Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 BMW X1, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags4
- Electrical system3
- Forward collision avoidance2
- Service brakes1
- Unknown or other1
- Suspension1
- Engine1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 6 2021 X1 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 2 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2021 BMW X1 failed the safety check 0.52% of the time — 45% less often than the average 2021 passenger car (0.95%). Median odometer at inspection: 19,425 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2021
80,341 new BMW X1 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2021; the largest markets were Germany (25,857), Italy (13,517), France (8,803).
- Average mass
- 1,668 kg
- Average CO₂
- 112 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 106 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 43% · Petrol/electric 31% · Petrol 26%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Real-world fuel consumption
23,020 BMW X1 cars first registered in Europe in 2021 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Diesel versions use 6.2 l/100 km on the road against 5.4 in the WLTP test (+15%).
| Fuel | Cars | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 4,709 | 7.7 | 6.6 | +16% |
| Diesel | 10,329 | 6.2 | 5.4 | +15% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 7,982 | 5.8 | 1.8 | +219% |
Litres per 100 km from the cars' own fuel meters (OBFCM), collected in 2024; the year is the year of first registration. All years together · European Environment Agency · CC BY 4.0
Engines
The most common engines in 2021 BMW X1 cars on Dutch roads are the 1.5 hybrid (92 kW, 123 hp), 2.0 petrol (131 kW, 176 hp) and 1.5 petrol (100 kW, 134 hp), out of 5 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 hybrid | 92 kW 123 hp | 2,363 |
| 2.0 petrol | 131 kW 176 hp | 790 |
| 1.5 petrol | 100 kW 134 hp | 435 |
| 2.0 petrol | 141 kW 189 hp | 48 |
| 2.0 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 22 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
3,711 first registered in 2021 are on Dutch roads; 69% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €57,193.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde629
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld218
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm149
- Band onvoldoende profiel125
- Band beschadigd122
- Remslang schuurt langs enig deel103
- Koplamp met afwijkend lichtbeeld onjuist afgesteld22
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af20
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
7,154 cars built in 2021 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 29 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 352 of these cars first registered in 2021 took their annual MOT test. 93% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2021 the figure was 91%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 4.3% | 3.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.4% | 2.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Brakes | 0.3% | 1.3% |
| Road Wheels | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Steering | 0.3% | 0.1% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
835 of these cars first registered in 2021 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 70,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
120 2021 cars are on the New Zealand register; 3% arrived as used imports, 98% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 2 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 BMW X1 SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | 14.3 % |
| 2021 BMW X1 SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | 15.7 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 9.1 L/100 km (about 26 mpg US), CO₂ 213 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| X1 xDrive28i · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Premium gasoline | 10.3 | 7.7 | 9.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2021 BMW X1.
| 2024544 15 Aug 2024 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "N… |
| 2021777 16 Dec 2021 | Brakes Issue: On certain vehicles, the tell-tale (warning light) for the antilock brake system (ABS) doesn't light up in the instrument cluster when you start the ve… |
| 2021448 21 Jul 2021 | Seats And Restraints Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger seat belt assemblies may contain defective automatic locking retractors (ALR). As a result, the seat belts may not p… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 2 Series (230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive), 330e, 330e Xdrive, 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive) M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, BMW 4 Series Convertible (430i, M440i), BMW X1 sDrive28i, xDrive28i, 2 Series Gran Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i xDrive), M2 Competition Coupe, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, M3, M3 Competition, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, CooperS, JCW), X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X2 M35i, Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE), MINI Convertible (Cooper, Cooper S, JCW), MINI Clubman (Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW), MINI Countryman (Cooper, Cooper All4, Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW All4), Rolls Royce Ghost, MINI Countryman (Cooper S E All4), Rolls Royce Phantom, Rolls Royce Cullinan, and Toyota Supra vehicles. The passenger seat belt Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) may deactivate early, before the webbing fully retracts. As such, these assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 2021 BMW X1: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11009005 | The End of life or Emergency call system error Check Control message appears in the vehicle. The following fault memory entry is stored: B7F341 Emergency battery: Hardware faulty |
