Most common 2011 BMW 1 Series problems
Share of the 33 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
BMW 1 Series complaints by model year
Best 1 Series years: 2006, 2007, 2010. Years to avoid: 2011, 2009, 2008. Compare all years →
2011 BMW 1 Series recalls (2)
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2010-2012 1 Series Coupe, 1 Series Convertible, 3 Series Sedan, 3 Series Convertible, 2010-2011 3 Series Sportswagon, 3 Series Coupe, 5 Series Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive 30i, X5 xDrive30i, and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the four VANOS bolts, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 18, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2024.
Seat belts › Front › Retractor
BMW is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 1-series vehicles. In a crash of sufficient severity, deployment of the front pre-tensioner and load-limiter occurs.
Remedy: Vehicles produced up through December 2009 will receive new front safety belt retractor units and a modification to the sound insulation near the units, while vehicles produced between January 2010 and May 2010 will…
What 2011 BMW 1 Series owners say
Air bags
I just had the bolts on both the (intake and exhaust replaced) this is listed in the unspecified recall and no one notified me on this recall I drive the 2011 128i Series coupe and this cost me out of pocket $1,800 dollars to replace, what I do not understand is why I was not notified of this I could have been in a serious accident and also I have 2 other recall issues that are happening to my car the air bag the signal keeps coming on and off and also the pcv valve off and on I smell something burning I do hope someone can contact me so I can get these recalls fix now I am really scared this is a matter of life and death. I have my receipt of me getting the bolts issue fixed and requesting a refund
Takata recall...recently had the air bag control module replaced. At a cost to me. The dealer indicated that this is not part of the recall. Is this part of the problem with Takata airbags or is it separate many thanks. [redacted]
Electrical system
I was accelerating into heavy traffic and my door flew open as I hit 45 MPH. I immediately pulled over when safe, and found my door would not latch. I drove home slowly holding onto the door. After some playing with the buttons, it finally caught. I called the dealer and they repaired it on 3/25/16 for >$500. Again 6/14/16, I went to get in my car to go to work and the door would not latch. No injuries occurred but a serious safety hazard. I took the car back in 6/17/16 and they still have it. Told me there was "water in the actuator". Very worried about this fix.
The vehicle was in motion and the blower motor resistor harness began to smoke heavily. The A/C stopped working. I pulled over and disconnected the wiring harness and pulled the fuse. The wires melted, the connector melted, and the resistor is broken. After some research I see that BMW has recalled other cars for this exact same issue, but not the 1 Series.
Fuel & propulsion system
This vehicle has the same n54 engine and same fuel pump that was covered under recall for failing fuel pumps on the 2007-2010 BMW cars. It was the only BMW vehicle that used this motor in 2011 and such was left out of the original recall. There were only about 600 of the vehicles made for the USA so I suppose that might also be why they were omitted. BMW has informed us that they cannot cover it under the recall since it was not included even though it has the same motor and fuel pump that was recalled in previous years. This car has experienced a fuel pump failure while driving on a city street in traffic. The ECU went into "reduced power mode" and the car could not accelerate past 15 MPH in fast moving traffic creating an unsafe condition and a near collision. The car also has the long crank time and engine error code p0087 which is normally experienced with the fuel pump failure. …
The high pressure fuel pump has failed and been replaced multiple times. It begins with the car taking much longer to crank and start. Then it completely fails potentially while driving, creating a safety issue, or will no longer start. The hpfp is easily replaced with just 3 bolts holding it to the side of the motor. Any competent shop can replace it in a couple hours at the most. The problem is exacerbated and made extremely frustrating by the service centers refusing to address the obvious problem. Instead they feign ignorance while hundreds of thousands of these are replaced after having replaced numerous other things. These other distractions are all more time consuming to replace and the root defective high pressure fuel pump is the last thing to be addressed when it should be the first and quickest. Every time once this has been replaced, it has been fixed right away. …
2011 BMW 1 Series engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | RWD | 20 / 28 / 23 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 28 / 22 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 7-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 BMW 1 Series a good car?
Based on 33 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 1 Series rates avoid: 3.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the 1 Series at the same age. It is one of the 1 Series years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 BMW 1 Series?
The air bags — 15 complaints, 45% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (7) and fuel & propulsion system (5).
How many recalls does the 2011 BMW 1 Series have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2011 BMW 1 Series, the most recent from October 20, 2023 (engine). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the BMW 1 Series?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2006, 2007 and 2010. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2011, 2009 and 2008. See the full BMW 1 Series years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 BMW 1 Series problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 25,000 miles; 67% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.