RoadVitals

2026 BMW X1

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 Apr 25, 2026
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.
2
Latest Oct 21, 2025
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.
0
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.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2026 BMW X1, most frequently naming the brakes category. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 13 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

  • Brakes1100.0%

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

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR

Oct 21, 2025
1,024 units potentially affected
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2026 2 Series Gran Coupe, X1, X2, and Mini Countryman S ALL4 vehicles. The housing pin in the rear (left and/or right) seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production, resulting in the retractor not locking the seat belt as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
The risk: A damaged seat belt retractor may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the rear (left and/or right) seat belts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 18, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov December 12, 2025.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

Sep 17, 2025
1,571 units potentially affected
The defect: BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2025-2026 X1 and X2, MINI Cooper Convertible, MINI Cooper, Mini Countryman S ALL4, and 2025 MINI Countryman SE ALL4 vehicles. The torsion bar in both front seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production.
The risk: A damaged seat belt retractor may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy: Dealers will replace both front seat belt retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 13, 2025. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) will be searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 7, 2025.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Brakes
Filed Apr 25, 2026
Crash reported1 injury reported

Summary of the Event: The driver of a 2025 BMW X1 M35i experienced an issue where the vehicle did not respond as expected when braking. The incident occurred in Gainesville on [XXX] at approximately [XXX]. After proceeding through a traffic light, the roadway transitioned from two lanes into one. The driver was in the right lane and needed to merge left. As the driver approached a turn while merging, she attempted to slow the vehicle but reported that it felt as though it was accelerating and that braking was ineffective or unresponsive. When the brake pedal was pressed, it felt unusually firm with very little travel and was difficult to depress, and the vehicle did not slow as expected. The driver was unable to reduce speed sufficiently to complete the turn, and the vehicle continued forward, striking a brick wall at the entrance of a residential subdivision at an estimated speed of 35–45 mph. Airbags deployed. No direct head impact occurred. Following the incident, the driver experienced headache and nausea and was evaluated in the emergency room approximately 10 days later, where she was diagnosed with a concussion. No prior braking issues were observed. Insurance will deem the car a total loss and not repairable. However, the vehicle is currently under manufacturer inspection with diagnostic data being preserved. The driver was cited for careless driving; however, this is being contested based on the reported braking issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11733789
Incident
Apr 8, 2026

Manufacturer communications

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

B120326

ENGINE

Due to an implementation error in various OBD diagnostics in the vehicle's control units, in very rare cases itmay happen that stored fault memory codes (DTCs) and the MIL (warning light) are not automaticallydeleted even though the underlying malfunction has already been rectified. This does not comply with the statutory OBD specifications.

B650726

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The following message is displayed on the central information display (CID): “Storage space running out”.Afterwards, apps can no longer be updated, and additional content can no longer be loaded.

B120326

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BMW AG is conducting Voluntary Emissions Recall (effective March 11, 2026) on certain Model Year 2023 -2026 BMW vehicles that were produced between January 14, 2022, and September 16, 2025.

B280125

POWER TRAIN

SITUATION A Check Control message (CCM) displays for “Transmission oil service required” (ID 2120). This warning will typically trigger based on one of the following that applies: From 60,000 miles (~95,000 km) to 78,000 miles (~125,000 km), or After six (6) years: The “six years” time interval is determined the production date of the vehicle. It is not based on the day/date of the first registration, or the completion date of the pre-delivery check (PDI). If the vehicle is driven more than approx. 1900 miles (~3,000 km) after the first CCM, then a secondmessage will be display for “Transmission fault!” (ID 368). Note: If this service appears to have prematurely displayed as due, please follow standard technical reporting procedures before proceeding.

B652825

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The vehicle may experience various operational issues with the Multifunction Display such as: Intermittent black screen Permanent black screen Intermittent head unit functions not displayed (i.e., Navigation screen only is black)

B652725

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The vehicle may experience various operational issues with the infotainment system such as: Resets of the head unit Delayed start-up of the head unit (longer than 30 seconds) Failed start-up of the head unit Sporadic or permanent problems with navigation Sporadic or permanent Bluetooth connection problems Sporadic or permanent audio problems Sporadic or permanent speech / IPA (international phonetic alphabet) problems Missing displays, radio stations, camera images or applications

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 X1 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026Viewing120
2025143062.6
2024303057.5
2023706050.4
2022120
2021710
2020131153.3
2019113055.9
2018594163.6
20171552152.2
20161593149.5
2015522059.8
2014532053.4
2013382055.7
2012010

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.