BMW I3

Owners filed 213 complaints across 6 model years of the BMW I3. The 2014 drew the most (54); the 2019 the fewest (13).

Model years6
Complaints213
Recalls16
Fires2
Deaths0

Every BMW I3 model year compared

Complaints per year
YearComplaintsRelative volumeRecallsFiresCrashesMost reportedStatus
201913
11Electrical SystemRoutine
201814
3SteeringRoutine
201752
312Unknown or OtherRoutine
201633
23Structure › BodyRoutine
201547
311SteeringRoutine
201454
43Power TrainRoutine

Which BMW I3 years should you avoid?

On raw complaint volume the 2014 is the weakest year on record, with 54 complaints concentrated in the power train. It carries 4 recalls.

Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.

Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.