The BMW X1 F48 (2015 to 2022) is the better used bet as long as its iDrive and sat nav behave; an E84 needs a clean timing chain record, whether it's a 2.0 diesel or a 20i or 28i petrol.
2 known faults, 2 rated high severity in our database; owners report 42.4 mpg, 83% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Check a BMW X1 advert (free) →An F48 (2015 to 2022) is the safer used X1, because both High-rated timing chain faults on record belong to E84 engines: the N47 2.0 diesel, which the X1 kept until the new model arrived in 2015, and the N20 petrol in 20i and 28i cars from late 2011. The diesel's chain sits at the back of the block next to the flywheel, so reaching it means taking the gearbox off or lowering the engine, and its plastic guides can break up between 70,000 and 110,000 miles.
The F48 isn't a free pass, though. Several owners have had the iDrive screen reboot over and over, the sat nav hang on start-up or Connected Drive keep dropping out, and one car needed a new head unit under warranty. No known fault is logged against it, but that's a short record rather than a clean one, so test every screen function before you commit.
An E84 (2009 to 2015) is still worth a look if the paperwork's there: on a diesel, receipts showing the timing chain and guides have been renewed, plus proof its EGR cooler recall was done. A 20i or 28i petrol built from late 2011 has the N20 chain fault instead, so hear it start from cold. Without that evidence, it's the riskier buy of the two, since the diesel's chain can let go with no prior warning and leave you with a dead engine.
The two engines to be wary of are the N47 2.0 diesel and the N20 2.0 petrol in the 20i and 28i, both found in the E84, as each carries a High-rated timing chain fault. On the N47, the chain and guides can fail between 70,000 and 110,000 miles; you'll hear a rhythmic scrape or a metallic rattle coming from behind the engine, close to the bulkhead, and it can lose power or die outright without warning.
The N20 went into the petrol 20i and 28i from late 2011 until the E84 finished in 2015, and it has its own problem: the early timing chain guides were made of a plastic that breaks down, so the chain goes slack and can jump a tooth. Listen for a short tinkle or rattle up front when the engine's first started from cold, and watch for a drivetrain malfunction warning or an engine management light on the dash.
Whichever automatic you're looking at, ask when its oil was last changed. BMW calls the ZF box sealed for life, but ZF itself sets fluid and filter changes, and the schedule to follow is every 60,000 miles or 96 months. One owner of a 2012 E84 with the 8-speed auto had the friction plate and starter ring gear fail at 80,000 miles and paid over £2,000, because loose metal had also wrecked the starter motor and torque converter.
On xDrive cars the transfer case wants fresh oil every 50,000 miles, even though BMW treats it as sealed. One owner of a 2011 E84 2.0 diesel xDrive had the front differential fail at 48,000 miles, and the specialist who looked at it suspected the diff's own oil had started the damage.
Ask for the car to be stone cold when you arrive and stand by the open bonnet as it fires up. On an E84 diesel, a rhythmic scrape from behind the engine near the bulkhead points to the timing chain; on a 20i or 28i petrol built from late 2011, a brief tinkle from the front does the same. An engine management light or a drivetrain warning on the drive backs it up.
Paperwork matters more than usual on an X1. Ask for receipts for the timing chain and guides on any E84 2.0 diesel, for automatic gearbox oil at 60,000 miles and for transfer case oil at 50,000 miles on xDrive cars. Diesels were covered by a 2018 recall to inspect and, where needed, replace a leaking EGR cooler that was a fire risk, and E84s built up to August 2011 were recalled over a corroding plug at the power distribution box that could make the engine cut out.
The E84 comes without a spare, and it isn't always on runflats, so a car on ordinary tyres with only a pump and sealant can leave you stranded. On an F48, the unusual 225/50 R18 size limits your tyre choice, so check the tread and brand on all four, and lift the boot floor to see whether there's a space saver underneath.
On an F48, spend time with the iDrive screen, sat nav and phone connection, and make sure nothing freezes or restarts. On an E84, check the battery's healthy: with a phone paired over Bluetooth, the car can keep hunting for the handset and flatten its battery if it's left unlocked with the electrics awake.
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An E84 2.0 diesel is worth buying only with receipts showing its timing chain and guides have been renewed, because the N47 chain fault covers diesels from 2007 until the B47 took over during 2014 and 2015, so nearly every E84 diesel, and shows up between 70,000 and 110,000 miles. It earned a five-star Euro NCAP rating, but that won't help you if the chain lets go, so make the paperwork the first thing you ask for.
Owners have reported some serious one-offs too. A 2011 N47 car had its turbo oil seals fail, and the engine ran away on its own oil, revving beyond 7,000rpm before it blew; a 2011 xDrive diesel lost its front differential at 48,000 miles; and a 2012 xDrive with the 8-speed auto needed a new friction plate and starter ring gear at 80,000 miles, which cost its owner over £2,000.
A 20i or 28i petrol built from late 2011 isn't a way round the diesel's problem, as its N20 engine carries a High-rated chain fault of its own, so hear it start from cold and pass on one that rattles for a moment. Diesels need proof of the 2018 EGR cooler recall, and one owner heard cracking from the plastics at each end of the dash over bumps, so take it over a speed hump.
Real-world economy on this generation: BMW X1 42.2 mpg, BMW X1 42.6 mpg.
Yes, the F48 is the better X1 to buy, as long as its infotainment passes a thorough test. Neither High-rated timing chain fault on record is listed against it: the N20 petrol one belongs to the E84, and the N47 diesel gave way to the B47 during 2014 and 2015, so confirm the engine code on a 2015 diesel. That doesn't make it trouble-free, so the screen, sat nav and connected systems are what you test hardest before you pay.
Several owners have had trouble with the screen and connected systems. A late 2015 car's iDrive kept rebooting and lost every function, a 2017 car's sat nav start-up looped until the dealer fitted a new head unit under warranty, another's sat nav sometimes refused to boot, twice in cold weather, and a 2017 car kept dropping its Connected Drive link in some parts of the country. Check it all works before you pay.
Other reports are single cars. A 2016 X1 had its turbo fail at 40,000 miles, a diesel lost its number 4 injector, and a 2018 car's automatic emergency braking slammed on at 60mph on a country road with no fault found, followed by a software update. One set of 19-inch runflats lasted just 9,800 miles, and the 225/50 R18 size narrows your tyre choice.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
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Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 42.4 mpg across the BMW X1 engines with data, about 83% of the official figure, from 1,124 submissions.
BMW X1 Real MPG by engine →The F48's build quality is a strong point, and it's a comfortable, spacious car to live with day to day. Its diesel engines strike a good balance, giving the X1 decent pace while staying economical, so you don't have to trade one for the other.
Both generations deal sensibly with the spare wheel question. The F48 has a space under the boot floor that takes a space saver, and although the E84 comes without one, an X3 space saver fits if you'd rather carry one than rely on a pump and sealant.
The BMW X1 F48 (2015 to 2022) is the better used bet as long as its iDrive and sat nav behave; an E84 needs a clean timing chain record, whether it's a 2.0 diesel or a 20i or 28i petrol. Our database holds 2 known BMW X1 faults, 2 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
An F48 (2015 to 2022) is the safer used X1, because both High-rated timing chain faults on record belong to E84 engines: the N47 2.0 diesel, which the X1 kept until the new model arrived in 2015, and the N20 petrol in 20i and 28i cars from late 2011. On the fault record the F48 (2015 to 2022) carries no known faults against 2 on the E84 (2009 to 2015). Each generation's section above gives the detail. BMW X1 faults by generation.
Ask for the car to be stone cold when you arrive and stand by the open bonnet as it fires up. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known BMW X1 fault before you travel.
Owners report 42.4 mpg on average, about 83% of the official figure, from 1,124 submissions. Chain (N47, 2.0D, 2.0 DIESEL): no fixed replacement interval, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. BMW X1 Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the BMW X1 buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 35 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
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