BMW
BMW X1 years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2016, 2017 and 2023. Best years: 2019 and 2020.
The 2016, 2017 and 2023 BMW X1 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 159 complaints (14 for each year on the road), 2017 has 156 complaints (16 for each year on the road) and 2023 has 70 complaints (18 for each year on the road), against a median of 7 a year across the 9 model years old enough to judge.
- 315complaints
- 3recall campaigns
- 2model years with a page
Newest report Sep 9, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2016
Most reported: infotainment (13 reports).
2017
Most reported: brake wear (26 reports).
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Best years
2019
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2020
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2016 has the most complaints of any BMW X1 year here: 159 of 315 (50%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Brake wear leads in 1 of the 2 model years and has the most reports overall, 34.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 4% of BMW X1 complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2017, 8 of its 156 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 2 model years where owners report brake wear has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2022 at 74 and have dropped every year since, to 28 in 2025. So far in 2026, 5 more have come in.
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (54), 2015 (52), 2018 (59), 2019 (11), 2020 (13), 2023 (70), 2024 (30), 2025 (17).
Year by year
2017 BMW X1 avoid
156 owner complaints, 16 for each year on the road (2.4 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (26 reports). 3 reports involved a crash and 10 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 19V-349 on the structure and 16V-747 on the seat belts.
2016 BMW X1 avoid
159 owner complaints, 14 for each year on the road (2.2 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (13 reports). 1 report involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 19V-349 on the structure and 16V-747 on the seat belts.
Recalls that cover several model years
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.
The vehicle-sensitive locking mechanism of the seat belt Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) for the driver's seat may not lock as designed.
Questions
What BMW X1 years should you avoid?
The 2016, 2017 and 2023 BMW X1 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 159 complaints (14 for each year on the road), 2017 has 156 complaints (16 for each year on the road) and 2023 has 70 complaints (18 for each year on the road), against a median of 7 a year across the 9 model years old enough to judge.
What are the best years for the BMW X1?
The 2019 and 2020 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2019 has 11 (1 a year) and 2020 has 13 (2 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the BMW X1?
Brake wear, with 34 reports across the 2 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2017.
How many recalls does the BMW X1 have?
3 recall campaigns cover the BMW X1 model years 2016 to 2017 on this site. The widest, 16V-747 on the seat belts, covers 2 model years.
How many BMW X1 complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
4% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2017 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for brake wear on the BMW X1?
No. None of the 2 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.