RoadVitals

2016 BMW X1 Powertrain (other) Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Powertrain (other) reportsComplaints 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.
30
Latest Apr 26, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
19%
of 159 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2016 BMW X1 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 30 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming powertrain

The 25 most recent of 30, in the owner's own words

Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 26, 2025

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

NHTSA ID
11656952
Incident
Apr 21, 2025
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 17, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID
11636409
Incident
Jan 16, 2025
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 4, 2024

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

NHTSA ID
11618197
Incident
Apr 4, 2024
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 22, 2024

Secure vehicle from rolling error. Secure vehicle with parking brake Spring pin broke in side gear shifter.

NHTSA ID
11603681
Incident
Jul 19, 2024
BrakesEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 17, 2024

Every time I start or stop my vehicle I get a notification that shows Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center. And my console has a hazard warning that shows: Secure vehicle against rolling. This happens every time, even if the car is parked on a completely flat surface in no danger whatsoever of rolling. I've read SEVERAL X1 owners get this message and all state this needs to be a RECALL. They take their vehicles in for service and are told it's between $2500 and $3000 due to a tiny spring that breaks and the selector no longer communicates with the car in the parking position, and because of this there is an error message in dashboard in which warns you to make sure the vehicle is secure

NHTSA ID
11602851
Incident
Jul 16, 2024
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 28, 2024

Keep getting the following warning "Transmission - secure vehicle with parking brake". It seems this is a known issue relating to a simple spring in the gear shifter that causes the computer to not recognize that the vehicle is in park. It's not only a very expensive repair for such a simple part failure, but also a safety concern in not knowing if the vehicle is secure to park.

NHTSA ID
11597421
Incident
Jun 27, 2024
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 10, 2024

Secure vehicle against rolling error displayed despite the fact the car is securely in Park. Issue is a broke $1 spring inside the gearshifter that requires $4000 to fix at dealership. This is a poor quality issue driving a cash cow at the dealership ls with many people complaining online about this issue. It should be a recall

NHTSA ID
11571195
Incident
Feb 10, 2024
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 24, 2024

Please note that this is NOT the result of an accident. The car is a 2016 BMW X1 model which we have purchased in July 2020 as a BMW certified vehicle from a BMW dealer. Starting in December 2023 the car dashboard shows a warning light saying Secure Vehicle from Rolling. I have read that is it due to a broken pin in the transmission and it seems a common problem in 2016-17 BMWs X1 . BMW should have issued a recall . Again, there was NO accident.

NHTSA ID
11567650
Incident
Dec 15, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Dec 20, 2023

Many X1 owners have reported the "Secure Vehicle Against Rolling Error" online in forums once the vehicle hits 100K miles. BMW is charging customers over $3K to fix a worn out spring that costs less than $10 on eBay. This should be under recall!

NHTSA ID
11561140
Incident
Dec 1, 2023
Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Dec 13, 2023

having an issue with the warning light saying Secure Vehicle from Rolling. gear selector replacement Needed. Shifter Linkage needed replacing

NHTSA ID
11560025
Incident
Dec 13, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 18, 2023

During the parking of my vehicles (gearbox shifter in P position) and after turning off the engine, the iDrive system shows the following messages: "Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center." This happens each and every time and also when the vehicle is parked on level ground the error will remain even if the parking brake is applied. After turning on the engine again and putting the shifter either in R or D position, the error goes away. I have ever come to dealer for help, but they charge 300$ for any diagnosis. So I went to a local BMW body shop, and they are able to reproduce it and couldn't fix it completely. After studying this issue on one of the biggest BMW global forums - [XXX] , I came to the opinion that the problem most likely is either in weak design of the gearbox shifter unit or in the gearbox mechatronic unit and unfortunately is a common problem for BMW models. I'm concerned that BMW hasn’t announced any recall procedure, despite the fact that both of the units mentioned are quite expensive and definitely shouldn’t appear after such low odometer readings that are displayed. Other than me, many BMW X1 owners are experiencing the same issue: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11550732
Incident
Oct 15, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 10, 2023

On 6/27/23 the car dealership confirmed that the emergency brake sensor has broken and the car now misinforms the driver of whether the emergency brake has been activated. This had been an Issue for a few months. The display screen informs the driver that the brake is not activated, even if it has been activated. The result of this is that a driver may start to ignore the incorrect warning and may cause a driver to get confused regarding whether the brake is activated. A failure to properly activate an emergency brake could result in life threatening injuries. The car was taken to the dealer who confirmed the above problem with the sensor. I explored online blogs and found that many other X1 BMW owners have experienced similar issues. It looks as if this is a failing of the sensor system in this model car.

