NHTSA vehicle safety data

2016 BMW X1 SAV Recalls & Complaints

The 2016 BMW X1 SAV has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 4 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized BMW dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2016 BMW X1 SAV. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2016 BMW X1 SAV owner complaints

Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 BMW X1 SAV, describing incidents dated June 15, 2017 to October 23, 2018.

Most-cited components

Air Bags 1 complaint
Electrical System 1 complaint
Engine 1 complaint
Fuel/Propulsion System 1 complaint
Power Train 1 complaint
Seat Belts 1 complaint

Of the 4 complaints on file, 1 reports a crash and 1 a fire; across all 4 complaints, owners report 1 injury (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11203032 · Filed April 23, 2019
WHEN I EXTEND THE PASSENGER SEAT ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK, THE FUSE BLOWS UP. THERE ARE SPARKS UNDER THE SEAT. AFTER THAT ALL THE BUTTONS TOWARDS PASSENGER SEAT ARE NOT RESPONSIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SAME DAY AND THEY FIXED IT ON THE SAME DAY BY REPLACING THE FUSE. AS SOON AS I GOT THE CAR, I…
ODI #11149975 · Filed November 7, 2018
OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL IS ACTIVE, THE COLLISION WARNING WILL LIGHT AND THE BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NOTHING IN FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON A STRAIGHT, FLAT ROAD WITH NO SHADOWS, UNDULATIONS, OR CARS ANYWHERE IN SIGHT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY…
ODI #11047223 · Filed November 18, 2017
2016 BMW X1 XDRIVE 28I HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT RANDOM TIMES. THE DELAY CAN TAKE UP TO 1 SECOND BEFORE THE ACCELERATOR RESPONDS AND THE VEHICLE STARTS MOVING. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN TRYING TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC.

Read all 4 complaints

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2016 BMW X1 SAV in 1 investigation. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Engineering Analysis EA21-002: Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Open since September 17, 2021

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

Passenger Air Bag May Not Deploy Properly

NHTSA #17V062000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Passenger Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported January 26, 2017 · BMW of North America, LLC

Potentially affected: 16,771 vehicles

Repair completion: 92.56% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified February 10, 2017 · Vehicles built June 16, 2016 – November 24, 2016 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2016-2017 X1 xDrive28i and X1 sDrive28i vehicles. The affected vehicles have an instrument panel that may not allow the front passenger air bag to deploy properly in the event of a crash.

Safety consequence

In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag does not deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel, free of charge. The recall began May 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2016 BMW X1 SAV. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

4 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2016 BMW X1 SAV.

Electrical System; Seats

ODI #11203032

Fire

Incident: June 15, 2017 · Filed: April 23, 2019

WHEN I EXTEND THE PASSENGER SEAT ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK, THE FUSE BLOWS UP. THERE ARE SPARKS UNDER THE SEAT. AFTER THAT ALL THE BUTTONS TOWARDS PASSENGER SEAT ARE NOT RESPONSIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SAME DAY AND THEY FIXED IT ON THE SAME DAY BY REPLACING THE FUSE. AS SOON AS I GOT THE CAR, I TRIED EXTENDING THE SEAT AND FUSE BLOWS UP AGAIN. THE DEALER TOOK IT FOR 2 WEEKS, CHECKS IT AND JUST RETURNS IT SAYING THE FAULTY WIRE HAS BEEN TRIMMED AND ADVISED ME NOT TO ADJUST THE SEAT. THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ANY PERMANENT SOLUTION. WHEN I CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE REGARDING THIS MATTER, I GOT THE SAME RESPONSE ADVISING ME NOT TO ADJUST THE SEAT. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE. IT HAD 24K MILES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED AS OF TODAY.

Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #11149975

Incident: October 23, 2018 · Filed: November 7, 2018

OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL IS ACTIVE, THE COLLISION WARNING WILL LIGHT AND THE BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NOTHING IN FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON A STRAIGHT, FLAT ROAD WITH NO SHADOWS, UNDULATIONS, OR CARS ANYWHERE IN SIGHT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD SINCE IT HAS HAPPENED WITH CARS TRAVELING IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. BMW TECHS CANNOT ID THE PROBLEM AND SAY THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT. THE PROBLEM IS INFREQUENT AND HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO OCCUR DURING A TEST DRIVE. MET TODAY WITH A BMW NA TECHNICAL SERVICE EXPERT WHO INSISTED THAT I WAS 'CONFUSING' THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM'S NORMAL OPERATION. NOT SO. MY LEASE ENDS IN 2 MONTHS AND I DON'T WANT THE NEXT OWNER TO GET RAMMED FROM BEHIND.

Power Train; Engine; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11047223

Incident: November 17, 2017 · Filed: November 18, 2017

2016 BMW X1 XDRIVE 28I HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT RANDOM TIMES. THE DELAY CAN TAKE UP TO 1 SECOND BEFORE THE ACCELERATOR RESPONDS AND THE VEHICLE STARTS MOVING. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN TRYING TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC.

Air Bags; Seat Belts

ODI #11041070

Crash 1 injury

Incident: October 28, 2017 · Filed: October 30, 2017

ON 10/28, MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL OFFSET HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A CHEVY SILVERADO. THE IMPACT OCCURRED INSIDE OF A TURNING LANE WHERE THE CHEVY WAS TRAVELING APPROX. 15 MPH, AND MY DAUGHTER BEGAN ACCELERATING OUT OF THE TURN LANE AT 5-10MPH WHEN THEY COLLIDED. THE SILVERADO'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, THE BMWS DID NOT. NO FRONT AIRBAGS OR KNEE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. SHE HIT HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL, WHILE WEARING HER SEATBELT, SO THIS ALSO BEGS THE QUESTION, WHY THE SEATBELT PRETENSIONERS DID NOT HOLD HER BACK FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. BMW 'S ALSO COME EQUIPPED WITH EMERGENCY FLASHERS UPON ACCIDENT, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN EITHER. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT NONE OF THE BMW SAFETY SYSTEMS WENT INTO EFFECT DURING THIS COLLISION. BMW ASSIST ALSO NEVER CALLED, WHICH AGAIN IS ANOTHER TOUTED BMW SAFETY SYSTEM IN ALL THEIR CARS.

Other BMW X1 SAV model years

Check your 2016 BMW X1 SAV VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your BMW X1 SAV at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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