Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 BMW X1 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X1. The contact received a notification letter of BMW Campaign Number: SIB 01 02 24(Evap System Purge(Vent) Valve Extended Limited Warranty). The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle hesitated and vibrated while the engine revved. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon shifting to drive(D), the vehicle responded as intended. The vehicle was taken to a collision center, where an unknown diagnosis was made, and an unknown repair was performed; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2017 BMW X1. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the warning message "Secure Vehicle with Parking Brake" illuminated. The contact stated that he was able to drive the vehicle; however, he would engage the parking brake whenever he was parking the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the solenoid and spring had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.
During the parking of this vehicle (when you put the gearbox shifter in the P position), the iDrive system shows the following message: "Secure vehicle with parking brake when stationary. Have the problem checked by Service Partner." This happens each and every time and 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, you click "OK" and the error goes away, until the next time you park it. I have found through one of the biggest BMW global forums - [redacted] that this issue is very common, and it seems that the problem most likely is either in weak design of gearbox shifter unit or in gearbox mechatronic unit and unfortunately it is common for BMW models F48, F39, F45 and F46. …
The warning light "Secure vehicle against rolling" appears when the gear is shifted into park. An additional message reads: "Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center." It has been verified that the gear is indeed mechanically in the park position. Upon further investigation, I discovered numerous BMW X1 owners reporting this same issue on various online forums. The common cause appears to be a broken spring inside the gear shifter. This spring normally activates a switch that notifies the vehicle's electrical system that it's in park. When the spring fails, the system does not register this correctly, triggering the warning. After contacting BMW North America customer service, I was directed to visit an authorized service center. …
A warning light appears: "Secure Vehicle Against Rolling Error". I went online to see what the issue was and found that there were numerous vehicles owners with the same exact problem. It appears that a component in the gear selector has failed to properly detect the gear selector position, specifically when it is in park. Even though the gear selector is in park and the parking brake is applied as indicated by lights and physically attempting to move the vehicle, there is a warning message to secure a vehicle with parking brake to prevent it from rolling. This creates a safety hazard because the gear selector can be shifted into Drive without having your foot on the brake. Note that a very large number of BMW owners have complained about this problem on social media and in the BMW message forum. …
"Secure vehicle against rolling" warning light comes on when vehicle's gear is shifted into park. Additional information displayed states, "Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center." Confirmed vehicle's gear is mechanically shifted into park. Researched issue, and found many BMW X1 owners posting to various online forums stating root cause is due to a broken spring in the gear shifter that is supposed to toggle a switch informing the vehicle's electrical system that the vehicle is shifted into park. Hence the warning message. My vehicle is currently mechanically sound with no issues. My fear is that I have no way of knowing when a real issue does occur because the warning message is constantly displayed. …
Error message displayed: "Secure vehicle against rolling" This message is displayed due to a broken spring in the gear selector mechanism. Because of the broken spring, the car's computer cannot detect whether or not the gear selector is in park. This creates a safety hazard because the gear selector can be shifted into Drive without having your foot on the brake. Note that a very large number of BMW owners have complained about this problem on social media and in the BMW message forum. This is clearly wide scale problem that stems from a faulty design and it creates a potential safety hazard. As such, BMW should be forced to do a formal recall to correct this issue. The repair effort requires 6-8 hours of work to tear apart the center console, replace the spring, and put it all back together...at a cost of around $2,000. …
Error message displayed: "Secure vehicle against rolling" This message is displayed due to a broken spring in the gear selector mechanism. Because of the broken spring, the car's computer cannot detect whether or not the gear selector is in park. This creates a safety hazard because the gear selector can be shifted into Drive without having your foot on the brake. Note that a very large number of BMW owners have complained about this problem on social media and in the BMW message forum. This is clearly wide scale problem that stems from a faulty design and it creates a potential safety hazard. As such, BMW should be forced to do a formal recall to correct this issue. The repair effort requires 6-8 hours of work to tear apart the center console, replace the spring, and put it all back together...at a cost of around $2,000. …
The gear box failed, the battery failed and the coolant system leaked at the same time. It is at the dealer now who has confirmed these. A vehicle dashboard light came on before this occurred to tell me to engage the parking brake to prevent the car from rolling. Where I live, there are no hills so no reason to ever engage a parking brake and this dashboard light is meaningless. However, when I noticed this light, I made an appointment with the dealership and was able to drive the car there several days later. I thought it would not be a major issue but learned it was. The car has only 65,000 miles, and I have never been in an accident with this car. It is a safety issue, as it was a major problem with no effective warning and no real explanation in the owner's manual. I was fortunate to have brought the car in. I have not received the car back yet but the cost is substantial to repair.
A caution light appears and an error message "Secure vehicle against rolling. Secure vehicle with the parking brake when stopped." Come to find out there have been several complaints about 2017 BMW X1 having this same problem, error message caused by a faulty spring in the Shifter panel. Seems to me that this should be put on a Recall list as soon as possible as this could cause a safety issue if in fact the system malfunctions and causes the car to roll or shift into drive when stopped. This error message just started about a week ago. BMW dealership has checked the car and confirmed the issue is a faulty spring and that the whole Shifter needs to be replaced. Pulled codes, received code 420106 Shiftlock Solenoid Selector Lever Wrongly Not Locked in P. Forums all over the internet with hundreds of the same exact issue. Commonplace and should be recalled.
Transmission complaints in other X1 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2017 BMW X1?
NHTSA has 57 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2017 BMW X1, 35% of the model year's 164 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission › lever and linkage › floor shift (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 BMW X1 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2017 BMW X1, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2017 BMW X1 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 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.