Owners have filed 41 complaints
about the 2016 BMW I3 with NHTSA between 2016 and 2026.
The largest single group is the body & structure.
Across this model's run it ranks 4 of 6 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 42
Against the median year of the BMW I3. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 50
9.8% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 100
68% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
315.8%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
15.3%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
526.3%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
736.8%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
210.5%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
15.3%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
May 2016peak 9Jun 2026
NHTSA investigations into the 2016 BMW I3
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
DP22005Opened 27 Jan 2023Closed 7 Aug 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM
Pedestrian alert sounds
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 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after Marc...
Recalls on the 2016 BMW I3
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 2024544587,250 units in Canada
Label
Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "NONE" when it should read as "NONE / AUCUN". Canadian regulations require the information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: This error does not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. The company has corrected the tire and loading information label for all new vehicles.
Recall 2017068688 units in Canada
Fuel System
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 and elevated underhood temperatures, this could increase the risk of a fire causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will install a clip between the fuel tank vent line and the adjacent ribbed wire protector to prevent contact, and the fuel tank vent line will be inspected and replaced as necessary.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Rocklin, CACrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
Involved in a frontal collision and air bag did not deploy. Airbag could've prevented more serious injuries suffered. I contacted the service center at BMW Roseville and left a message for the service manager, no return call. The vehicle has been inspected by an insurance authorized collision center and is considered totaled. There were no warning there was a problem and didn't appear until the collision happened and it didn't deploy.
NHTSA complaint #11439937 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 20,000 milesPearland, TXCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
ON A FREEWAY DRIVING AROUND 65MPH FRONT CAR CAME TO SUDDEN STOP SO APPLIED BRAKES AT FULL STRENGTH BUT CAR CONTINUED AT THE SAME SPEED FOR FEW SECONDS AND THEN BRAKES TOOK EFFECT BUT IT WAS TOO LATE BY THEN. THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME SORT OF LAG BETWEEN WHEN BRAKE PEDAL PRESSED AND ACTUALLY BREAKS GET APPLIED TO SLOW DOWN VEHICLE. ALL 4 TIRES ARE NEW AND SERVICING DONE 4 MONTHS BACK.
NHTSA complaint #11329245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 35 milesOrinda, CACrash
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY IN THE MORNING AT AROUND 9:15 AM PREPARING TO PARK BMW I3 ELECTRIC VEHICLE IN TO THE GARAGE. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND WAS WAITING FOR THE GARAGE DOOR TO OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY BUT NOTICE THAT BRAKE WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, MEANING THERE WAS NO FEELING OF VEHICLE WAS IN A LOCK POSITION DUE TO THE BRAKE BEING PRESSURED ON THE WHEEL. THEN ALL OF SUDDEN, THE VEHICLE WENT ACCELERATING OR "SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION". THE VEHICLE WENT THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR THAT WAS ONLY HALF WAY UP AND WAS STILL GOING UP. THEN, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED ITS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CRASH IMPACT TO THE REFRIGERATOR THAT WAS AGAINST THE BACK SIDE OF THE GARAGE WALL. THE IMPACT OF THE VEHICLE TO THE REFRIGERATOR AND THE WALL TOOK OUT ENTIRE BACK SIDE OF THE GARAGE WALL OF ABOUT 20 FEET WIDE X 8 FEET TALL WALL AND THREW OFF REFRIGERATOR 50FT TO THE GROUND LEVEL. THE VEHICLE STOP FROM THE IMPACT AND ALMOST HALF OF ITS BODY LENGTH WAS CANTILEVERING OFF THE EDGE OF THE BACK SIDE OF WALL. MY HOUSE IS BUILT ON ABOUT 35 DEGREE SLOPE AND THE VEHICLE WAS CANTILEVERED ABOUT 45 FEET FROM THE GROUND. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND THEY WERE ABLE TO SAFELY BRING THE VEHICLE OFF THE EDGE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOW TO THE LOCAL BMW DEALER WHERE I HAD IT LEASED. I MADE A REQUESTED TO THE LOCAL DEALER MANAGER IN PERSON NOT TO TEMPER WITH THE VEHICLE UNTIL ALL PARTIES THAT MAY HAVE INTEREST IN THIS CASE HAVE MADE THEIR INPUT ON IT. I'VE CALLED IN TO THE BMW NORTH AMERICA AND INFORMED THIS INCIDENT. I'VE REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO MY HOME AND AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY. PLEASE REVIEW THIS CASE BECAUSE THE CONDITION THAT I AM REPORTING "SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" DID HAPPEN AND IT WAS SUPER FAST! THE TOTAL DISTANCE THE VEHICLE TRAVELED FROM THE STATION POSITION TO IMPACT/STOP WAS ABOUT 50 FEET MAXIMUM, STANDARD GARAGE LENGTH PLUS ABOUT 10 FEET.
