Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 BMW X1 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Airbag. No open recalls. Spinal injury in head-on collision. Unknown Crash Champions at Windsor Mills in Baltimore, MD (auto body shop for Progressive) No warnings
Tailgate locking system has electronic kick. There is no electronic chirp to alert closing. I was struck in the head. The top latch is was reversed to 'male' equivalent to a hammer. The bottom latch was reversed as connector. If anyone over 5' 10" walks under the open hatch they can be struck.
Filing complaint in regards to recall campaign no.19v-349. BMW has not responded to, nor reached out to fix my affected car. While this is a voluntary recall, they have not responded in a timely manner. Last official communication with them was in July 2019
Purchased new car late December 2018. Quickly realized my partmner does not fit safely in passenger seat. Was told by BMW that I can sell or do lease takeover. A couple months later I had a safety restraint malfunction. (preventing me from selling the car) a month after that I had two recalls & squeaky breaks. One recall was closed and the other remained open. 4 months into purchasing a new car I'm being forced to keep a car that is unsafe for my family. I cant sell or trade in because of recalls. BMW will not take my car back and I cant sell it. I'm stuck waiting for them to figure out how to take care of their open recall. BMW has exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair and I'm forced to drive a new car that that I have only had 7 months when 4 months into my lease the car is already experiencing trouble. …
There is a non compliant recall remedy unavailable for a trim piece inside the car between front and rear doors and in an event of a crash can pose serious risk of injury to rear seat passengers. I have my grandson in my car almost every day and my son. This is not acceptable. I want to give this car back immediately with no hassle or repercussions. I am looking for a other car effective immediately! I need your help to make sure this does not come back to haunt us! This is very dangerous! What can be done to make sure this happens right away? Because I am afraid now to drive this car and it's not my fault. When I talked to BMW they said they do not have a remedy and they are not allowed to trade for or sell this car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19V349000 (structure); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair as the recall notice was received over a year ago. BMW of shrewsbury (770 boston turnpike, shrewsbury, ma 01545, [phone]) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was contacted several times and was unable to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19V349000 (structure). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair as the recall notice was received over five months ago. Sterling BMW (3000 west coast hwy, newport beach, ca 92663, [phone]) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was contacted several times and was unable to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19V349000 (structure). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair as the recall notice was received over a year ago. BMW of riverside (3060 adams st, riverside, ca 92504, [phone]) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was contacted several times and was unable to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 BMW X1. The contact received a notification in the mail for a recall under NHTSA campaign number: 19V349000 (structure). The contact spoke with competition BMW of smithtown located at 599 middle country rd, st james, ny 11780 where she brought the vehicle in to be serviced for a partial repair under the recall. The dealer also informed her that the part was not available for the recall to repair the rest of the vehicle. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall and offered no assistance. A failure had not occurred on the vehicle. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 BMW X1. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19V349000 (structure). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. BMW ashville (649 new, airport rd, fletcher, nc 28732, [phone]) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Related recalls
Structure › Body › Roof and pillars
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2016-2019 X1 sDrive28i and X1 xDrive28i vehicles. In the event of a crash where the occupants head contacts the B-pillar, the pillar may not absorb an adequate amount of the impact.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the vertical trim pieces on the upper portion of the interior B-Pillars, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 1, 2019.
Body complaints in other X1 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2018 BMW X1?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the body & structure of the 2018 BMW X1, 37% of the model year's 60 complaints. The component named most often is body (20 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 BMW X1 body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 19V-349 (roof and pillars, May 9, 2019). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2018 BMW X1 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 9,000 miles, and 100% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.