The 2011 BMW 1 Series has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 189,731 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 44 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING23V7070002023-10-20157,796 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…
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 at 1-800-525-7417.
SEAT BELTS10V2540002010-06-1031,935 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 INSULATION NEAR THE UNITS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF…
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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…”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“The vehicle was in motion and the blower motor resistor harness began to smoke heavily. The a/c stopped working. I pulled over and disconnected the wiring harness and pulled the fuse. The wires melted, the connector melted, and the resistor is broken. After some research I see that bmw has…”
“The high pressure fuel pump has failed and been replaced multiple times. It begins with the car taking much longer to crank and start. Then it completely fails potentially while driving, creating a safety issue, or will no longer start. The hpfp is easily replaced with just 3 bolts holding it to…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2011 BMW 1 Series as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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