Home · 2016 BMW X1 Sav · Complaints

What 4 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 BMW X1 Sav

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 (4)Crash / fire / injury (2)Airbags (1)Electrical system (1)Engine (1)Fuel system (1)Seat belts (1)Seats (1)Speed control (1)Transmission & drivetrain (1)

Newest first · 4 complaints

Apr 23, 2019Electrical systemSeatsFire

WHEN I EXTEND THE PASSENGER SEAT ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK, THE FUSE BLOWS UP. THERE ARE SPARKS UNDER THE SEAT. AFTER THAT ALL THE BUTTONS TOWARDS PASSENGER SEAT ARE NOT RESPONSIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SAME DAY AND THEY FIXED IT ON THE SAME DAY BY REPLACING THE FUSE. AS SOON AS I GOT THE CAR, I TRIED EXTENDING THE SEAT AND FUSE BLOWS UP AGAIN. THE DEALER TOOK IT FOR 2 WEEKS, CHECKS IT AND JUST RETURNS IT SAYING THE FAULTY WIRE HAS BEEN TRIMMED AND ADVISED ME NOT TO ADJUST THE SEAT. THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ANY PERMANENT SOLUTION. WHEN I CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE REGARDING THIS MATTER, I GOT THE SAME RESPONSE ADVISING ME NOT TO ADJUST THE SEAT. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE. IT HAD 24K MILES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED AS OF TODAY.

NHTSA ODI 11203032

Nov 7, 2018Speed control

OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL IS ACTIVE, THE COLLISION WARNING WILL LIGHT AND THE BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NOTHING IN FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON A STRAIGHT, FLAT ROAD WITH NO SHADOWS, UNDULATIONS, OR CARS ANYWHERE IN SIGHT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD SINCE IT HAS HAPPENED WITH CARS TRAVELING IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. BMW TECHS CANNOT ID THE PROBLEM AND SAY THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT. THE PROBLEM IS INFREQUENT AND HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO OCCUR DURING A TEST DRIVE. MET TODAY WITH A BMW NA TECHNICAL SERVICE EXPERT WHO INSISTED THAT I WAS 'CONFUSING' THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM'S NORMAL OPERATION. NOT SO. MY LEASE ENDS IN 2 MONTHS AND I DON'T WANT THE NEXT OWNER TO GET RAMMED FROM BEHIND.

NHTSA ODI 11149975

Nov 18, 2017Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel system

2016 BMW X1 XDRIVE 28I HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT RANDOM TIMES. THE DELAY CAN TAKE UP TO 1 SECOND BEFORE THE ACCELERATOR RESPONDS AND THE VEHICLE STARTS MOVING. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN TRYING TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ODI 11047223

Oct 30, 2017AirbagsSeat beltsCrash1 injury

ON 10/28, MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL OFFSET HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A CHEVY SILVERADO. THE IMPACT OCCURRED INSIDE OF A TURNING LANE WHERE THE CHEVY WAS TRAVELING APPROX. 15 MPH, AND MY DAUGHTER BEGAN ACCELERATING OUT OF THE TURN LANE AT 5-10MPH WHEN THEY COLLIDED. THE SILVERADO'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, THE BMWS DID NOT. NO FRONT AIRBAGS OR KNEE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. SHE HIT HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL, WHILE WEARING HER SEATBELT, SO THIS ALSO BEGS THE QUESTION, WHY THE SEATBELT PRETENSIONERS DID NOT HOLD HER BACK FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. BMW 'S ALSO COME EQUIPPED WITH EMERGENCY FLASHERS UPON ACCIDENT, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN EITHER. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT NONE OF THE BMW SAFETY SYSTEMS WENT INTO EFFECT DURING THIS COLLISION. BMW ASSIST ALSO NEVER CALLED, WHICH AGAIN IS ANOTHER TOUTED BMW SAFETY SYSTEM IN ALL THEIR CARS.

NHTSA ODI 11041070

Working with the data? Download all 4 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 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 2016 BMW X1 Sav verdict →