BMW X1 SUV - Reliability & safety

People are quick to associate premium cars with dependability, however, BMW has had a rocky recent history when it comes to the reliability of its models. The BMW X1 hasn’t featured in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, so it’s unclear how reliable this specific model will be.

Safety shouldn’t be a cause for concern, either, with a long list of standard equipment and a strong crash test score.

BMW X1 SUV reliability

BMW placed in 21st out of 32 manufacturers in our 2023 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. While this may seem low for such a premium brand, BMW managed to position itself ahead of rivals Audi and Mercedes. Around 22% of buyers reported a fault with their car within the first year of ownership, which is a middling reliability result for the Munich-based marque.

The X1 is too new to have appeared in Driver Power’s top 75 cars of 2022 list, however, other BMW models such as the 3 Series and 5 Series could only manage average to disappointing results, with the most common complaint being reliability. More disappointing, is that the 1 Series with which the X1 shares much of its platform and powertrain technology, finished a lowly 71st, with owners citing particular concerns about their cars’ engines and gearboxes, as well as fuel economy and reliability.

Safety

The BMW X1 scored five stars in Euro NCAP crash-testing, with an especially high score of 92% in the safety assist category. As standard, all cars come with forward collision warning, lane departure warning, speed limit assist and a reversing camera. Owners can pay extra via BMW ConnectedDrive for other features such as lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control. Adult and child occupant protection also scored highly for the X1, although pedestrian safety wasn’t as impressive.