FaultScore

2013 BMW X1 SAV electrical problems

10 of the 80 complaints about the 2013 BMW X1 SAV are about the electrical system — 13% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 67,500 miles.

B

10

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Electrical System 10 100.0%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 100,800 miles Plano, TX

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2 MONTHS AFTER REPORTING A DEAD/DRAINED BATTERY, IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. THE ALARM STARTS WHINING AND THEN THE CAR NEEDS TO BE JUMPED BECAUSE THE BATTERY IS DEAD. CAR WAS STATIONARY WHEN OCCURRED, AND IS DRIVEN DAILY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT CAN SIT FOR A FEW DAYS DURING SCHOOL BREAKS.

NHTSA complaint #11291377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 111,000 miles Chesterland, OH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL FROM VENTS THE SMELL DOES NOT GO AWAY WHEN RECIRCULATING THE AIR AND I SUSPECT IT IS NOT COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF THE ENGINE BAY B. THIS ISSUE IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE SYMPTOMS DOCUMENTED IN SAFETY RECALL 17V-676 ' BLOWER MOTOR WIRING ' 2006-2011 BMW 3 SERIES

NHTSA complaint #11281998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 100,000 miles Plano, TX

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A DEALER WITH A NEW BATTERY. BATTERY DIED 5 DAYS LATER FOR NO APPARENT REASON. NOTHING WORKED ON CAR. HAD TO JUMP IT. WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC TO BUY A DIFFERENT BATTERY. THAT NEW BATTERY DIED 6 DAYS LATER. NOTHING WORKED ON CAR. HAD TO JUMP IT. APPARENTLY FROM MY RESEARCH, THIS MODEL HAS AN ISSUE WITH THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL CABLE AND ALSO WITH PARASITIC COMPONENTS CONSTANTLY DRAINING THE BATTERY. IT SHOULDN'T COST ME $$$ TO HAVE A MECHANIC DIAGNOSE AND RE-PROGRAM CAR COMPUTER, AS WELL AS PURCHASE NEW BATTERIES.

NHTSA complaint #11278972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 74,300 miles SAN Bruno, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY GOT HIT ON THE DRIVE SIDE DOOR BREAKING THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR. TOOK THE CAR TO THE BODY SHOP AND I WENT TO PICK UP MY CAR, THE CAR DIDN'T START AS IF NO ELECTRICAL POWER, NO POWER AT ALL, THEY JUMP START MY CAR AND I BROUGHT THE CAR HOME, THE NEXT DAY NO ELECTRICAL POWER AGAIN, I CALLED THE SHOP WHERE I GOT MY DENT FIXED AND TOOK THE CAR THEY SAID THEY REPLACE THE BATTERY AND BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO ME THE NEXT THE DIDN'T START AGAIN NO ELECTRICAL POWER THEY TOOK CAR AGAIN TO SEE WHAT IS WRONG THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR, SO THEY TOOK THE BMW DEALER, UNTIL NOW I DON'T HAVE MY CAR. I AM PUZZLED AND WONDERING IF MY CAR WILL EVER FIX.

NHTSA complaint #11208947 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 51,000 miles Troy, NY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WE WERE DRIVING ALONG THE NORTHERN STATE PARKWAY WHEN ALL THE VEHICLES INDICATOR LIGHTS BEGAN FLASHING, THE SPEED AND RPM NEEDLE STOPPED WORKING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE NAVIGATION EVENTUALLY BLACKED OUT, AND THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING. AS WE DRIFTED TOWARD THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE CAR TURNED ON AGAIN BUT ALL LIGHTS IN THE CAR CONTINUED FLASHING UNTIL THE CAR SHUT OFF ONCE AND FOR ALL. THE CARS COMPUTER WOULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT BROUGHT TO THE SCENE. A BOTTLE OF WATER WAS FOUND OPEN NEAR THE MODULES IN THE TRUNK AND CONFIRMED TO BE THE CAUSE OF ELECTRICAL DAMAGE WHICH DISABLED THE VEHICLE. WATER IN THE TRUNK OF BMW X1 CAUSES VEHICLE TO BECOME INOPERABLE WHILE DRIVING. BECAUSE OF THE PLACEMENT OF THE VULNERABLE ELECTRONICS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CARGO AREAS. -INSTRUMENT FAILURES -LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE -VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN ON HIGHWAY -DELICATE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS DAMAGED BY A BOTTLED WATER -CAUSES ELECTRICAL FIRE OR CARE SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING -RISK OF DEATH FOR BMW PASSENGERS AND TO OTHER PARTYS ON THE HIGHWAY -FILED SUNROOF WATER SEAL

NHTSA complaint #11172179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 67,500 miles Cassville, NY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I WAS DRIVING AND THE NYS THURWAY AND MY CAR SHUT DOWN BECAUSE I FOUND THAT MY GROUND CABLE TO THE BATTERY RUSTED OR ROTTED THEN BROKE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO COVER AROUND THE CABLE PROTECTING IT FROM THE WEATHER. IT CONNECTS FROM THE BATTERY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR WHERE THE SNOW AND RAIN GET TO IT. EVERY CAR I HAVE OWNED HAD A BATTERY WITH PLASTIC COVERING. THE CAR WILL STALL AND SHUTDOWN. THEY KNOW OF THIS.

