What breaks most · 2013 to 2017 model years
BMW X1 SAV problems by year
Owners have filed 177 safety complaints with NHTSA about the BMW X1 SAV across model years 2013 to 2017. Three years stand out: 2013 for air bags complaints, 2014 for air bags complaints and 2015 for air bags complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2014, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 1772013 to 2017, all trims
- Worst year
- 201364 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 125 fires · 10 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 35kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 12Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 2 | 3 | Air bags (32) | |
| 59 | 5 | 4 | Air bags (37) | |
| 42 | 4 | 2 | Air bags (29) | |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (1) | |
| 8 | 0 | 2 | Body and structure (5) |
What fails on the 2013 BMW X1 SAV
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 50% |
32 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 16% |
10 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 BMW X1 SAV |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 14% |
9 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 BMW X1 SAV |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 8% |
5 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 8% |
5 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2013 BMW X1 SAV |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
4 | 0 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 3% |
2 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 3% |
2 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2013 BMW X1 SAV |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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2 months after reporting a dead/drained battery, it has happened again. The alarm starts whining and then the car needs to be jumped because the battery is dead. Car was stationary when occurred, and is driven daily during the school year, but can sit for a few days during school breaks.
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My vehicle caught on fire on 12/05/2020. There were no known recalls. Total loss.... Stopped on the side of the road, southbound i-95 in brevard county, fl. Bmw of north america has indicated that the damage was so severe that they cannot figure out the cause of the fire and will not accept any liability!!
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The vehicle completely shut off while driving. This happened several times on city street and while driving on a highway
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which BMW X1 SAV years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2014, 2015 carry the most filings on the BMW X1 SAV. The 2013 alone has 64 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common BMW X1 SAV problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 32 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do BMW X1 SAV problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all BMW X1 SAV complaints that include mileage is about 35,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.