Selling a junk BMW X1
Any X1 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the BMW X1
NHTSA has 771 owner complaints on file for the BMW X1, model years 2013 to 2022, the 322nd-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are other (155, 20%), electrical system (128, 17%), transmission and drivetrain (103, 13%). 29 complaints involved a crash, 18 a fire, and 48 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 60,000 miles. The 2017 model year has the most complaints (212). Data as of 2026-10-12.
The guides below explain how each kind of fault changes what a buyer pays.
BMW X1 by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 61 | Electrical system | 4 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 2014 | 92 | Electrical system | 2 | 5 | 2 | 102,000 |
| 2015 | 87 | Electrical system | 0 | 4 | 2 | 95,800 |
| 2016 | 186 | Other | 3 | 1 | 3 | 42,000 |
| 2017 | 212 | Transmission and drivetrain | 3 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2018 | 79 | Body and structure | 9 | 3 | 4 | — |
| 2019 | 18 | Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 2020 | 21 | Transmission and drivetrain | 2 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 2021 | 14 | Air bags | 4 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2022 | 1 | Engine | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
BMW X1 recalls
NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (3), engine and cooling (2), seat belts (2). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2013 model year, engine and cooling (campaign 24V608000, Aug 2024): BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2012-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 2012-2016 Z4 sDrive28i, 528i, 528i xDrive, 328i, 328xi, 2016-2018 X5 xdrive 40e, 2014-2016 228i, 228xi, 428i, 428i xDrive, 328xi…
- 2022 model year, air bags (campaign 23V079000, Feb 2023): BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022-2023 iX xDrive40, iX xDrive50, iX M60 and 2022-2023 X1 xDrive28i vehicles. The front driver's air bag may have been manufactured incorrectly and may not deploy as…
- 2022 model year, fuel system (campaign 22V513000, Jul 2022): BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2022 X1 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive30i, and 228i Gran Coupe vehicles. The high-pressure fuel rail may crack and result in a fuel leak within the engine compartment.
- 2021 model year, seat belts (campaign 21V554000, Jul 2021): 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 Serie…
- 2020 model year, air bags (campaign 20V283000, May 2020): BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X1 xDrive28i, X1 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i and X2 sDrive28i, 2020 MINI Clubman Cooper S All4, 2021 MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and Coop…
What a BMW X1 is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk X1 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car that doesn't run 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other BMW models
Questions people ask
- What is a junk BMW X1 worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same X1 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a BMW X1 that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a BMW X1?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these BMW X1 numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.