Home · 2016 BMW X1 · Complaints

What 159 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 BMW X1

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 (159)Crash / fire / injury (5)Transmission & drivetrain (33)Visibility & wipers (20)Body & structure (17)Electrical system (13)Brakes (8)Engine (8)Airbags (4)Steering (4)Suspension (4)Speed control (3)

Newest first · 159 complaints · page 1 of 7

Jan 5, 2026

Known HVAC-produced moisture drainage issue that cause water to get trapped inside the system and cabin air filter housing, causing significant mold or mildew to grow on the filter itself and spread spores through cabin ventilation system and contaminates air inside cabin which poses serious health hazards.

NHTSA ODI 11708977

Jun 17, 2025EngineFuel system

- Roof and pillars I have been having for almost a year when trying to open and slide on the track. It is harsh and noisy. - Engine oil filter housing and coolant leak. This issue is critical. Finally on April 10, 2025 I ended spending $1007.52 to get the housing replaced to stop the ongoing drip drip effect. - Steering gear box. This issue remains despite the fact that I replaced struts. For almost a year since I bought the vehicle, there appears to be a clunking type noise especially when going over rail tracks on the road where I am forced to almost come to a complete stop to let the car go over the tracks out of fear of sustaining damage.

NHTSA ODI 11667511

Jun 9, 2025Electrical system

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 BMW X1. The contact stated that it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 81,295, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 135,400.

NHTSA ODI 11665898

Jun 2, 2025

My 2016 BMW X1 28i is leaking coolant. I am also getting a smell of something burning inside the car when driving. This is consistent with problems associated with the 2024 recall for water pump. I was told by my dealership that my vehicle was not one affected by the recall. I think it might be one that is. The vehicle could catch fire if there is a failure of the wiring.

NHTSA ODI 11664401

Jun 2, 2025Visibility & wipers

About 24 months back the sunroof curtain of my BMW X1 started having problems when I retract or operate it. It used to make stretching noises when I tried to open my sunroof and after a few times I heard a crackling noise and before I can stop it the curtain tore. Initially it was a small tear, so it did not bother much but over time the curtain completely left the guide/rail on one side and started sagging. Given it is a sunroof the curtain is as long as the vehicle and so now it is sagging to a point that it obstructs driver's visibly in back mirror. BMW won't do anything about it saying it is out of warranty and ultimately to avoid accidents I had to remove the curtain completely. I also tried getting it fixed, but the issue is not just the curtain but the rails of the curtain which is a non-replaceable part :( I would have to replace full sunshade assembly which is upwards of $1600. Also, it seems to be a common problem with these vehicles. Here are more examples of it: [XXX] . Please help me and other drivers be safe on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11664440

May 8, 2025Body & structure

Sunroof shade came off the tracks and is now sagging partially obstructing the view of my rear view mirror, if this sags more or falls off completely I will be unable to see out the rear window and can cause a collision. I see this has been an issue with multiple vehicles and should be addressed with the company immediately.

NHTSA ODI 11659743

Apr 26, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

Every time I get in or out of my car, the secure vehicle against rolling indicator light comes on.

NHTSA ODI 11656952

Jan 28, 2025

Error message when getting in the truck says “Secure vehicle against rolling”.

NHTSA ODI 11639150

Jan 17, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

The car is indicating the I need to press the parking brake to secure the car from rolling after I have placed it in park and pressed the electronic parking brake.

NHTSA ODI 11636409

Jan 8, 2025

"Secure vehicle from rolling" keeps coming on the dashboard when I turn the car off or put into park.

NHTSA ODI 11634955

Dec 5, 2024Tires

225/50 R18. Purchased in March 2024 and tread is already at 4/32 and 5/32 as of Dec 2024 for 2 of them. Tires driven for 13K miles. This is completely unacceptable and unsafe. I believe there is a defect, for tires to be so new and tread to be degrading so quickly.

NHTSA ODI 11628993

Dec 4, 2024

After I got my 2016 BMW X1 from Service, I heard a rough sound when I reversed the vehicle from Park. After a few days, I noticed my vehicle showing an error saying "Secure Vehicle against rolling" every time I parked the vehicle and advising me to use my hand brake. I then did some search on the web and finally took it for servicing at BMW Rockville, Maryland where the service department is managed by Auto Nation. They gave me a quote for around $2500 to fix this issue. Based on the research of this issue on the web, it looks like a $10 spring malfunction causes this issue. I have less than 55,000 miles on my vehicle. I am not sure if this issue is caused by some incorrect service work performed by Auto Nation The report from Auto Nation is at the link below [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11628788

