BMW X1, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
135,093 BMW X1s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 82.4% of initial MOT tests, 10.1 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific X1? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
BMW X1 at the MOT
82.4% of 112,492 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the X1 167th of 575 models. BMW X1s aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.5% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 70.4%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
BMW X1 tests in 2025.
Where X1s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on BMW X1 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (10.2%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (8.2%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (7.1%).
The MOT page lists every common X1 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The X1's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.25.7% of X1 failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.20.6% of X1 failure items
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.19.3% of X1 failure items
BMW X1s in the UK
135,093 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 289% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +289%from 34,767 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2018half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2018 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 11,902against 15,099 in 2018
- Declared off the road
- 2,7542% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed BMW X1s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 34,767 |
| End of 2015 | 39,283 |
| End of 2016 | 51,827 |
| End of 2017 | 65,387 |
| End of 2018 | 79,760 |
| End of 2019 | 91,974 |
| End of 2020 | 98,440 |
| End of 2021 | 105,204 |
| End of 2022 | 112,121 |
| End of 2023 | 115,083 |
| End of 2024 | 119,354 |
| End of 2025 | 129,737 |
| End of June 2026 | 135,093 |
How old they are
Licensed BMW X1s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 365 were first used before 2010.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11,356 | 11,902 |
| 2024 | 6,713 | 6,939 |
| 2023 | 4,380 | 4,607 |
| 2022 | 6,652 | 7,065 |
| 2021 | 7,151 | 7,634 |
| 2020 | 7,330 | 7,748 |
| 2019 | 13,273 | 13,948 |
| 2018 | 14,218 | 15,099 |
| 2017 | 13,586 | 14,626 |
| 2016 | 12,098 | 13,214 |
| 2015 | 4,345 | 4,911 |
| 2014 | 7,303 | |
| 2013 | 6,554 | |
| 2012 | 4,758 | |
| 2011 | 5,241 | |
| 2010 | 4,066 |
4,345 X1s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 88% of the 4,911 first registered that year.
X1 engines and fuel
2.0 litre engines made up 86% of BMW X1 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.5 litre at 14%. Diesel accounts for 51% of licensed X1s and petrol for 25%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 112,487 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed X1s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 34,157 | 25% |
| Diesel | 68,844 | 51% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 13,383 | 10% |
| Hybrid electric | 18,709 | 14% |
BMW X1 recalls
40 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the BMW X1. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every X1 is affected.
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Jan 2026 R/2025/327
Replace the Driver's Airbag - Takata PSDI-5
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may be fitted with a drivers airbag which may deploy with too much explosive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released into the cabin. It has the potential to fatally or seriously injure vehicle occupants.
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles will have the airbag replaced.
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Dec 2025 R/2025/349
Takata Driver and/or Passenger Airbag Recall (Global VINs)
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles are already included in Safety Recalls within the markets they have previously resided in. The vehicles may be fitted with a driver and/or passenger airbag/s which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury which could prove fatal to people in the vicinity.
- Remedy
- Vehicles will have the affected airbags checked and if necessary replaced.
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Oct 2025 R/2025/443
Seat Belt Rear Outer Seats
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles either one or both of the outer most rear seats may not have been manufactured correctly and the sensitivity sensor may be deformed. If the sensor is not functioning correctly there is a risk the seat belt may not operate as intended.
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles the affected seatbelts will be checked and replaced.
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Sep 2025 R/2025/398
Front Seat Belt Retractor
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the front seat belts may have damage to the torsion bar caused during manufacture. The retention function of the seat belt may not perform as expected in the event of an accident.
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles will have the affected seatbelts replaced.
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Jan 2025 R/2025/015
Checking the B-Pillar U11
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may have a B-Pillar which may have been produced using incorrect materials.
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles will have an inspection conducted and if an affected B-Pillar is found it will be replaced with a component of the correct specification.
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Oct 2024 R/2024/414
Hydraulic Brake System Unit Replacement
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the brake servomotor was improperly welded. The weld seam might not withstand the stresses caused under high brake pressure leading to a requirement for a higher brake effort increasing the braking distance.
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles will have the hydraulic unit of the brake system replaced.
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Oct 2024 R/2024/403
Check Driver's Airbag for Conversion Takata SDI & PSDI-5
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may have had a retrofit or conversion of the airbag using a previously recalled airbag variant which if deployed may do so with excessive force causing sharp metal fragments to be released this may cause serious injury possibly fatal to people in the vicinity. The original factory fitment airbag for the vehicle is not affected.
- Remedy
- Vehicles will have the airbag checked and if necessary replaced.
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Sep 2024 R/2024/383
Integrated Braking System
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On certain vehicles the Integrated Brake (IB) system may be impaired due to contamination between electrical contacts.
- Remedy
- Vehicles that may be affected by contamination are required to have the vehicle's software updated which can detect signal interference before it occurs. If symptoms are detected you should refrain from use of the vehicle and the affected Integrated Brake (IB) system component will be replaced.
X1 vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Other BMW models
The most-tested BMW models in 2025, against the X1's 82.4% MOT pass rate.
BMW X1 FAQs
How many BMW X1s are there in the UK?
135,093 BMW X1s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 2,754 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the BMW X1 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 82.4% first-time pass rate for the BMW X1 across 112,492 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the BMW X1 had any recalls?
40 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the BMW X1. The most recent was published in January 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used BMW X1?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a BMW X1's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found an X1?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,390 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the BMW history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the BMW VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.