NHTSA ID
11549277
Incident
Jun 27, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 7, 2023

Every time I put the car in park It warns me “secure the vehicle against rolling”. I have done extensive research that this is a simple spring located in the gear box. This is something that all X1 have issues with. It should be covered as a RECALL.

NHTSA ID
11548854
Incident
Oct 6, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 25, 2023

per internet, very common problem. Gear box problem that prevents car from automatically going into Park when rolling, doors open, etc....there is a message warning driver to secure car by parkiing brake to prevent from rolling. Thousands of dollars to repair per internet ( i understand the problems with internet info) but multiple discussions on line. BMW x1 2016, 35k miles. Multiple mechanics on line state that it results from a broken spring, but 3000.00 labor to open and remove gear box to repair the spring. Any recourse? thanks for any info.....

NHTSA ID
11546473
Incident
Sep 23, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 14, 2023

The gear selector spring is defective. An error message comes up on the screen each time the car is turned on with an error related to the transmission. I have had BMW inspect the vehicle and determine there is a sensor issue broken, but the vehicle works. The gear selector spring causes this error and the error pops up and overrides safety features such as the camera when backing up.

NHTSA ID
11544636
Incident
Oct 12, 2022
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 31, 2023

I am receiving a ,Secure vehicle against rolling Secure vehicle with parking brake when stationary. Have the problem checked by Service. The following message displays every time I turn vehicle off “Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped.” The error message remains even when parked on level ground or when the parking brake is engaged.

NHTSA ID
11541803
Incident
Aug 1, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 BMW X1. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, a secure vehicle brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the shift lock solenoid needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

NHTSA ID
11535789
Incident
Dec 15, 2022
Mileage
67,000 mi
ElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 28, 2023

My BMW X1 started to display a message on the screen that says "Secure vehicle against rolling". I had it looked at and the diagnoses came back that there is a faulty spring inside the shifter that needs to be replaced. After some research, I have found this is happening to MANY BMW's. At this point, it does not seem like it is effecting the functioning of my shifter but I am not sure what the long term repercussions are. This message has been displayed every time I turn the car on for the past year. I was quoted over $2000 for BMW to repair this issue. I refuse to spend the money on an issue that should be a recall if it effects a large number of BMW's.

NHTSA ID
11519441
Incident
Apr 22, 2022
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 26, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 BMW X1. The contact stated while shifting into park (P), the contact became aware of a message to “Secure Vehicle with Parking Brake" displayed. The contact stated that she manually set the parking brake. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the shifter assembly needed to be replaced. The contact was advised by the mechanic that the code for the failure was: 420106 (Selector lever locked in park). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ID
11519098
Incident
Apr 8, 2023
Mileage
140,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 12, 2023

When parked, the transmission warning light is on saying "Secure vehicle with parking break when stopped. Consult service center" This appears to be a very common issue in X1, but the BMW dealership does not recognize the common safety issue as a recall.

NHTSA ID
11516744
Incident
Apr 10, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 30, 2023

Error code - Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult Service Center. I believe this should be a recall taken care of by BMW as it is extremely common among 2016 BMW X1 models.

NHTSA ID
11514544
Incident
Mar 15, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 6, 2023

When parking or starting the car a warning message is issued indicate that I should secure the vehicle against rolling and the transmission is flagged as the problem. I did some research online and found out this is a very common problem with the BMW X1. A small spring breaks in the shifter linkage. https://f48.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1840937. BMW is charging upwards of $3000 to make the repair even though it is a known common defect in the car. This should be covered by a safety recall.

NHTSA ID
11500546
Incident
Jan 5, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 30, 2022

"Secure vehicle against rolling" light came on after parking. Will not turn off despite engaged parking brake.

NHTSA ID
11482043
Incident
Aug 30, 2022
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 26, 2022

Transmission: Secure vehicle from rolling I just began getting this warning chime without an error code. However, when I search online there are hundreds of BMW X1 owners (2016) reporting the same issue. In addition, owners of Mini Coopers (Minis) which are built on the same chasis, with the same components as the BMW X1 also report this same issue. NTSA should issue a recall if this issue is as serious as BMW service says it is - that the car may not stay in PARK after the gear shift is put into park. However, BMW only covers this clearly design defect for up to 50,000 miles warranty. This should be a safety recall before someone's car that is not securely in PARK because of the defect accidentally rolls into a person or pedestrian.

NHTSA ID
11475841
Incident
Jun 23, 2022
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 10, 2022

transmission error - faulty gear selector

NHTSA ID
11456238
Incident
Mar 10, 2022

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.

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