NHTSA complaint #11031969 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Castaic, CA
AIR BAGS
Driver airbag warning light illuminated. Vehicle was diagnosed at BMW of Sherman Oaks (RO# 176741) and confirmed as a faulty driver airbag module - part# 32-30-6-870-366. BMW technician found fault code 930904: Driver's airbag interval stage 1, resistance too high stored. BMW NA declined goodwill repair assistance despite the failure occurring within 20 days of warranty expiration. This is a safety-critical federally mandated system. Multiple BMW i3 owners in online communities report the same issue and reference TSB SI B65 18 16 as a known defect related to a cable being too short. I believe this may be a widespread defect affecting 2014-2018 BMW i3 vehicles that warrants investigation.
NHTSA complaint #11743788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Auburn, CA
POWER TRAIN
While driving my 2016 BMW i3 with Range Extender, the vehicle experiences sudden and complete loss of propulsion at very low state of charge (0–1%). The car abruptly loses motive power, forcing me to pull over, sometimes while in traffic. After sitting for several minutes, limited power may return, but the vehicle often shuts down again, and in some cases the Range Extender engine does not engage at all. This has occurred repeatedly and creates a serious risk of being stranded or hit while merging or driving on public roads. BMW has inspected the vehicle twice (07 Nov 2025 and 13 Jan 2026) and confirmed the loss of propulsion and need to pull over but classified the behavior as “normal” without performing high-voltage battery diagnostics. The failure appears consistent with high-voltage battery voltage collapse under load, causing the battery management system to shut down the drivetrain. This is not normal power limiting — it is a sudden drivetrain shutdown that occurs without warning and poses a significant safety hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11711282 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Auburn, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving my 2016 BMW i3 with Range Extender, the vehicle experiences sudden and complete loss of propulsion at very low state of charge (0–1%). The car abruptly loses motive power, forcing me to pull over, sometimes while in traffic. After sitting for several minutes, limited power may return, but the vehicle often shuts down again, and in some cases the Range Extender engine does not engage at all. This has occurred repeatedly and creates a serious risk of being stranded or hit while merging or driving on public roads. BMW has inspected the vehicle twice (07 Nov 2025 and 13 Jan 2026) and confirmed the loss of propulsion and need to pull over but classified the behavior as “normal” without performing high-voltage battery diagnostics. The failure appears consistent with high-voltage battery voltage collapse under load, causing the battery management system to shut down the drivetrain. This is not normal power limiting — it is a sudden drivetrain shutdown that occurs without warning and poses a significant safety hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11711282 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Auburn, CA
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving my 2016 BMW i3 with Range Extender, the vehicle experiences sudden and complete loss of propulsion at very low state of charge (0–1%). The car abruptly loses motive power, forcing me to pull over, sometimes while in traffic. After sitting for several minutes, limited power may return, but the vehicle often shuts down again, and in some cases the Range Extender engine does not engage at all. This has occurred repeatedly and creates a serious risk of being stranded or hit while merging or driving on public roads. BMW has inspected the vehicle twice (07 Nov 2025 and 13 Jan 2026) and confirmed the loss of propulsion and need to pull over but classified the behavior as “normal” without performing high-voltage battery diagnostics. The failure appears consistent with high-voltage battery voltage collapse under load, causing the battery management system to shut down the drivetrain. This is not normal power limiting — it is a sudden drivetrain shutdown that occurs without warning and poses a significant safety hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11711282 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Los Angeles, CA
AIR BAGS
Faulty airbag warning
NHTSA complaint #11677072 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Los Angeles, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Faulty airbag warning
NHTSA complaint #11677072 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 40,000 milesMerrick, NY
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2016 BMW I3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and the air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel filler had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
NHTSA complaint #11656031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 40,000 milesMerrick, NY
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2016 BMW I3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and the air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel filler had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
NHTSA complaint #11656031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 40,000 milesMerrick, NY
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2016 BMW I3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and the air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel filler had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
NHTSA complaint #11656031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Boca Raton, FL
STRUCTURE:BODY
The roof has bubbled and peeled away leaving an exposed permeable roof, meaning if it rains, water will get into the car because of the roof material being not safe, not strong, peeling away. Just terrible! Looking online, so many people with i3s ha e all had the same issue!
NHTSA complaint #11646070 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
South Bend, IN
STRUCTURE:BODY
Translucent protection coat on roof delaminated; pieces blown into air. Bare roof and some coat pieces available for inspection upon request (no inspection yet). Other BMW i3 owners have reported same issue. No prior indication of problem on vehicle itself.
