2011 BMW 1 SERIES — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
44
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
9
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2011 BMW 1 SERIES
The 2011 BMW 1 SERIES has received a total of 44 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN, SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR. 9 technical service bulletins have been issued by BMW of North America, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (15 complaints), Electrical System (7 complaints), and Engine (4 complaints).
Recalls for the 2011 BMW 1 SERIES
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 2011 BMW 1 SERIES, potentially affecting up to 190,316 vehicles.
Recall 23V707000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
| 157,796 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2010-2012 1 Series Coupe, 1 Series Convertible, 3 Series Sedan, 3 Series Convertible, 2010-2011 3 Series Sportswagon, 3 Series Coupe, 5 Series Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive 30i, X5 xDrive30i, and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles. The aluminum bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can...
Consequence: Loose or broken VANOS unit bolts can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the four VANOS bolts, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 18, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service...
View full details →Recall 12E029000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
| 585 vehicles affected
Defect: This recall involves aftermarket parts sold by Valeo. Valeo is recalling certain engine cooling fans, part numbers 696121, 696273, and 696275, used as service replacement parts for model year 2008-2011 BMW 1-Series, 2006-2011 BMW 3-Series, 2000-2009 BMW 5-Series, 2004-2005 BMW 6-Series, and 2006-2007 BMW 7-Series vehicles. A metal-oxide semiconductor may overheat due to insufficient screwing of the semiconductor on the...
Consequence: This condition could cause the fan motor to become inoperative, or cause the motor circuit board in the assembly to overheat, potentially leading to a fire in the engine compartment.
Remedy: Valeo will notify owners and replace the fans free of charge. The safety recall began on August 22, 2012. This recall is being conducted by Valeo, not by BMW. For further information, owners may contact Valeo at 1-888-718-2536.
View full details →Recall 10V254000 — SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
| 31,935 vehicles affected
Defect: BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2011 1-SERIES VEHICLES. IN A CRASH OF SUFFICIENT SEVERITY, DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONT PRE-TENSIONER AND LOAD-LIMITER OCCURS.
Consequence: THE INSULATION AROUND THE PRE-TENSIONER COULD IGNITE.
Remedy: VEHICLES PRODUCED UP THROUGH DECEMBER 2009 WILL RECEIVE NEW FRONT SAFETY BELT RETRACTOR UNITS AND A MODIFICATION TO THE SOUND INSULATION NEAR THE UNITS, WHILE VEHICLES PRODUCED BETWEEN JANUARY 2010 AND MAY 2010 WILL RECEIVE A MODIFICATION TO THE SOUND...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2011 BMW 1 SERIES
44 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2011 BMW 1 SERIES. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipmentelectricalnavigational Systemglobal Positioning System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipmentelectricalradiotape Deckcd Etc | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasoline | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebodydoor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
I JUST HAD THE BOLTS ON BOTH THE (INTAKE AND EXHAUST REPLACED) THIS IS LISTED IN THE UNSPECIFIED RECALL AND NO ONE NOTIFIED ME ON THIS RECALL I DRIVE THE 2011 128I SERIES COUPE AND THIS COST ME OUT OF POCKET $1,800 DOLLARS TO REPLACE, WHAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IS WHY I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND ALSO I HAVE 2 OTHER RECALL ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING TO MY CAR THE AIR BAG THE SIGNAL KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF AND ALSO THE PCV VALVE OFF AND ON I SMELL SOMETHING BURNING I DO HOPE SOMEONE CAN CONTACT ME SO I CAN GET THESE RECALLS FIX NOW I AM REALLY SCARED THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. I HAVE MY RECEIPT OF ME GETTING THE BOLTS ISSUE FIXED AND REQUESTING A REFUND
I JUST HAD THE BOLTS ON BOTH THE (INTAKE AND EXHAUST REPLACED) THIS IS LISTED IN THE UNSPECIFIED RECALL AND NO ONE NOTIFIED ME ON THIS RECALL I DRIVE THE 2011 128I SERIES COUPE AND THIS COST ME OUT OF POCKET $1,800 DOLLARS TO REPLACE, WHAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IS WHY I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND ALSO I HAVE 2 OTHER RECALL ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING TO MY CAR THE AIR BAG THE SIGNAL KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF AND ALSO THE PCV VALVE OFF AND ON I SMELL SOMETHING BURNING I DO HOPE SOMEONE CAN CONTACT ME SO I CAN GET THESE RECALLS FIX NOW I AM REALLY SCARED THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. I HAVE MY RECEIPT OF ME GETTING THE BOLTS ISSUE FIXED AND REQUESTING A REFUND
I BRING IN TO LONGBEACH BMW DEALERS AND THEY MASS UP THE CAR AND THEY WANTED 10,000 DALLORS TO FIXED IT AND I ONLY BRING TO IN FOR RECALLS I DON'T LET ME PICK UP THE CAR
I BRING IN TO LONGBEACH BMW DEALERS AND THEY MASS UP THE CAR AND THEY WANTED 10,000 DALLORS TO FIXED IT AND I ONLY BRING TO IN FOR RECALLS I DON'T LET ME PICK UP THE CAR
THE CAR WAS MOVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITH AC RUNNING. SMOKE PLUMED FROM VENTS AND UNDER FRONT PASSENGER FOOTWELL. ELECTRICAL FIRE STEMMING FROM BLOWER MOTOR FINAL STAGE UNIT AND WIRING HARNESS.
