31 of the
293 complaints filed about the BMW I3
are about the electrical system —
11% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2017.
The car has lost power on the highway multiple times and gone into Limp mode with no warnings on the dashboard. The Rex engine has failed to start as well. Very dangerous on the highway going 20 mph trying to make the next exit. The car has been back to the BMW dealer multiple times (over 2.5 months at the dealer ) with no repair. They are now offering to take the car in trade. The car is still under the EV warranty in California. Seems they and BMW engineering don’t know how to repair the car and are now putting the burden on the consumer.
NHTSA complaint #11751920 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
There was an electrical fault in the door handle, specifically for the comfort access function circuit inside the handle itself. There was smoke and extreme heat. Luckily no fire started, before the battery was disconnected. Our understanding is, this is a known problem with the circuit board having corrosion and creating a short, but no recall exists.
NHTSA complaint #11684619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We were sitting at a traffic light for a few minutes behind another vehicle. Suddenly, our car accelerated very quickly. My foot was on the brake when the car accelerated. I felt the brake pedal depress further as it accelerated. I initially thought a car had hit us from behind and propelled us forward, but there was no car behind us. We were moving as though we had just started a drag race - full acceleration - and the brakes did not respond. We crashed into the car in front of us at full acceleration despite me pumping the brakes at least twice. It was surreal. We drive a 2019 BMW i3. It’s an electric vehicle and I wondered if there was som electrical failure. The car stopped only because of the car we ran into.
NHTSA complaint #11671462 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 BMW I3. The contact stated that while stopped in traffic on a bridge, the vehicle stalled, and independently shifted to park(P). The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The Police arrived on the scene and directed traffic around the vehicle until a tow truck arrived to take the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) module had failed and short circuited the safety box inside of the high voltage battery and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V599000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.
NHTSA complaint #11646562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The range extender did not turn on while I was driving the car. When the range extender failed to work the car slowed down from 70+ mph to as low as 7 mph in minutes. The car then limped along for several minutes at this dangerously slow speed until the range extender turned on. Once the range extender began working, the car took off like a rocket, going from 7 mph to 70 in seconds. There are no warning lights or indicators in the car that show if the range extender is going to turn on or if it will fail to turn on. This has happened four times while I was driving on a a highway and once while I was driving on a road with heavy traffic. The first instance happened in [XXX] on my ride back from a conference. The car seemed fine for a bit until it began happening regularly in the summer of 2024*. Each time the range extender should have turned on, it failed to do so and the car came to a dramatic instant slow down posing a danger for me and the drivers nearby. The danger was once again realized when the range extender would finally turn on the car car would dramatically propel forward within a matter of seconds. I took the car to the dealership on 10/1. I intentionally ran the battery down because I wanted the mechanic to experience the problem. The shop foreman was able to experience the problem that day and he also caught it on video so he could show it to the BMW engineers. My car remains at the dealership awaiting a new battery. I am told this will fix the problem but I am concerned this will happen again. I am also equally concerned this has or will happen to others. This dangerous situation comes on without warning and could cause a major accident and possibly death to the people in the vehicle and people in vehicles nearby should the range extender fail to start. * While I experience this five times, I can only provide two exact dates this occurred. The first date of [ZZZ] and the final date (before taking the car to the dealer) on [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOI
NHTSA complaint #11638411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The 12V battery and EME module failed/malfunctioned on Sep 10, 2024. The original 12V battery was replaced by BMW of Wesley Chapel after it was towed by BMW roadside assistance. They should have it and the EME model for inspection upon request depending on their disposal procedures for the battery. My safety was put at risk due to the fact that the EME could shut down electrical power, lead to a loss of propulsion, and increase the risk of a crash. There was a recall for this component for my year make and model but my VIN was not included but possible should have given the related issue and no wear and tear. The dealer reproduced the errors I received when the car started failing during a diagnostic. The vehicle/component has only been inspected by the dealer and is still in their possession. I have not yet filed an insurance claim. There were warning lamps/messages/symptoms a few days before the failure that cleared upon starting the vehicle until it eventually failed.
