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BMW I3Model year report

2015 BMW I3 Problems

Compared with other BMW I3 years

Typical for this model

36/100 0.7× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2016

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
47filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
30,000miles, 29 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
124 MPGecombined, Electric RWD · 137 city / 111 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2015 BMW I3 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 47 consumer complaints for the 2015 BMW I3. The part named most often is steering, with 15 complaints (32% of the total), followed by air bags (7) and body and structure (7). 29 of the complaints include a mileage, and 97% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 30,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 1 a fire, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 294 technical service bulletins for this model year. Steering complaints overlap with 26 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Air bags complaints overlap with 2 recall campaigns covering the inflator module and 12 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Compared with the other 3 BMW I3 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 36 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Brakes (1), Electronic stability control (1), Seats (1), Suspension (1), Tires (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “My 2015 I3 rex just had the steering get really heavy as if I had a flat and it pulled to the left. It was difficult to center the steering as if the power steering had failed. This is a known issue on various internet forums for this model, but it is intermittent and therefore hard to duplicate for the service department. After letting the car sit for a while, it was back to normal the next time I drove it.”

NHTSA complaint #11300225, filed 2020-01, 40,000 miles

Air bags: “Only 5 years old 41k miles, mint condition, while driving the light came on saying driver restraint system malfunction. After checking all the I3 blogs this seems to be an ongoing issue. I took my car over to Bmw today, they looked at it and said the airbag has malfunctioned same thing as the blogs are outlining. I was advised but the service person that it would be 1800.00 I told him this is an issue with the I3 and its all over the blogs, he acknowledged his awareness, in addition airbags should be good for 10 years / guaranteed? …”

NHTSA complaint #11390432, filed 2021-01, 41,000 miles

Body and structure: “When driving down the interstate the carbon fiber roof suddenly delaminated of its top layer causing the cars behind me to have to slam on the brakes as chunks of carbon fiber flew off the car. This is a known issue with the BMW carbon fiber roofs that is worse on the i3 because of instead of a weave it is forged carbon.”

NHTSA complaint #11695130, filed 2025-10

Electrical system: “I turned on the car, opened the gate and put the car in reverse. I pressed the gas peddle lightly and the car flew out of the driveway, hit the gate, flew out into the street and hit a parked car. During this time, the car brakes never worked. It was as if the gas peddle was stuck and the brakes did not work to stop the car.”

NHTSA complaint #10886033, filed 2016-07, 7,580 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

97% of the 29 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 16,779 and 39,000 miles.

17%0–1021%10–2559%25–500%50–753%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (29 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 30,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

2016201892020202220242026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2015 BMW I3 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving); for electric versions it is the cost of electricity and the rating is in MPGe; plug-in hybrid figures are for gasoline-only (hybrid mode) driving, so no annual cost is shown.

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
i3 BEV RWDElectricsingle-speed137111124 MPGe$600
i3 REX RWD0.6L 2-cyl · plug-in hybridsingle-speed413739 gas only—

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2015 BMW I3 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 294 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 294 bulletins →

Other model years of the BMW I3

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2019136,7001—113 MPGe—Not enough data
20181417,0003—118 MPGe—Not enough data
20175310,6503—118 MPGe63 · TypicalRising
20163320,5002—124 MPGe21 · FewerRising
20154730,0003—124 MPGe36 · TypicalFalling
20145423,3004—124 MPGe60 · TypicalStable

All BMW I3 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2015 BMW I3 have?

NHTSA recorded 47 consumer complaints for the 2015 BMW I3 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2015 BMW I3 is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 15 complaints (32% of the total), followed by air bags with 7.

Has the 2015 BMW I3 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How efficient is the 2015 BMW I3 according to the EPA?

The EPA rates the 2015 BMW I3 (i3 BEV, Electric) at 124 MPGe combined, 137 city and 111 highway, with an estimated annual electricity cost of $600 at 15,000 miles a year. Other battery and motor versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2015 BMW I3 reported?

Among the 29 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 30,000 miles and the middle half falls between 16,779 and 39,000 miles; 97% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.