| 10253346 | The tailgate sporadically fails to open when signaled via- The interior button (drivers door panel) Button on key fob The switch on the tailgate (inside or outside) In some cases, the tailgate will release and open only a short distance before stopping. |
| 10249435 | Customer complains of a musty odor or damp front footwell carpet. |
| 10249027 | The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. |
| 10249023 | Customer states one of the front seats is inoperative. The seat heater and power supply are inoperative. During the vehicle test, the seat module does not respond. The power supply fuse for the seat module isfound to have blown. |
| 10247578 | When using the Key Reader to retrieve CBS information from the customer key, no current vehicle data is available, or the data does not match the maintenance schedule. |
| 10247576 | Customer states one of the front seats is inoperative. The seat heater and power supply are inoperative .During the vehicle test, the seat module does not respond. The power supply fuse for the seat module is found to have blown. |
| 10247567 | Engine will crank but not start. There is no communication with the integrated fuel module (TFE) whendiagnosing with ISTA. The following two fault codes will be stored in the DME: 032B43 - Low fuel pressure system, electric fuel pump: pressure value too low CDA594 - Message (- 0x33E) missing, receiver DME, transmitter TFE |
| 10245422 | Customers may state that the alarm system (DWA) is not active after locking their unoccupied vehicle. Depending on the vehicles equipment and settings, no acoustic or optical confirmation (folding the mirrors/blinking confirmation) is noticeable. Additionally, the red anti-theft alarm LED in the interior mirror does not briefly flash every 2 seconds, indicating the alarm is armed. |
| 10245377 | When using the Key Reader to retrieve CBS information from the customer key, no current vehicle data is available, or the data does not match the maintenance schedule. |
| 10245376 | The steering wheel heating takes a long time to achieve the desired temperature. |
| 10245375 | The buttons on the GWS do not work, or the function indicator lighting has failed. One or more of the following faults are saved in the fault memory for the GWS : 80268E - Park button sticking and/or 80268F - Parking button defective and/or 802680 - Functional display defective and/or 802681 - Locator lighting defective and/or 802691 - Release button faulty |
| 10245372 | The paint finish on the door jamb (above the door striker) is scratched due to the inner door cavity window seal. |
| 10245368 | Vehicle exhibits a slight acceleration delay when taking off from a MSA (automatic engine start-stopfunction) stop. |
| 10244242 | Various functions of the camera-based driver assistance systems (ADCAM system) can lead to customer complaints. |
| 10238090 | After programming the head unit (HU-H2), activating the FSC (German word Freischaltcode) Enabling Codes repeatedly fails. |
| 10238081 | Upon opening and closing the tailgate, a creaking/groaning sound can be heard from tailgate actuator. |
| 10235205 | The 3G network in the US has been shut down. This means that only the 4G network will be available. In the 4G network, voice calls will be transferred via the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) function. For this purpose, the SIM card must perform an IMS registration in the mobile communication network. Due to a production error, the telematics control units were delivered without an IMS configuration. The Connected Drive voice services (Concierge Call, BMW Assistance, and emergency call voice) can no longer be used regionally in the US in vehicle with telematics control units ATM-1 and TCB-4G. Voice cont |
| 10235192 | The buttons on the gear selector switch (GWS) do not work, or the function indicator lighting has failed. |
| 10235183 | While driving on rough roads, a knocking sound can be heard coming from top of the instrument panel (aka dashboard) in the bulkhead area. |
| 10228428 | During load reversal or taking off from a stop, there is a creaking or droning noise heard from the lower engine area. |
| 10228427 | During a vehicle inspection and/or while addressing a customer's concern, the engine stabilizer bar/link appears to be worn. |
| 10218420 | The 3G network in the US has been shut down. This means that only the 4G network will be available. In the 4G network, voice calls will be transferred via Voice over LTE (VoLTE) function. For this purpose the SIM card must perform an IMS registration in the mobile communication network. Due to a production error, the telematics control units were delivered without an IMS configuration. The Connected Drive voice services (Concierge Call, BMW Assistance and emergency call voice) can no longer be used regionally in the US in vehicle with telematics control units ATM-1 and TCB-4G. Voice control of |
| 10215752 | The following complaints may be noticed while slow maneuvering with a steering input of 80-100% (at or near full lock, e.g., parking lot maneuvers) or accelerating with a medium to large steering angle: Humming or creaking noises from the rear area, slight vibrations also noticeable from the driver's seat. The vehicle may also jerk slightly. |
| 10214989 | Mist formation on the windshield inside surface may occur at departure or after MSA (automaticstart/stop). Acoustic abnormality in the area of the recirculated air flap (recirculation flap closing and opening severaltimes). The above may occur individually or in combination. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)