NHTSA complaint #11614361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AC Compressor for the car battery system failed. There was a check engine light that was on steady, but not flashing. The electric range in the car reduced by 20 to 30% as a result of this fault. It was brought into the BMW dealership for inspection and they determined that was a short in the AC compressor and that the whole AC compressor system would need to be replaced; compressor, lines and radiatorx2 (battery radiator also needed). This was because this typical failure causes metal filings to enter the cooling system and it's not recommended to flush it out. There were no prior warnings or noise leading up to the problem. I'm concerned that there is a high risk that further driving the vehicle or charging it could cause a battery failure and cause it to catch on fire since there is no cooling. Normally a flashing engine light means to stop driving immediately, but there was no flashing light only a steady light. The BWM system check menu reported no issue with the car! The repair bill for this is about $8,400 and is rediculous. This seems to be a common problem when you start searching for it. Seems to also happen to the BMW i8 which shares the same compressor. Note that there are several revisions to the ac compressor part number which seems to suggest that they had to keep changing the part as production went on but did not notify affected cars that they could have a serious problem. This shouldn't be happening at 77k miles.
NHTSA complaint #11576295 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? There seems to be a series of faulty electrical/wiring issues happening with our 2017 BMW i3, most notably including the passenger seat/airbag registering system and control panel/console lighting. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? We are unsure how this issue impacts the passenger airbag system. BMW was also not able to tell us whether the passenger airbag is impacted by the electrical issue. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A local BMW dealership inspected the issue. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The failure lights and error message were the first indication of a problem. This first happened in March 2021 when we starting receiving an error for the passenger seat sensor: “Passenger Restraint System: Malfunction. Continue wearing safety belt. Consult the nearest service center.” We took it to the dealership asking for coverage on the item and they said it would be $2,000-$3,000 out of pocket to fix. I filed a complaint with vsh@dot.gov and BMW and have not heard back from either. Over the past 6 months, the console lighting has now started malfunctioning as well. Lights will flicker in and out while they are active. For example, the heated seat may be on level 3, but only the two end lights are illuminated. Sometimes the heated seat will be active with no lights illuminated at all. Sometimes the heated seats will turn on with no way to shut it off. The evolving electrical issues concern me considering this is an electric vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11552488 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 BMW I3. The contact stated that after turning on the fan, there was plastic particles blowing out of the vents. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the particles were blowing out of the vents while activating the A/C or the heater. The contact stated that the failure became a recurring failure, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the A/C compressor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that after the repair, the check engine warning light illuminated again. The contact had the vehicle towed back to the same dealer who diagnosed and determined that a component of the A/C system that cooled the electric hybrid battery needed to be replaced. The contact was advised by the dealer that the repair needed to be completed due to the risk of the battery overheating and catching on fire. The vehicle had been repaired; however, the contact was afraid of driving the vehicle. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and the contact was advised that this was normal wear and tear of the hybrid battery system. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
NHTSA complaint #11550767 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
While driving on the freeway, the vehicle's electric motor suddenly died. Because this is an electric vehicle, the car came to a sudden and abrupt stop, with all the wheels locking up. The car would not shift into drive or neutral or reverse. It effectively died, with the only power coming from the 12-volt battery to power the dashboard and interior lights. It was effectively inoperable. The vehicle displayed the following error message: "DRIVETRAIN: only electric drive possible, limited driving range, continued driving possible, consult nearest service center." We brought the car to our local BMW service center, and they ran a diagnostic (attached as PDF file). The issue is a faulty EME, which could be as much as an $11K repair. Several model years prior to 2017 i3 have been recalled by BMW for this exact issue. We cannot afford an $11K repair, so hoping BMW will recall 2017 and beyond, as this is a major safety hazard. Thankfully we were stuck in gridlock traffic and were not moving very fast (under 5 miles per hour) when the car stopped. But at a high rate of speed, this could have cause a catastrophic accident. We have two small children and will not be driving with them in this car until the issue is resolved.
NHTSA complaint #11503225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In emergency situations when activating the horn, there is an unacceptable delay between when the horn is pressed and when there is actually sound produced. I have taken this up with the dealer and have been informed "that's just how it is." In looking across the internet, I see this is affecting all BMW i3 and some other BMW vehicles. The delay is approximately 1/2 second, which actually makes the horn virtually useless in emergency situations. The horn switch fully activates... It is like there is some kind of processor involved that cannot process the signal fast enough to engage the horn. This is really getting dangerous and I am frustrated that BMW is saying "by design."
