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2016 BMW X1

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most X1 years

Owner complaints for the 2016 BMW X1 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 30.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 35 of 159 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

64 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2022
Unknown Or Other

Unknown, design fault! I’m having an issue with the warning light saying Secure Vehicle from Rolling every time I turn on/off my car. My main menu or radio doesn’t appear until I confirm notice about the parking brake. There were no warnings before this it just toned and has been consistent every time. The dealer says it may be …

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Unknown, design fault! I’m having an issue with the warning light saying Secure Vehicle from Rolling every time I turn on/off my car. My main menu or radio doesn’t appear until I confirm notice about the parking brake. There were no warnings before this it just toned and has been consistent every time. The dealer says it may be a small spring in the gear box, while the gears are working good.

NHTSA ODI #11483712

Mileage unknown · Aug 18, 2022
Unknown Or Other

At 44,000 miles, I began getting the error code "secure vehicle against rolling" every time I started the engine. Took car in to local dealership who advised I needed to have the gear shift assembly replaced as the car could roll even when placed in park. Out of fear that the car could roll and cause damage to myself or others…

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At 44,000 miles, I began getting the error code "secure vehicle against rolling" every time I started the engine. Took car in to local dealership who advised I needed to have the gear shift assembly replaced as the car could roll even when placed in park. Out of fear that the car could roll and cause damage to myself or others, I requested they order the part immediately. After doing some research online, I learned that this has been a problem with certain BMW's and mini coopers since at least 2014. I do not understand why BMW has not resolved this issue and issued a recall or at least agreed to cover the cost of repair once the problem is detected. I contacted BMW corporate who replied no recall had been issued and they would not cover the cost of 2090.36 I paid for the repair.

NHTSA ODI #11479990

Mileage unknown · Aug 14, 2022
Unknown Or Other

The BMW's display showed "Secure Vehicle Against Rolling". We took the car to the BMW dealership and they repaired the issue with a complete gear selector display assembly. We are concerned that this is a safety issue and we understand this may be a common problem with BMW. The vehicle in question had only 22,669 miles on the…

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The BMW's display showed "Secure Vehicle Against Rolling". We took the car to the BMW dealership and they repaired the issue with a complete gear selector display assembly. We are concerned that this is a safety issue and we understand this may be a common problem with BMW. The vehicle in question had only 22,669 miles on the odometer when repaired.

NHTSA ODI #11479213

Mileage unknown · Aug 3, 2022
Unknown Or Other

The sunroof cover fell on my daughter while driving. It is made out of black material. We went straight to the dealership, they said that the blade was blade was broken. Thankfully she was on a familiar road near our house and was able to pull over. However, if this had happened on a interstate, it would result in a serious acci…

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The sunroof cover fell on my daughter while driving. It is made out of black material. We went straight to the dealership, they said that the blade was blade was broken. Thankfully she was on a familiar road near our house and was able to pull over. However, if this had happened on a interstate, it would result in a serious accident. I strongly believe it’s a defected product and should be recalled. We have been bringing the car to a dealership every 10k miles for full inspection, so this kind of dangerous situation does not occur, but it did.

NHTSA ODI #11477471

Mileage unknown · May 19, 2022
StructureUnknown Or Other

The panoramic sunroof shade blind has become detached due to failing adhesive. The consequence of this failure renders the vehicle difficult to drive and impacts safety of occupants and non occupants. To illustrate this issue, it is easier to quote the incident. On driving the vehicle the sunroof shade became unattached from its…

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The panoramic sunroof shade blind has become detached due to failing adhesive. The consequence of this failure renders the vehicle difficult to drive and impacts safety of occupants and non occupants. To illustrate this issue, it is easier to quote the incident. On driving the vehicle the sunroof shade became unattached from its rail (right side). A natural thing to do is attempt to open the shade and close again in the hope that it re-attaches itself. This only made the situation worse. The loose shade impedes the drivers view out the right side of the vehicle. Driving the vehicle, it is crucial that this view should be clear and unobstructed (especially when lane changing on a freeway!). A corollary to the above issue is that the sagging loose blind is a distraction to the driver of the vehicle. The drivers attention needs to be 100% dedicated to the operation of the vehicle and the safety of others. This flapping distraction reduces this significantly.

NHTSA ODI #11465319

Mileage unknown · May 18, 2022
Unknown Or Other

Selector lever failed causing a warning message to appear on the screen. Dealership is reviewing the damage and the cost is not under the warranty.

NHTSA ODI #11465092

Mileage unknown · Apr 28, 2022
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

I am seeing this error while getting in the parked vehicle -'Secure Vehicle against rolling' in the odometer display and in the dashboard display - 'Secure Vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center' .

NHTSA ODI #11462643

Mileage unknown · Apr 24, 2022
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

The sunroof shadescreen failed to close: it is a safety issue because it is impossible to close the shade anymore and the sun is hitting your head and eyes all the time: when I first noticed it I was driving and a sound came from the sun roof and if I looked it would have been a crash. Taking to the dealership iwould cost 2000 …

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The sunroof shadescreen failed to close: it is a safety issue because it is impossible to close the shade anymore and the sun is hitting your head and eyes all the time: when I first noticed it I was driving and a sound came from the sun roof and if I looked it would have been a crash. Taking to the dealership iwould cost 2000 dollars to replace. It is a manufacturer defect that that something that is used so infrequently fails so easily. To be honest we have probably used it only a couple dozen times since we have the car and I can’t believe it would fail so easily. I also read on forums that this happened to a lot of other car owners who are complaining about the same issue so it is something that the manufacturer should cover:

NHTSA ODI #11461965

Mileage unknown · Jan 3, 2022
Unknown Or Other

We have a warning that says "Secure Vehicle Against Rolling when stopped. Consult service center." I learned online that this warning is common and that it occurs due to the malfunction of an $8 spring but BMW charges $3,000 to $4,000 to replace it. BMW should issue a recall if this is a common safety issue.

NHTSA ODI #11445992

Mileage unknown · Nov 6, 2021
Unknown Or Other

Opened sunroof shade back to see out of sunroof for a few hours. When I tried closing the sunroof shade it stops about a foot out and retracts backs. Seems to be stuck on one side and unsure as to why. Nothing happened it the few hours it was opened

NHTSA ODI #11439591

Official recalls

3

19V349000 · Structure:body:roof And Pillars

May 9, 2019

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2016-2019 X1 sDrive28i and X1 xDrive28i vehicles. In the event of a crash where the occupants head contacts the B-pillar, the pillar may not absorb an adequate amount of the impact. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impact."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, the insufficient impact absorption can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vertical trim pieces on the upper portion of the interior B-Pillars, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 1, 2019. Second notices will be sent as parts become available, starting on September 27, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

16V747000 · Seat Belts:front:retractor

Oct 17, 2016

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, MINI Hardtop 4 Door Cooper, Mini Hardtop 4 Door Cooper S, MINI Cooper Clubman, and Cooper S Clubman, 2017 Rolls-Royce Ghost, and 2016 528i vehicles. The vehicle-sensitive locking mechanism of the seat belt Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) for the driver's seat may not lock as designed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash where heavy braking is applied, the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) may activate when the occupant is more forward in the seat, possibly increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 3, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

15V887000 · Steering:gear Box (other Than Rack And Pinion)

Dec 30, 2015

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling one model year 2016 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door vehicle manufactured November 24, 2015, and one BMW X1 Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) manufactured October, 19 2015. The steering gearbox may have been manufactured with incorrect parts.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A gearbox malfunction may cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: BMW will replace the steering gearbox, free of charge. Affected vehicles are located in dealer inventory and will be remedied before customer retail. The recall began on December 28, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

EA21002 · Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Opened Sep 17, 2021 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.