Safety Rating for the 2011 BMW 1 SERIES
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2011 BMW 1 SERIES in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2011 BMW 1 SERIES
BMW of North America, LLC has issued 9 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2011 BMW 1 SERIES. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
SIB-61-07-13 — STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID
BMW: CORRSION PROTECTION IS INSUFFICIENT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TRUNK AROUND THE BATTERY CONNECTOR WHICH COULD LEAD TO CORROSION OF THE BODY. *KB UPDATED 11/1/13. *PE
SB-61-19-12 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DURING THE SCHEDULED 3 MONTH/ 5,000 MILE SERVICE IT COULD POSSIBLY BE DETERMINED THAT SOME OF THE CONTACT PROTECTIVE SLEEVE S IN THE CHARGING SOCKET MAY BE MISSING. BMW MODEL E28E. *KB
510313 — SUSPENSION
ActiveE: Rear Underbody Panel Modification. The customer may complain about rubbing/rattling noises coming from the rear axle area when driving over speed bumps. CAUSE The rear underbody panel may be chafing against the rear sub-frame components or suspension thrust arms.
611912 — EQUIPMENT
ActiveE: Charging Contact Protective Sleeve. During the performance of the scheduled 3 months/5,000 miles service (Vehicle Check), it may be determined that some of the contact protective sleeves in the charging socket are missing (see page 13 of attachment #4 from SI B00 08 11). Note: Missing contact sleeves would...
SB-62-03-13 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAY IS INTERMITTENTLY INOPERATIVE. BMW F25, AND F30 MODELS. *KB
240612 — POWER TRAIN
ActiveE: Additional Steps for Transmission Removal/Replacement. When a transmission removal or replacement is required on an ActiveE vehicle, the additional steps below are required. This procedure information is not included in the repair instructions.
SIB-61-08-12 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
BMW: SERVICE ACTION: PROGRAM CONTROL UNITS. SOFTWARE NEEDS TO BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST VERSION OF ISTA ACTIVEE TO IMPROVE DRIVABILITY CHARACTERISTICS. *KB
SI-B12-14-10 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
BMW: VARIOUS VVT FAULTS STORED IN DME MEMORY. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP IS ILLUMINATED, AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DRIVABILITY CONCERNS HAS OCCURRED-ENGINE CRANKS BUT WILL NOT START; LOSS OF POWER; ENGINE HAS POOR THROTTLE RESPONSE (REDUCED POWER MODE IS DISPLAYED). NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE UPDATED 2/7/11. *PE
SI-B12-14-10 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
BMW: VARIOUS VVT FAULTS STORED IN DME MEMORY. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP IS ILLUMINATED, AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DRIVABILITY CONCERNS HAS OCCURRED-ENGINE CRANKS BUT WILL NOT START; LOSS OF POWER; ENGINE HAS POOR THROTTLE RESPONSE (REDUCED POWER MODE IS DISPLAYED). NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE UPDATED 2/7/11. *PE
NHTSA Investigations for the 2011 BMW 1 SERIES
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the BMW 1 SERIES
- 2006 BMW 1 SERIES — 7 complaints
- 2007 BMW 1 SERIES — 9 complaints
- 2008 BMW 1 SERIES — 24 complaints
- 2009 BMW 1 SERIES — 23 complaints
- 2010 BMW 1 SERIES — 10 complaints
- 2011 BMW 1 SERIES (current)
- 2012 BMW 1 SERIES — 0 complaints