Dec 3, 2024

My 2016 X1 is showing in the dashboard a “secure vehicle against rolling” transmission message; the fault is due to a little spring in the selector level which has been reported in other BMW and MINI models. I recently found a report in the NHTSA website related to a 10 year warranty extension for the Mini [XXX] ) but it does not include the X1 model, which suffers from the same type of defect. The warning showed up for the first time on Tuesday [XXX]. I have made an appointment with the car dealer to diagnose the issue. Multiple X1 owners have reported the same issue in multiple forums, for example: [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11628459

Nov 19, 2024Brakes

Warning light stating "Secure vehicle against rolling". Even when the vehicle is in park it could still roll and injure or kill someone.

NHTSA ODI 11626264

Nov 7, 2024

Message-secure vehicle from rolling

NHTSA ODI 11624094

Oct 24, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2016 BMW X1. The contact stated that after arriving to the destination and shifting the vehicle into park(P), the message "Secure Vehicle against Rolling Malfunction" was displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission shifter lever control cable. The contact was informed that the transmission shifter lever control cable was abnormally stretched. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621777

Oct 4, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The transmission lock sensor is defective in this car design- the spring in the gearshift assembly that contacts the transmission lock sensor has a faulty design and is prone to breaking. This leads to a warning in the car that the transmission lock has not occurred when the car is in park (although it is actually functioning). This creates a "false alarm" situation that then does not allow the user to know if the transmission is truly locked in park This defect has occurred in my car as diagnosed by both dealer and independent mechanic. This is a common and known defect amongst X1 owners (as well as the mechanical sibling Mini Cooper). It is also well known amongst the BMW dealer service; It should be consider a recall defect

NHTSA ODI 11618197

Aug 30, 2024Body & structure

Sunroof shade ripped off

NHTSA ODI 11611775

Aug 25, 2024Electrical system

Received an error message: Transmission. Use parking break to prevent rolling. Dealership said it was the internal gear shift. It didn’t recognize the vehicle was in park. It was an expensive repair because they had to remove the console to fix. Was told it was an issue with my model.

NHTSA ODI 11610691

Jul 22, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

Secure vehicle from rolling error. Secure vehicle with parking brake Spring pin broke in side gear shifter.

NHTSA ODI 11603681

Jul 22, 2024

My car just started showing an error code every time I turn it off or on saying to "Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped" with a transmission status error code but is running perfectly fine.

NHTSA ODI 11603918

Jul 17, 2024Transmission & drivetrainBrakesEngine

Every time I start or stop my vehicle I get a notification that shows Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center. And my console has a hazard warning that shows: Secure vehicle against rolling. This happens every time, even if the car is parked on a completely flat surface in no danger whatsoever of rolling. I've read SEVERAL X1 owners get this message and all state this needs to be a RECALL. They take their vehicles in for service and are told it's between $2500 and $3000 due to a tiny spring that breaks and the selector no longer communicates with the car in the parking position, and because of this there is an error message in dashboard in which warns you to make sure the vehicle is secure

NHTSA ODI 11602851

Jun 28, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

Keep getting the following warning "Transmission - secure vehicle with parking brake". It seems this is a known issue relating to a simple spring in the gear shifter that causes the computer to not recognize that the vehicle is in park. It's not only a very expensive repair for such a simple part failure, but also a safety concern in not knowing if the vehicle is secure to park.

NHTSA ODI 11597421

May 26, 2024

During the parking of the vehicle (gearbox shifter in “Park Position") and after turning off the engine, the iDrive system shows the following message: “Secure vehicle with parking brake and have the problem checked by dealership. This happens when I start up the vehicle in park and when turning off the vehicle. Also, when the vehicle is parked on level ground the error will remain even if the parking brake is applied. After turning on the engine again and putting the shifter either in R or D position, the error goes away. Dealership error computer diagnostic shows the code “420106” - Shift Lock solenoid: Selector lever wrongly not locked in Park. I shared with the dealership that this is a manufacturer problem and if they could fix it for free or give me a discount to fix the problem due to safety issues and I was told “No” I have to pay the total cost to repair this problem. Currently I am still driving a vehicle that can increase my risk of injury and the injury of bystanders. I purchased this vehicle after I retired because BMW makes good vehicles and this would be the last car I would purchase in my life.

NHTSA ODI 11590832

Apr 17, 2024Seat beltsBody & structureLane Departure

Steering Geer Box Structure body Roof and Pillars Seat belt retractors Air bags frontal

NHTSA ODI 11583481

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Working with the data? Download all 159 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 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 verdict →