Home · 2015 BMW X1 Xdrive35i · Complaints

What 94 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 BMW X1 Xdrive35i

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)

Newest first · 94 complaints · page 2 of 4

Dec 19, 2024Engine & coolingElectrical system

The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11631598

Dec 16, 2024Engine

This is a complaint surrounding the recall on the vehicle. I have called the dealerships closest to me 4 times over the last month and a half to remedy with no such luck. My car 12/15, was smoking from the water pump location in the engine. It has done this when driving for more than 20 minutes or driving for the first time if taking the weekend off from doing so. There is a burning smell that comes in from the vents. I have had the oil changed and inspected, there was no leak found either time. there is "no remedy available" according to the dealership but this has been ongoing for 4 months. There is a fire hazard, I have relayed that I have seen smoke but have to drive the car as it is a daily driver for my family. no solution, even temporary has been discussed from the dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11630899

Dec 10, 2024Engine & coolingElectrical system

The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11629855

Dec 10, 2024Engine

Water pump recall has not been provided since the month of August . Engine light warning light just appeared on my vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11629943

Dec 6, 2024Engine & coolingElectrical systemFuel system

The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. The contact stated after reversing out of the driveway and shifting into drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. Additionally, the contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road, where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) had failed and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer determined that the engine computer needed to be reset to clear diagnostic trouble codes, and that the vehicle needed to be test-driven afterwards. The vehicle was repaired; however, the dealer also recommended that the battery be replaced. The battery was not replaced. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The dealer was notified of the issue and informed the contact that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11629173

Nov 20, 2024Engine & coolingElectrical system

The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11626415

Oct 28, 2024Engine & coolingElectrical system

The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. The contact stated that the coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond and there was smoke coming out from underneath the hood. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that there was a coolant leak. The dealer diagnosed that the oil filter gasket housing had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where the oil filter gasket housing was replaced, however the failure progressively worsened. The contact stated that there was oil leaking in the engine compartment, and there was a strong oil odor coming through the A/C vents. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure was approximately 109,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11622217

Oct 28, 2024Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. The contact had received notification of Manufacturer recall number: 20E-A01 for the engine CO emissions (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer and the dealer refused to complete the manufacturer’s recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ODI 11622239

Oct 23, 2024Engine & coolingElectrical system

The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System). The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked, the contact observed condensation under the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621460

Sep 2, 2024Engine

While driving, an engine malfunction message appeared on the X1's panel display. The warning message was to proceed, under "reduced power", to a dealer as soon as possible to initiate repairs before engine damage could occur. Under these emergency conditions all panel functions, such as GPS, were blocked. I believe this failure, occurring under normal operating conditions, puts passengers at risk. At the dealer engine error codes identified the N55 engine's internal failure to be of the Valvetronic system. The 2015 X1 was out of warranty even though its mileage was 46,600 which, if still under the 4 year, 50,000 mile warranty, would have qualified for a warranty repair.

NHTSA ODI 11612087

Aug 22, 2024Engine & coolingElectrical system

The contact owns a 2015 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V608000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System ) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11610152

Aug 22, 2024Engine

Multiple issues with coolant/pump. Recall states there is potential for fire but aren’t able to fix the problems.

NHTSA ODI 11610278

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

Apr 14, 2024Body & structure

Rear passenger door bouncing back when closing and now passenger rear door doing exactly same thing. If it happens you have to drive while holding door closed trying not to fly out into traffic.

NHTSA ODI 11582902

Oct 29, 2023Steering

While driving , power steering became stiff and unable to move steering wheel and went into a lock position . I have to turn off engine completely to be safe .

NHTSA ODI 11552489

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

Aug 15, 2023EngineFire

The engine caught on fire - While driving the car, the engine suddenly started running poorly. Check engine lights went on and the car went into limp mode. Smoke came out of the engine compartment. We were able to pull over to the side of the road. The engine died and would not start. The car was towed to an independant repair shop and then to the BMW dealer. BMW of NA sent a field investigation team to inspect the car. BMW said there was "thermal activity in the engine compartment where the intake ducting was partially melted". BMW would not release a copy of the report. The insurance company is inspecting the car now. Photos are available. This might be related to NHTSA recall number 22V-119.

NHTSA ODI 11538594

Nov 5, 2022Body & structure

Right passenger door will not open from the inside using the door handle about 1 out of 10 times. This seems to be a common problem on many other BMW vehicles as noted here: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1217271. The door will still open from the outside or using the interior door unlock button that operates an actuator to unlock the door, but in a emergency situation where battery power may not be available, there is a 1 in 10 chance the door will not open using the handle. I feel this is a severe safety issue and should be fixed by BMW free of charge by way of a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11492367

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

Oct 6, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact called on behalf of his mother who owned a 2015 BMW X1. The contact stated that the service engine message was intermittently displayed and then remained displayed. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA ID Number: 10136705 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11488200

May 3, 2022

Radiator warning lamp comes on and engine starts to overheat. Problem first ocurred around July/August 2021. Car has been serviced three times (twice by dealer) without being fixed. Radiator, hoses, thermostat, vent line, and expansion tank have been replaced. Car is available for inspection. I believe it could be the coolant pump as reported in other models. Car going back to dealer on 5/5 for another look.

NHTSA ODI 11463146

Dec 2, 2021

Our BMW X1 needs a new front differential. It has 88,500 miles. Dealer explained that this could cause the vehicle to stall in an unsafe way. BMW has developed a repair kit for this fix and we have found many complaints from owners online saying they've had the same problem atttributed to a flawed bearing design. A repair on this vehicle is $4,157 for a new BMW unit or $2800 for a used unit. This seems like a very expensive defect for the mileage of the vehicle and it is a safety concern. BMW has denied requests for assistance. We are wondering if a recall might be appropriate if a pattern of consumers are reporting this problem and just wanted to make you aware. The vehicle is making a grinding noise but hasn't stalled yet; the dealer is just warning us that will happen upon a complete failure.

NHTSA ODI 11442488

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

Jan 25, 2021EngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 BMW X1. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN SHE SAW SMOKE EXITING THE HOOD THEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK. THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE AND UNDER HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO HER RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER VISTA BMW COCONUT CREEK (4401 W SAMPLE RD, COCONUT CREEK, FL 33073: (954) 905-4461) AND WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THE IGNITION CORD AND OIL PAN WAS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000.

NHTSA ODI 11389848

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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 Xdrive35i verdict →