NHTSA complaint #11640459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Studio City, CA
STRUCTURE:BODY
Roof panel is deteriorating and loosing integrity. Outer laminate coat broke down in general sun conditions, and now underlying roof structure is breaking down as well. The dealer has not inspected the roof yet, but this is an issue widely discussed on community forums, and it’s breaking down on my vehicle now.
NHTSA complaint #11609080 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Diego, CA
STRUCTURE:BODY
The roof is bubbling and peeling up. Water gets in it when it rains, then it bubbles greatly. BMW won’t fix it, repair shops don’t want to fix it because it’s an obscure roof. They recommend I take it to BMW which won’t fix it (roof replacement suggested). I just bought this car and drive it as normal, and the special carbon fiber roof is degrading too fast.
NHTSA complaint #11548761 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Humble, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The carbon fiber roof of my 2016 BMW i3 REx is really starting to bubble and wrinkle. After taking it to two shops any mitigation would cost hundreds of dollars to address. The roof is starting to peel and am worried about water getting to the car. BMW should have engineered these roofs differently. They should be responsible to cost associated with fixing them.
NHTSA complaint #11539515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Humble, TX
STRUCTURE:BODY
The carbon fiber roof of my 2016 BMW i3 REx is really starting to bubble and wrinkle. After taking it to two shops any mitigation would cost hundreds of dollars to address. The roof is starting to peel and am worried about water getting to the car. BMW should have engineered these roofs differently. They should be responsible to cost associated with fixing them.
NHTSA complaint #11539515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Aibonito, PR
STRUCTURE:BODY
Roof peeling
NHTSA complaint #11539525 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Antonio, TX
STRUCTURE:BODY
The roof on outside is starting to flake off in chunks and expose bottom layers.
NHTSA complaint #11539528 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Aibonito, PR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Battery degradation
NHTSA complaint #11539526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Laguna Hills, CA
AIR BAGS
My bmw i3 has a faulty wiring harness or some other defect that is causing my car to turn off the airbag system. This is a chronic issue with bmw i3’s. Either the wiring harness is bad or the airbag becomes too stiff and the car deactivated the entire airbag system. Dangerous!
NHTSA complaint #11539172 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 19,000 milesFort Lauderdale, FL
STRUCTURE:BODY
The contact owns a 2016 BMW I3. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the contact heard a whistling sound, and the roof detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 19,000.
NHTSA complaint #11539150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Laguna Hills, CA
STRUCTURE:BODY
My carbon fiber composite roof is delaminating and separating. There is a risk that the degradation of the roof will become so bad that it will separate off my car while driving and may hit another car. This is a common problem with bmw i3 roofs. It is crazy that the entire roof panel can structurally fail but because it isn’t steel/rust bmw isn’t worried about it.
NHTSA complaint #11539176 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Laguna Hills, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My bmw i3 has a faulty wiring harness or some other defect that is causing my car to turn off the airbag system. This is a chronic issue with bmw i3’s. Either the wiring harness is bad or the airbag becomes too stiff and the car deactivated the entire airbag system. Dangerous!
NHTSA complaint #11539172 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Auburn, CA
POWER TRAIN
Loses power "without warning"; actually, when the REX turns on it automatically mentions that power "could be" lost when the REX turns on. However, that is very understated. In fact, there is nowhere in the owner's manual that raises this issue; doesn't even mention that there could or would be a "warning" if battery is low and REX is being used. Bottom line: The REX cannot keep up with driving. Please refer to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmn58reGv8k The above is identical to my experience. Especially VERY DANGEROUS when on the interstate highway. I was looking for an exit so that the battery might recharge a bit because I could only go 25-35 mph. Seems like the REX is warming up and not outputting standard power, as expected... It might be that the problem is that the computer is not calculating the correct state of charge and therefore not giving the REX enough time to complete its warm-up cycle.? Or it should kick in earlier than single digit battery strength left. I started recording at 9% SoC and I was expecting this power loss. I found a safe(r) road to do this on with minimal traffic. Fast Forward to 2:59 to see the power-loss happen. The first time this happened I was on the highway, that was not fun. To quote another driver with the same issue (see YouTube earlier), "Power-loss due to low charge should be gradual and with a warning, not this sudden. This makes for a dangerous situation if I'm on the highway or hill. I know that enabling 'hold state of charge' before 7.5% is a 'manual workaround' but that is NOT a fix. HSOC is not even an option on the REX in the USA - you have to unhide the menu via a coding change."
NHTSA complaint #11513467 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 88,000 milesChippewa Falls, WI
STEERING
The contact owns a 2016 BMW I3. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. Additionally, the contact stated that after making a turn, the steering wheel failed to properly return to center. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the cause of the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
NHTSA complaint #11509547 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 57,000 milesEvanston, IL
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
The contact owns a 2016 BMW I3. The contact stated that the driver restraint warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer, and the contact was informed that the front driver’s side air bag system was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 57,000.
NHTSA complaint #11502605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.