 MILES ON IT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
RADIO NOT ALWAYS GOING ON WHEN TURNED ON OR TURNING OFF BY ITSELF OR CHANGING STATIONS. ONGOING PROBLEM. BROUGHT TO DEALER WHO HAD ME WAIT FOR OVER 5 HRS. FOR THE "CONTROLLER" TO BE CHANGED. PROBLEM CONTINUED ALONG WITH ONE OCCASION OF LOUD BUZZING COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. BROUGHT TO ATTENTION OF DEALER SEVERAL TIMES WHEN IN FOR SERVICING BUT WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. DISCOVERED ONLY TOO LATE THAT I WAS BEYOND THE TIME OF FILING A COMPLAINT UNDER THE LEMON LAW. BROUGHT VEHICLE IT TO DEALER FOR APPRAISAL AND POSSIBLE "BUY BACK" BUT WAS OFFERED ONLY ABOUT HALF ITS VALUE. NOW I AM ENCOUNTERING PROBLEM OF "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT GOING ON AND REMAINING ON (OVER SEVERAL THOUSAND MI.), PAID TO HAVE CHECKED BUT RECEIVED CODE ONLY. TIRED OF GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES WITH THIS CAR AND COMPANY SO AM NOW CONSIDERING TRADING WITH ANOTHER COMPANY. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
CAR SUDDENLY STALLED IN MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY. NO WARNING , ENGINE JUST QUIT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER CAR ON THE FREE WAY AT NIGHT BY HER SELF AND IT WENT FROM 65 MILES TO HOUR TO 25 MILES AN HOUR AND THEN IT STOPPED. I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY HOME AND MY WIFE WAS VERY SCARED. I THEN HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MAG BMW IN DUBLIN OHIO. ONCE THERE I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD A GAS LEAK IN THE INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK THAT IS CAUSING THE CAR TO LOOSE POWER AND THAT IS WHY IT STOPPED. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE PERSON THAT IT WOULD COST ME $3000 TO GET IT REPAIRED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT BMW DOES NOT USE THAT FUEL TANK ANYMORE SO I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP ALSO. I ASKED IF YOU NO LONGER USE THE FUEL TANK IT MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT AND THEN BMW SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. I WAS TOLD THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AND THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE. AS YOU CAN SEE THIS COULD HAVE TURNED OUT VERY BAD IF MY WIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC GOING 65 MILES PER HOUR AND THEN JUST STARTS TO SLOW DOWN WITH NO NOTICE OR NO ISSUE. THE CAR IS STILL IN MY GARAGE WITH NO WORK BEEN DONE JUST INCASE SOME ONE NEEDS TO LOOK AT THE CAR. I DID HAVE TO PAY $400 DOLLARS TO BE TOLD ABOUT THE GAS TANK PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS 40,000 MILES ON IT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
FAILED PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR. DOES NOT DETECT PASSENGER. "AIRBAG OFF" IS ILLUMINATED WHEN PASSENGER IS PRESENT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE TAIL LIGHTS AND 3RD BRAKE LIGHT FAIL. THERE IS NO INDICATOR ON DASH THAT NOTIFIES OF SUCH FAILURE, CREATES A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .