BMW · X1 · 2018
4
Recalls
57
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2018 BMW X1 has 4 recalls and 57 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: structure (17 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
15.7% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
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."
Remedy Status
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.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 540d xDrive vehicles. The crankshaft sensor may be equipped with incorrect firmware, preventing the sensor from properly processing input from the crankshaft reluctor ring, possibly resulting in a vehicle stall. On September 12, 2018, BMW expanded the recall to a total of 5,309 vehicles including certain 2018-2019 BMW 540d xDrive, 230i M240i, M240i xDrive, X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 330i, 330i xDrive, 340i, 340i xDrive, 330i xDrive Gran Turismo, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, 530e, 530e xDrive, 640i xDrive Gran Turismo, 330e, 2019 430i Gran Coupe, 430i xDrive Gran Coupe, 440i Gran Coupe, 440i xDrive Gran Coupe, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, 740i, 740i xDrive, MINI Cooper, Cooper S, JCW, MINI Countryman (Cooper, Cooper All4, Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW All4), and MINI Clubman (Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, JCW All4) vehicles.
Remedy Status
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft sensor, free of charge. The recall began September 6, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 BMW X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2019 X2 xDrive28i, MINI Cooper S Convertible, Countryman, and John Cooper Works Countryman vehicles. The steering gear tie rod may have been assembled incorrectly, which may result in excessive wear of the tie rod end, eventually causing it to break.
Remedy Status
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace the tie rods and ball joints as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 BMW X1 sDrive28i and X1 xDrive28i vehicles. Contaminated hardware may cause the attachment brackets of the taillight housings to crack, causing the lights to loosen or possibly detach from the vehicle.
Remedy Status
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will properly secure the taillights, free of charge. The recall began March 28, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X1. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine and engine overheating warning lights became illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The contact had an older BMW that had experienced the same failure, and the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The local dealer was contact and the contact was informed that the current vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
While driving my vehicle at normal highway and city speeds, I noticed a serious steering issue where the steering wheel feels excessively loose and unresponsive. The vehicle does not track straight and constantly drifts left and right, requiring continuous steering corrections to keep it within the lane. The steering feels vague and unstable, as if there is excessive play in the steering system. At times, small steering inputs result in delayed or inconsistent vehicle response, making it difficult to maintain a straight path. This issue occurs on smooth, dry roads and is not related to road conditions, wind, or tire pressure. This condition creates a significant safety concern, especially at higher speeds, as it feels like I could lose control of the vehicle or unintentionally drift into another lane or off the road. The problem has been persistent and appears to be worsening over time.
In November I noticed a noise when steering. I took my suv to the mechanic shop and they located the following recall from your website: recall 19V601000 the tie rod assembly. I contacted BMW of North America and they cannot locate this recall with my VIN.
On the evening of July 10, 2025, while driving a 2018 BMW X1, I experienced a sudden cascade of dashboard alerts, including warnings for the airbag, chassis system, and right signal headlight. The system advised moderate driving and service. Moments later, all dashboard lights activated simultaneously. I pulled over and placed the vehicle in park. Within seconds, smoke began rising from the front-right corner of the engine compartment, followed by visible flames. My daughter was in the car with me. We had to evacuate immediately, and contacted emergency services from the roadside. The fire was extinguished by first responders, and the vehicle was later towed. This event put both of us in immediate danger. It occurred just five days after service on the right front headlight was performed by an authorized dealership. While the issue has not yet been confirmed by the manufacturer or service center, the timing and location raise serious concerns. The vehicle was inspected by the fire department, and an insurance claim is currently under investigation.
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X1. The contact stated that while approaching an intersection at 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled and came to a complete stop in the middle of the intersection, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle and was able to continue driving. However, shortly afterward, the vehicle stalled again. The contact allowed the vehicle to sit idle for a while before attempting to restart the vehicle for a third time and was successful in driving the vehicle safely to the residence. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V608000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) and 18V465000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); as the possible cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000.
Airbag. No open recalls. Spinal injury in head-on collision. Unknown Crash Champions at Windsor Mills in Baltimore, MD (auto body shop for Progressive) No warnings
There is an issue with the X1 series of BMWs where the system shuts down after a cold start. This car displays alerts on the dashboard, and BMW service has confirmed that there are two firmware updates available to fix the issues. However, instead of providing the updates at no charge, they are asking for almost $1,000 for the firmware update. Forum discussions indicate that this issue causes the engine to stop after a cold start, which is extremely challenging, especially when leaving a garage into oncoming traffic, as the car just shuts off. There should be a recall and free firmware updates for these vehicles. FC 151001 IGNITION TIMING DURING COLD START
This vehicle was rear ended with rear frame damage. The airbag light stays on and the seat belt was ejected and lock. The seat now will not extend to fit and latch. My wife the owner of the car [XXX] head and body was jerked extremely hard due to the lack of airbag not deploying. My wife completed all required maintenance with the BMW dealer prior to the accident. This is frustrating since we paid a lot of money over the years to maintain the car and we expect nothing less, but a safe vehicle for my wife. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
This was struck in the rear at the stop light.
Was driving down the highway at 70 MPH when my sunroof suddenly exploded. There was no damage to the sunroof prior to the explosion and there was no outside object that fell onto the sunroof that could have caused it to explode. Thankfully I had the liner closed on the inside of the vehicle and I did not have the glass shatter on to me physically. However, if the liner had not been closed there could have been physical damage to myself and possibly caused me to have a motor vehicle accident. I took my vehicle to the dealership and the technician informed that he has at least 4 BMW vehicles per month with sunroof explosion. I also contacted BMW USA and notified them of the incident, and they stated there was no open recall on my vehicle. As stated before I feel this is a HUGE safety issue that warrants further investigation.
Car began to make a loud humming noise from the engine compartment and the car went stiff. The check engine light came on and when taken to have the light looked at, it showed a faulty thermostat.
Car does not idle when first starts. Shifting into reverse causes car to nearly stall. To avoid this, I have to touch the accelerator with extra pressure which causes the car to jerk uncontrollably backwards. This is a known fault on X1 BMW’s. BMW requires $300-500 to complete a software update with no guarantee this will correct the problem. The software update was completed once before in 2019 and the problem persists. They are asking for another payment for another update with no guarantee.
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X1. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle shuddered significantly upon depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the evaporative emission control circuit had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
When first turning on the car in the morning and trying to reverse the vehicle, it begins jerking and the acceleration revs up rpm almost as if it's trying not to shut off. We have friends with the same model and they have had the same issue and were told it has to do with the crankshaft.
My vehicle stalled on a busy street and could not be restarted. Other drivers stopped and assisted me pushing the vehicle to a nearby intersecting street, which placed everyone in imminent danger of being hit by another car. Vehicle was towed to the dealer who has performed all the service work on my car. The dealer diagnosed the issue as failure of the high-pressure fuel pump. Warning messages appeared after my vehicle was already in distress. The car is currently at the dealership awaiting repair. There has been a litany of complaints and issues relating to high-pressure fuel pumps failing on vehicles like mine.
2018 BMW X1. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO DEFECTIVE REPAIR OF A SAFETY RECALL PERFORMED ON VEHICLE.
I came outside this afternoon to my Panaromic sunroof shattered. I researched if this has happened to any other BMW users and it did. As a matter of fact, BMW was hit with severe lawsuits. How do I make them accountable for the repairs?
The contact owns a 2018 BMW X1. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear liftgate door would erroneously open. During the failure, the lift gate door would open approximately halfway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the key fob needed to be reprogrammed to press twice to open the liftgate. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 16,000.
I was in a 3-car accident through the fault of another driver. This was on a highway in northwest suburbs of Chicago. Very serious crash ending in a totaled vehicle. Severe (left) front end damage with engine disengaging from the chassis and left front wheel coming off vehicle. I believe I was put at high risk of losing my life because none of the airbags deployed inside the vehicle. The car was viewed by state police (police report available) and insurance representatives officially deeming the vehicle "totaled". Based on my VIN, there were no pending airbag recalls on file. See uploaded pictures
Serious highway accident in Chicago suburbs whereby car was totaled. Engine came away from chassis after ramming into and taking out 50 feet of guardrail and coming to a screeching halt. Left front wheel came away from vehicle in its entirety. No front, side or overhead airbags deployed whatsoever. Traveling at 50MPH at time of accident. I have pictures if required.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2018 BMW X1 has 4 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 57 owner-reported complaints for the 2018 BMW X1.
The 2018 BMW X1 received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2018 BMW X1 are structure (17 reports), unknown or other (10 reports), air bags (3 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 4 recalls on record for the 2018 BMW X1. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.