
2018 Bmw X1
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2018 Bmw X1 has 78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 1.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is body/structure problems (28% of all complaints), specifically: tailgate locking system has electronic kick. there is no electronic chirp to alert closing. i was struck in the head. the top latch is was reversed to 'male' equivalent to a hammer. the bottom latch was reversed as connector. if anyone over 5' 10" walks under the open hatch they can be struck.. ⚠️ 3 fire reports filed.
78
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
1.0x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
BODY/STRUCTURE
22 complaints- • TAILGATE LOCKING SYSTEM HAS ELECTRONIC KICK. THERE IS NO ELECTRONIC CHIRP TO ALERT CLOSING. I WAS STRUCK IN THE HEAD. THE TOP LATCH IS WAS REVERSED TO 'MALE' EQUIVALENT TO A HAMMER. THE BOTTOM LATCH WAS REVERSED AS CONNECTOR. IF ANYONE OVER 5' 10" WALKS UNDER THE OPEN HATCH THEY CAN BE STRUCK.
- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 BMW X1. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V349000 (STRUCTURE). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN TH
- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 BMW X1. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V349000 (STRUCTURE). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR AS THE RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED OVER A YEAR AGO. BMW OF RIVERSIDE (3060 ADAMS S
“TAILGATE LOCKING SYSTEM HAS ELECTRONIC KICK. THERE IS NO ELECTRONIC CHIRP TO ALERT CLOSING. I WAS STRUCK IN THE HEAD. THE TOP LATCH IS WAS REVERSED TO 'MALE' EQUIVALENT TO A HAMMER. THE BOTTOM LATCH WAS REVERSED AS CONNECTOR. IF ANYONE OVER 5' 10" WALKS UNDER THE OPEN HATCH THEY CAN BE STRUCK.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
15 complaints- • VERY DISAPPOINTING EXPERIENCE. HATCH BACK WITH "KICK" OPEN FEATURE RANDOMLY HITS ME ON THE HEAD WHILE I AM MOVING THINGS AROUND IN THE TRUNK SPACE AS I MOVE SIDE TO SIDE TO REARRANGE ITEMS. AM TOLD I WOULD NEED TO SPEND $250 TO DE-ACTIVATE THE "KICK OPEN" FEATURE. CALLED BMW DIRECT TO COMPLAIN, T
- • THE CAR HAS BEEN IN RECALL MODE SINCE APRIL WITH NO REMEDY! THIS IS CRAZY.
- • I HAVE NOT ENCOUNTERED ISSUES YET BUT THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL ON THE CAR THAT AFFECTS MY BACKSEAT PASSENGERS AND BMW HAS NOT MADE ANY STEPS TO FIX IT AND WILL NOT PROVIDE ME WITH INFORMATION NECESSARY.
“VERY DISAPPOINTING EXPERIENCE. HATCH BACK WITH "KICK" OPEN FEATURE RANDOMLY HITS ME ON THE HEAD WHILE I AM MOVING THINGS AROUND IN THE TRUNK SPACE AS I MOVE SIDE TO SIDE TO REARRANGE ITEMS. AM TOLD I WOULD NEED TO SPEND $250 TO DE-ACTIVATE THE "KICK OPEN" FEATURE. CALLED BMW DIRECT TO COMPLAIN, T”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ELECTRICAL
8 complaints- • SUN VISORS ARE TOO SHORT / SMALL AND DON'T HELP ON A SUNNY DAY. MAY AS WELL NOT HAVE THEM AT ALL ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN AUTO-TINTED WINDSHIELD. WE FIND THIS TO BE A SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. ALSO, CAR HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING AT TIMES AND ENGINE ALSO SOUNDS ROUGH AFTER DRIVING A F
- • 2018 BMW X1. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT SAFETY RECALL. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE BATTERY FAILED AND WAS REPLACED, BUT MADE A NOISES WHILE DRIVING. THE DOORS DEVELOPED STREAK LINED. THE DEALER WAS MAD AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT STATED THERE WAS NO FIX. *J
- • THE HEATER BLOWER CEASED WORKING. THE BACK BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR A 3RD TIME, AND THE FACTORY NEVER SEALED THE AIR FILTER FOR THE ENGINE PROPERLY.
“SUN VISORS ARE TOO SHORT / SMALL AND DON'T HELP ON A SUNNY DAY. MAY AS WELL NOT HAVE THEM AT ALL ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN AUTO-TINTED WINDSHIELD. WE FIND THIS TO BE A SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. ALSO, CAR HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING AT TIMES AND ENGINE ALSO SOUNDS ROUGH AFTER DRIVING A F”
— NHTSA complaint filing
AIR BAGS
6 complaints- • 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
- • 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.
- • At-fault vehicle (charged with improper lane usage) in Toyota Corolla attempted to abruptly merge left from "local lanes" going north of IL 53 to the "express" lanes hitting a Toyota Camry which veered into my front right tossing me across 3 lanes taking out 70' of guardrail and totaling my 2018 BMW
“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 ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ENGINE
6 complaints- • 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 determ
- • 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
“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 determ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 78 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐BODY/STRUCTURE: TAILGATE LOCKING SYSTEM HAS ELECTRONIC KICK. THERE IS NO ELECTRONIC CHIRP TO ALERT CLOSING. I WAS STRUCK IN THE HEAD. THE TOP LATCH IS WAS REVERSED TO 'MALE' EQUIVALENT TO A HAMMER. THE BOTTOM LATCH WAS REVERSED AS CONNECTOR. IF ANYONE OVER 5' 10" WALKS UNDER THE OPEN HATCH THEY CAN BE STRUCK.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐OTHER: VERY DISAPPOINTING EXPERIENCE. HATCH BACK WITH "KICK" OPEN FEATURE RANDOMLY HITS ME ON THE HEAD WHILE I AM MOVING THINGS AROUND IN THE TRUNK SPACE AS I MOVE SIDE TO SIDE TO REARRANGE ITEMS. AM TOLD I WOULD NEED TO SPEND $250 TO DE-ACTIVATE THE "KICK OPEN" FEATURE. CALLED BMW DIRECT TO COMPLAIN, T
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ELECTRICAL: SUN VISORS ARE TOO SHORT / SMALL AND DON'T HELP ON A SUNNY DAY. MAY AS WELL NOT HAVE THEM AT ALL ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN AUTO-TINTED WINDSHIELD. WE FIND THIS TO BE A SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. ALSO, CAR HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING AT TIMES AND ENGINE ALSO SOUNDS ROUGH AFTER DRIVING A F
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐AIR BAGS: 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
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Bmw X1 — Year Comparison
How does 2018 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 78
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 3
- Crash reports
- 9
- Injury reports
- 9
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2018 Bmw X1