Home · 2015 BMW X1 Sdrive28i · Complaints

What 94 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 BMW X1 Sdrive28i

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (94)Crash / fire / injury (9)Electrical system (32)Airbags (30)Engine & cooling (22)Engine (21)Brakes (3)Fuel system (3)Steering (3)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Body & structure (2)Speed control (2)

32 of 94 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters · page 2 of 2

Aug 11, 2024Electrical systemEngine

experience issues starting up due to a failure of the starter motor. Repeated attempts at stating the vehicle can cause the motor to overheat due to an electrical overload, potentially catching combustible materials in the engine compartment and increasing the risk of fire.

NHTSA ODI 11607785

Oct 25, 2023Electrical systemFire

My vehicle blew up in my driveway last after being parked for over 6 hours. Been researching this has been a ongoing thing with BMW. Electrical issue

NHTSA ODI 11551794

Nov 3, 2022Electrical systemFuel system

This car has had fuel leaking since the moment I drove it off the lot. I messaged the dealer, and received no response. Living in Arizona without a working AC in the car is also quite a nightmare. At the moment the smell of gasoline is extremely intense and I feel worry about my baby riding in a car. It would be great if, BMW came forward, to do what’s correct, and fix the car’s issues, as it is constantly breaking down from one thing or the other. Thanks

NHTSA ODI 11492164

Oct 6, 2022Electrical systemEngine

The engine coolant thermostat limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship. The vehicle currently has 60,128 miles. The vehicle's "service engine soon", warning light began appearing intermittently and now it is constantly on. The car has a stored code (P0597) Thermostat Heater Control Circuit/Open.This vehicle has a current technical service bulletin for a defective thermostat for this model year; however, the VIN number is not included. This should be investigated further as this Technical service bulletin(SI B01 01 16) suggests that PRODUCTION date is NOT the sole determinate, but rather, the entire model year is just as imperative!! The local BMW dealership is refusing to repair the vehicle despite having premature failure with the thermostat heater control circuit/open for this model year vehicle and with a currently illuminated warning light and code (P0597). Although the technical service bulletin states that the model year & model numbers are both covered, the bulletin further states: 1) ."Note: The MY 2015 vehicles produced up to and including January 31, 2015 (as applicable) have been added to this bulletin December 2017"; and, 2) "Please do not use a vehicle’s production date as the sole determinate for this coverage, the vehicle’s “model year” is also an important determinate."

NHTSA ODI 11488160

Apr 22, 2021Electrical systemEngine

22,000 ACTUAL MILES OILFITER HOUSING LEAK ON ENGINE AND CYLINDER COVER IS PLASTIC LIKE ON OTHER X1 SDRIVE . LEAKING ON ELECTRICAL PARTS AND SMOKE TERRIBLE WHEN COME TOO STOP UNDER THE HOOD. THIS IS ABAD PLASTIC PART AND GASKET LEAK WITH HOLLY ANY MILES. 22,000 SOMETHING MILES WHEN PURCHASE ONLINE . DEALERSHIP I TOOK IT TOO SAY IT'S A FIRE HAZARD IT COULD CATCH ON FIRE I JUST HOPE OTHERS TOO DON'T NOTICE IT AND CAR CATCHES ON FIRE AS REPORTED FOR OTHER X1 2015 SDRIVE 28I MY CAR NEED A RECALL ASAP.

NHTSA ODI 11413314

Dec 13, 2020Electrical systemEngine

OIL PAN LEAKING OIL LEAKS IN 4 PLACES SMOKING FROM OIL LEAKS THAT COULD POSSIBLE RUIN THE ENGINE POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE TIMING BELT MODULE TICKING LOUD DEFECTIVE

NHTSA ODI 11383234

Aug 1, 2015Electrical system

SERVICE ENGINE SOON, ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION, COOLANT LEVEL LOW, MAY DRIVE AT REDUCED SPEED. THESE ARE ALL THE ALERTS AND MESSAGES THAT POPPED UP WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER. THINKING MY VEHICLE WOULD STILL BE UNDER WARRANTY, WHICH IT'S RELATIVELY NEW AND UNDER 9K MILES. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE HAD SUFFERED FROM RODENT DAMAGE, AND THAT THE WARRANTY WILL NOT BE COVERING THE DAMAGES AND THAT I SHOULD FILE A CLAIM WITH MY AUTO INSURANCE. I INQUIRED ABOUT WHY THE RODENTS ARE ATTRACTED TO THE WIRING AND ALL THEY CAN SAY WAS TO HIRE PEST CONTROL AND THEY WOULD HELP ME RID OF RODENT ISSUES AT HOME. I DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT BMW HAD BEEN USING SOY BASED INGREDIENTS TO PRODUCE SOME OF THEIR WIRING PARTS AND COATING. THIS OF COURSE WAS NOT DISCLOSED AT TIME OF PURCHASE AND I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN ABOUT IT IF I HADN'T FACED WITH SUCH CIRCUMSTANCE. SO BOTTOM LINE, THERE IS NO RESOLUTION FOR THIS ISSUE AND I WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BRING MY VEHICLE IN IF RODENTS DECIDE TO HAVE A PARTY AGAIN IN MY VEHICLE OR I CAN MOVE.

NHTSA ODI 10745581

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Working with the data? Download all 94 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 28, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2015 BMW X1 Sdrive28i verdict →