If you are checking a used BMW i3, this hub is the starting point. It is built to gather the practical questions a buyer or owner actually has: what usually goes wrong, which year windows deserve caution, what warning signs matter, and what to check before money changes hands.
The BMW i3 is tracked here as a electric hatchback coverage hub. This page is a researched coverage page, not a final reliability verdict. Specific defect claims should come from sourced child pages, not guesswork.
Before buying or ignoring symptoms, verify open recalls by VIN, scan for stored OBD codes, check service history, and use any linked CarFaultIQ fault or symptom pages to decide the next practical step.
Official evidence for this model
Coverage below spans the explicitly mapped model years. Records do not apply to every model year or configuration.
US safety recalls
8 distinct official identifiers · US
Campaigns matched to recorded model years. Only an official VIN check can confirm whether an individual vehicle is affected.
- 19V599000 — model years 2019
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019 i3 BEV, i3 REx, and i8 vehicles. A circuit board problem within the Electric Motor Electronics (EME) module may shutdown the supply of high-voltage electrical power.
- 19V310000 — model years 2018
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 i3 BEV and i3 REx hybrid electric vehicles. A circuit board problem within the Electric Motor Electronics (EME) module may shutdown the supply of high voltage electrical power.
- 18V652000 — model years 2018
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 330e iPerformance, i3 Rex, i3 Sport Rex, X5 xDrive40e, i3 BEV, i3 Sport BEV and 2019 i8 and i8 Roadster vehicles and 2018-2019 530e iPerformance, 530e xDrive iPerformance and 740Le xDrive iPerformance vehicles. Capacitors…
Manufacturer communications / TSBs
337 distinct official identifiers · US
Manufacturer service communications are not safety recalls and do not prove that every vehicle has the described condition.
- 11035409 — model years 2020
Once the Telematics Module (TCB2) enters sleep mode, a BMW Data Services trigger for Remote Services(remote engine start, lock/unlock/climate conditioning) will not be able to reactivate the TCB2. Due to this issue, Remote Services will not function in the vehicle when parked and locked.
- 11032732 — model years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
The EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
- 11012072 — model years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
The High-Voltage (HV) Battery Assembly Cell Modules Temperature Sensors (Internal NTC repair kit-specific) limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service/first delivery date.
US defect investigations
1 distinct official identifiers · US
An investigation records a regulator review of a suspected defect. It is not automatically a finding or a recall.
- DP22005 — model years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141…
Canadian recalls
6 distinct official identifiers · CA
Canadian-market records remain separate from US campaigns. Confirm applicability with Transport Canada and the manufacturer.
- 2024544 — model years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Multiple source assertions are retained for this identifier. Consult the official record for configuration-specific details.
- 2019190 — model years 2018
Issue: A problem with the electric motor electronics (EME) module could cause a sudden loss of power to the drive motor. Note: The 12-volt electrical system would still function, so power steering and braking would not be affected. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of motor…
- 2017068 — model years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
On certain i3 REX models, a section of the fuel tank vent line could chafe against an adjacent ribbed wire protector. Over time, this chaffing could lead to the fuel tank vent line wearing through and leaking. Due to enclosed engine compartment of this vehicle…
US owner complaint reports
234 distinct reports · US
Distinct ODI complaint identifiers, deduplicated across component and product rows. Reports are allegations, not confirmed defects, failure rates or reliability scores.
- STEERING: 51 reports
- POWER TRAIN: 42 reports
- STRUCTURE:BODY: 37 reports
A report can name several components. Do not add component totals together.
Evidence is served from a locally stored official-source snapshot. No external API is called to render this page. These records do not replace inspection or diagnosis. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.