BMW I3 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 214 consumer complaints across the 6 model years of the BMW I3 (2014–2019) that have at least 5 complaints. 2014 has the most, with 54. Across all years, the part named most often is steering (48 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All I3 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 13 | 6,700 | 1 | 43 | — | Not enough data |
| 2018 | 14 | 17,000 | 3 | 143 | — | Not enough data |
| 2017 | 53 | 10,650 | 3 | 201 | 63 · Typical | Rising |
| 2016 | 33 | 20,500 | 2 | 256 | 21 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2015 | 47 | 30,000 | 3 | 294 | 36 · Typical | Falling |
| 2014 | 54 | 23,300 | 4 | 313 | 60 · Typical | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Steering48 20%
- Body and structure40 17%
- Electrical system32 14%
- Transmission and drivetrain31 13%
- Air bags25 11%
- Other or unknown21 8.9%
- Vehicle speed control20 8.5%
- Fuel system18 7.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2017: “Roads were clear but edges slushy. Temp was 27 degrees.drove 2 miles at 40ish MPH to starbucks, got coffee. Normal rear wheel drive traction issues when changing lanes, etc. I was driving carefully and about 5 MPH under what everyone else was doing. About a mile away from the coffee drive through, I changed lanes (right to left) over a pile of slush...normal mild traction issues. …”
NHTSA complaint #11408397, filed 2021-04, 14,000 miles2014: “While driving the vehicle suddenly jerked and lost all power while in motion on a city street. I can't imagine what would have happened if I was on the freeway with traffic. The message on the screen in my car stated drivetrain malfunction stop and turn off engine do not continue to drive call roadside assistance.”
NHTSA complaint #11350127, filed 2020-08, 50,000 miles2019: “Lost power steering as I was leaving my house, making car very difficult to control. Thinking I had a flat tire, I turned around and returned home. Shut down the car, checked the tires (they were fine), restarted it, and power steering returned. This happened twice within a few days.”
NHTSA complaint #11390882, filed 2021-01, 7,400 milesOther BMW models
3,165 complaintsBMW 328I
2,576 complaintsBMW X3
2,016 complaintsBMW 325I
1,377 complaintsBMW Z4
1,271 complaintsBMW 3 Series
832 complaintsBMW 528I
830 complaintsBMW 330I
813 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology