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2021 BMW X1

Gas

Large Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaints4 crash · 4 injured reported 9

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 27 mpg

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2021 BMW X1 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the X1 sDrive28i, is EPA-rated at 27 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 9 complaints, most often about the air bags. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

BMW X1 — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — BMW X1 · Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
X1 sDrive28i	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	24	33	27	$3,050
X1 xDrive28i	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	23	31	26	$3,150

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42894, 42893.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i	7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2 L

Engine Output

Horsepower

228 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	FWD/Front-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	8

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning

Optional: Adaptive cruise control, Parking assist

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: sDrive28i, xDrive28i). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	174.8 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	71.7 in
Height	63.4 in
Wheelbase	105.1 in
Track, front	61.4 in
Track, rear	61.4 in
Curb weight	3,660 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	57/43

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: xDrive28I 4-door SUV. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Seat Belts

21,537 vehicles 99% reported repaired

Problem BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 2 Series (230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive), 330e, 330e Xdrive, 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive) M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, BMW 4 Series Convertible (430i, M440i), BMW X1 sDrive28i, xDrive28i, 2 Series Gran Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i xDrive), M2 Competition Coupe, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, M3, M3 Competition, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, CooperS, JCW), X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X2 M35i, Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE), MINI Convertible (Cooper, Cooper S, JCW), MINI Clubman (Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW), MINI Countryman (Cooper Risk During a crash, a seat belt retractor that does not function as intended increases the risk of injury. Fix Dealers will inspect the seat belt retractors (including the seat belts) and, if necessary, replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417; 1-866-825-1525 (MINI); 1-877-877-3735 (Rolls Royce); and 1-888-270-9371 (Toyota).

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 21V554000 reported Jul 21, 2021 BMW of North America, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific X1

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2021 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. BMW publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →BMW’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2021 BMW X1, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

9complaints filed

4 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 4 injuries · 0 deaths reported

1.0 per 10,000 built · BMW reported 88,023 X1 built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2026: 4

Most-cited components

Air Bags 4

Forward Collision Avoidance 3

Electrical System 3

Unspecified 1

Service Brakes 1

Suspension 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X1. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 10 MPH, she was involved in a head-on crash with another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The driver was transported to the hospital for level two severe trauma to the neck, head, and chest with pain.

Air Bags at 59,000 miles Sep 18, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11765262

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X1. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the navigation screen was glitching and became inoperable. The service message was displayed. There was a red triangle with an exclamation mark displayed. The vehicle was difficult to start.

Engine at 35,000 miles Aug 11, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11756155

At approximately 20,000 miles, the vehicle was inspected by an authorized dealer due to abnormal noises from the front suspension when turning the steering wheel. The dealer confirmed abnormal noise from the front struts when the wheels were turned while the vehicle was on a lift and diagnosed premature front strut failure.

Service Brakes Jan 24, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11713081

While I was driving my BMW X1 1 to 3 weeks ago, frontal collision warning malfunction, pedestrian alert and request service flashed. It was a distraction and not safe. When My husband brought it to the dealership, they were not certain how to fix it. They took a video while doing diagnostic.

Electrical System May 18, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11522577

The car was displaying these messages: Frontal Collision Warning System: Malfunction, Brake intervention not available. Visual and acoustic ⚠️ warnings active. Consult service center. Daytime Pedestrian Warning reduced:Brake intervention not possible, but visual and acoustic warnings are still given. Consult service center.

Forward Collision Avoidance May 15, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11521985

I got into an accident, i was hit on the driver side and the car was pushed to hit a tree, the air bag did not deploy

Air Bags Sep 12, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11763806

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by BMW itself: 7 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 11 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 8.0 per 100,000 built. Every X1 model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	14%
SUV FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW warranty extension 1390900300For this vehicle, the EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles, from the original 10 years/120,000 miles…

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every BMW warranty extension (46) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 37

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-06-26

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 34 service bulletins, 2 warranty extensions, 1 service campaign

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Engine, Structure, Steering.

B010224 Warranty extension
2026-06-26 · Engine
The EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
B513019 Service bulletin
2025-04-29 · Structure — Body
A groaning noise is present from the door frame of any door, most commonly when driving over rough roadsor during body flex. This situation may be worse in vehicles which are regularly waxed in th e area of the door jamb.
B120425 Service campaign
2025-04-25 · Electrical System
As a result of a data input error, certain fault memories are permanently stored. The permanent storage offault memories does not comply with the legal specifications of the authority (California Air Resources Board– CARB). The fault has no effect on the use of the vehicle by the customer.
B840324 Service bulletin
2024-10-12 · Electrical System
The “End of life” or “Emergency call system error” Check Control message appears in the vehicle. The following fault memory entry is stored: B7F341 – Emergency battery: Hardware faulty
B511024 Service bulletin
2024-04-15 · Electrical System
The tailgate sporadically fails to open when signaled via- The interior button (driverâs door panel) Button on key fob The switch on the tailgate (inside or outside) In some cases, the tailgate will release and open only a short distance before stopping.
B640416 Service bulletin
2024-01-19 · Structure
Customer complains of a musty odor or damp front footwell carpet.
B611305 Service bulletin
2024-01-11 · Electrical System
The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle “discharged battery” complaints.
B521723 Service bulletin
2024-01-02 · Electrical System
Customer states one of the front seats is inoperative. The seat heater and power supply are inoperative. During the vehicle test, the seat module does not respond. The power supply fuse for the seat module isfound to have blown.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 1.6%

failed emissions

1,300 initial inspections of 1,269 vehicles.

Measure	The 2021 X1	Every 2021 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	1.6%	1.9%	1,294
Failed the safety inspection	0.85%	1.5%	1,300
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.15%	0.19%	1,300
Miles driven a year	8,391	10,343	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	44,176	54,681	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2021 vehicle” is every 2021 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

X1 by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A^* 0 0 28 mpg 2026 B 2 1 28 mpg 2025 C 3 17 28 mpg 2024 C 3 30 28 mpg 2023 D 6 70 28 mpg 2022 B 2 1 27 mpg 2021 this page A 1 9 27 mpg 2020 A 1 13 27 mpg 2019 C 3 13 26 mpg 2018 C 4 60 26 mpg 2017 C 4 164 26 mpg 2016 C 4 163 25 mpg

Common questions about the 2021 X1

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2021 BMW X1 have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2021 BMW X1. The most serious on file is 21V554000, covering Seat Belts. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2021 BMW X1?

NHTSA gave the 2021 BMW X1 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (92/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2021 BMW X1?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2021 BMW X1, the best EPA combined figure is 27 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2021 BMW X1?

Transport Canada measured it at 174.8 in long, 71.7 in wide (body, without mirrors), 63.4 in tall, on a 105.1 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,660 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2021 BMW X1?

Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 BMW X1, most often about air bags, forward collision avoidance, electrical system. Of those, 4 involved a crash, 4 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2021 BMW X1?

The EPA smog rating for the 2021 BMW X1 is 7 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2021 BMW X1?

The manufacturer has filed 37 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 BMW X1, most often covering electrical system, equipment, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-06-26. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2021 BMW X1 do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 BMW X1 failed the emissions check on 1.6% of first inspections — close to the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.85% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	2 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	9	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	37	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	12 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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