NHTSA complaint #11103526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 32,000 miles Imperal, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE AUTO START STOP MALFUNCTIONED. WHEN RESTARTING AT A STOP LIGHT, THE CAR SHIFTED INTO PARK RATHER THAN REMAINING IN DRIVE. THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS IS START-STOP TRAFFICE CONDITIONS WHEN DRIVERS BEHIND THE CAR BELIEVE THAT IT WILL MOVE WITH THE BRAKE IS RELEASED. BMW REQUIRES THAT THE START-STOP FUNCTION BE ENABLED EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.

NHTSA complaint #11056204 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 51,600 miles Baltimore, MD

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ELECTRIC WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT FAILURE AT 51,600 MILES. ENGINE/RAD FAN BEGAN TO CYCLE ERRATICALLY; WOULD NOT BLOW HOT AIR TO HEAT INSIDE CABIN, AND GOT A SYSTEM MESSAGE DISPLAY WARNING OF CAR OVER-HEATING AND TO PULL OVER.

NHTSA complaint #11054646 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SAN Antonio, TX

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BMW OF SAN ANTONIO DOES NOT HAVE PART AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE RECALL. PARTS AVAILABILITY IS UNKNOWN AND DID NOT RESCHEDULE FOR SAFETY RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #11035447 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 1,200 miles Cartersville, GA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BMW X1 LEASED IN MAY 2013: SDRIVE 28I *1ST DEFECT NOTICED: NAV SCREEN & INTERIOR LIGHTING WOULD CUT OFF. COULD NOT BE RESTARTED.CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE OTHER DEFECTS/*ENGINE FAILURE AT HWY SPEEDS:GENERALLY FOLLOWING NAVIGATION BLACK-OUTS- ENGINE, WITHOUT WARNING, CUT OFF WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. /*ENGINE FAILURE WITH FULL ELECTRICAL & LIGHTING FAILURE- NO POWER STEERING- NIGHT TIME/*AUTO START STOP-VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES IN TRAFFIC/*UNPROMPTED ACCELERATION /*BRAKE FAILURE 100% /*GEAR SHIFTER WOULD NOT REMAIN IN SELECTED P, D, N, R UPON SELECTION/*GEAR SHIFTER-"RANDOMLY" SHIFT INTO OTHER GEAR SELECTIONS WHILE DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS./*POWER SURGES- VEHICLE WOULD RANDOMLY CHARGE THEN NOT CHARGE IPHONE ( COMPATIBLE MODEL) / WOULD ALSO SEND POWER SURGES TO HEATED SEATS WHEN NOT ON, HEATED SEAT BUTTON NOT LIT UP- WOULD CAUSE SEATS TO BECOME EXTREMELY HOT TO WHERE, IF I COULDN'T EXIT THE VEHICLE, I WOULD HAVE TO TURN ON THE AIR (WOULD ONLY BLOW HOT AIR DURING SURGE) AND SIT ON JACKET./*ENGINE LIGHT ALWAYS ON/*VEHICLE WOULD SPELL OF "BURNING"/*POWER SEATS- RANDOMLY STOP WORKING/*HEADLIGHTS/FOG LIGHTS- RANDOMLY BLEW OUT SHORTLY AFTER LEASING/*VEHICLE WIPERS (FRONT AND REAR)- WOULDN'T WORK "TOGETHER"- WOULD SOMETIMES HIT EACH OTHER DURING HEAVY RAIN/*LOSS OF GPS ALONGSIDE RANDOM CURRENT LOCATION FAILURE(WOULD SAY I WAS IN KANSAS, CA, ETC. WHILE I WAS IN GEORGIA.- DIRECTIONS INTO DEAD ENDS/ NON- EXISTENT ROADS/*BLUETOOTH FAILURE CONSTANTLY/*REAR SEATS WOULD BECOME UNLATCHED IF HARD BRAKING OCCURRED- NOT OPERATOR FAILURE; BACK SEATS WERE "RARELY" MOVED OUT OF UPRIGHT POSITION- NEVER OCCURRED AROUND TIME OF MOVING SEATS./*RADIO FREQUENCY FAILURE/*BMW NA -UNITED BMW- BMW FS-MADE AWARE OF PROBLEM -GIVEN VIDEO FOOTAGE DURING ACTUAL FAILURES- BMW STATED " NOT A LEMON LAW ISSUE." - ALL DOCUMENTED- MONTHS IN SERVICE- COULDN'T FIX.

NHTSA complaint #10627326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2013 BMW X1 SAV problems

← Full 2013 BMW X1 SAV report