NHTSA complaint #11471951 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? What I am certain is that the car suddenly shutted down in the middle of the highway. After a deep inspection, the authorized dealer inspection states that there is a problem with the Electrical Motor Electronics (EME). They are telling me that the estimate for the repair is approximately $17,000. This is very similar to the symptoms reported on Recall Campaign 19v-310: Replacing The Electric Machine Electronics (EME) – 2018 BMW i3. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was in the middle of the highway and the car shut down. I had to rapidly get to the side in order to not be impacted by the people traveling behind me. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the problem was confirmed by Autogermana (Authorized Dealer in Puerto Rico). Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not yet. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The car didn't have any alerts visible related to this problem as my best knowledge allows me.
NHTSA complaint #11465288 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On May 2, 2022, the car began to power down involuntarily every time I applied the brakes. This happened 2-3 times, and I was able to restart. The final time was in the middle of an intersection, the car would not restart, could not be placed in neutral to be moved out of the intersection, and I had to have a police tow. The tow service took it to Sport Motoring, where they performed a diagnosis on May 3, 2022. The diagnosis shows 8 faults in the EME module, among other things. I located a recall (Recall #19V310000) for the 2018 i3 which details the exact issue of the car powering down on its own due to a faulty EME module. Sport Motoring called BMW Customer Service on May 3, 2022, and asked if the car might need to have this recall applied. They agreed that the symptoms did seem similar and said they would need to have a diagnosis from a dealer. Based on the call with BMW customer service, I had the car towed to Nalley BMW of Decatur. They charged me for an initial diagnosis which did not include any information from the EME module and stated that the 12v battery needed to be replaced, and then if needed they would perform further diagnosis for an additional charge. I paid for the diagnosis and the battery in advance. After replacing the 12v battery, the dealer test drove my vehicle and said it was performing normally, so I picked it up on May 6, 2022. On my way home, the car began involuntarily powering down again. I documented the error messages on the two screens with photos. I drove back to the dealership with one more loss of power on the way. At this point, the dealer states that the faults clear every time they power the vehicle on and that the vehicle is not repeating the problem when they test drive it, so there is nothing more they can do. I cannot drive this car as it is a serious safety hazard. I also learned that this dealer had possession of the car in 2021 and sold it at auction in July that year because it had issues they could not cure.
NHTSA complaint #11464231 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car had all warning light came on one day. We brought to a local dealer and they told me it was due to 12V battery was not charging. 1. I asked to a service rep if 12V battery could be issue w/o full diagnostic which they charged me extra. He said they needed to do it to figure out. 2. After replacing the battery, it still had error message. After a few days, I was told car needs software update to clear error message related 12V battery. I requested this should be repaired by BMW or their dealers without any cost to me, but rep told me it was not free. I don't simply understand why consumer is responsible for paying to repair software defect.
NHTSA complaint #11450755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On July 4, 2021, I realized that the charge port on my BMW i3 would not accept a charge plug - it appeared to be blocked. I took the car to the dealer and they informed me that the charge port had been damaged (melted) by heat from a defective charger. In addition to public charging, I had typically been using a home charger - a MUSTART Level 2 40-amp charge cable purchased from Amazon on February 4, 2019. The BMW technician requested to see the cable and it was confirmed to be damaged also. BMW attributed this incident to the charger rather than the vehicle, so the repair (over $2400) was not covered under warranty. I feel this represents a serious safety concern, as the overheated charger/charge port could have caused a fire in my garage. I have retained the parts associated with this incident, including the charge cable and the damaged charge port from the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11425977 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW I3. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE CONTACT STATED MALFUNCTION IN POWER TRAIN WARNING MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE AND THEN TOWED TO SERVICE CENTER AT BMW OF FORT LAUDERDALE (2601 S. ANDREWS AVE, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33316, (877) 853-3109) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ELEMENTS OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V599000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 79,000.
NHTSA complaint #11403918 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.