Reliable Auto DB

2020 BMW X1 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 BMW X1 holds 13 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most X1 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Air bag control module.

2012 BMW X1
Photo by Vauxford, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

13

Per year

2

Recalls

1

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (4 of 13), then Engine (3) and Electrical system (2). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 X1 has 11 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2021 has 9 complaints, 2 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2021.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2020 BMW X1. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall air bags, air bag control module 2020-05-20 · NHTSA campaign 20V283000
Summary BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X1 xDrive28i, X1 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i and X2 sDrive28i, 2020 MINI Clubman Cooper S All4, 2021 MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and Cooper S E) and MINI Hardtop 4 Door (Cooper and Cooper S) vehicles. Due to a problem with the rollover sensor within the air bag control unit, in the event of a rollover crash, the head air bag, seat belt pretensioners and other safety systems, may not activate.
Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began July 17, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

Complaints by component (13 total)

Powertrain
4
Engine
3
Electrical system
2
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Seat belts
2
Service brakes
2
Air bags
1
Back-over prevention
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Speed control
1
Show 2 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

420211202212023420242202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2020 BMW X1. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 10 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. During the failure, the messages, "Chassis Stabilization:…"
    Powertrain, Speed control, Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-07-29
  • "The fuel tank got punctured on the freeway causing the car to lose power. The problem seems that BMW plastic fuel tank is located on the right side at the bottom of the car so any stone or particle on the freeway can…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-06-13
  • "Wastegate actuator turbo failure. Causes sudden loss of power to engine. Turbo function impacted. Drivetrain malfunction warning on dashboard. No prior warning sent. Problem with wastegate has been confirmed by…"
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2025-03-04
  • "I had a series of concerning incidents with my car. The trunk door was getting stuck halfway, but I was able to close it after turning on the engine. I also encountered a malfunction error on the backup camera, a Drive…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system, Back-over prevention · filed 2024-08-29
  • "it all started with the Battery and Powertrain and lound Loud niose from under my vehicle and my rear tail light code default. service forgetting to put the clamps back on i took the vehicle back from service and drove…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system, Service brakes · filed 2024-05-24

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 BMW X1 SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 BMW X1 SUV FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
X1 sDrive28i 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 24 33 27 MPG $2950
X1 xDrive28i 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 23 31 26 MPG $3050

Specs and fitment

F48 generation, 2016–2022
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (B46/B48) , 5.6 qt capacity
Tire size 205/60R17, 225/55R17, 225/50R18 or 225/45ZR19 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V349000 covers certain 2016-2019 X1 sDrive28i and xDrive28i vehicles (~106,182 units) that may not absorb enough B-pillar impact energy in a crash to meet FMVSS 201; dealers replace the upper interior B-pillar trim pieces. This generation moved to the front-wheel-drive UKL2 platform and B48 four-cylinder engines, leaving behind the N20 timing-chain settlement class that applied to the prior E84.

Compare

Previous year 2019 BMW X1 Next year 2021 BMW X1 See every BMW X1 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 BMW X1 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 BMW X1 holds 13 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most X1 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Air bag control module.

What are common problems with a 2020 BMW X1?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (4 of 13), then Engine (3) and Electrical system (2). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2020 BMW X1 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 X1 has 11 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2021 has 9 complaints, 2 per year. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2021.

Has the 2020 BMW X1 been recalled?

The 2020 BMW X1 has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 BMW X1?

Owners have filed 13 complaints about the 2020 BMW X1 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 BMW X1 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 BMW X1 is 26.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a BMW X1 use?

E84 models commonly use 0W-20 (28i N20) or 0W-30 (35i N55); F48/U11 gasoline models commonly use 0W-20 (~5.6 qt with filter on B46/B48).

What tire sizes does a BMW X1 use?

OEM sizes span about 205/60R17 through 225/45ZR19 (and staggered rear packages on some E84 options); confirm the door placard.

What timing-chain settlement covers certain early X1 models?

N20/N26-powered 2012-2015 X1 SAV models were included in the Gelis timing chain and oil-pump drive chain class-action settlement (BMW SI B11 02 21).