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2016 BMW I3

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 16 of 33 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Structure. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

33 reports
Mileage unknown · Aug 19, 2023
Structure

Roof peeling

NHTSA ODI #11539525

Mileage unknown · Aug 19, 2023
StructureUnknown 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…

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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 ODI #11539515

Mileage unknown · Aug 17, 2023
Structure

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 s…

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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 ODI #11539176

Mileage unknown · Aug 17, 2023
Air BagsElectrical 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 ODI #11539172

19,000 miles · Aug 17, 2023
Structure

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 milea…

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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 ODI #11539150

Mileage unknown · Mar 23, 2023
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 an…

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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 ODI #11513467

88,000 miles · Feb 28, 2023
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 mechan…

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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 ODI #11509547

57,000 miles · Jan 19, 2023
Air Bags

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 of…

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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 ODI #11502605

Mileage unknown · Nov 9, 2021
Air BagsCrashInjury

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. Th…

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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 ODI #11439937

Mileage unknown · Oct 30, 2021
Steering

Previously reported a steering incident no. 11438343. Dealer indidicated that there was a "bug in the software" and that the car would be entitled to a one time fix under extended warranty. Dealership worked on the issue and completed the warranty repair on 11/28/2021 and I picked up the vehicle. Upon starting the car, the st…

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Previously reported a steering incident no. 11438343. Dealer indidicated that there was a "bug in the software" and that the car would be entitled to a one time fix under extended warranty. Dealership worked on the issue and completed the warranty repair on 11/28/2021 and I picked up the vehicle. Upon starting the car, the steering felt "different". I turned right to exit the dealership and tried to straighten the car but the steering turned full left and I crossed into the opposite lane of traffic. I stopped, turned the wheel to center, let it go and it turned full left on its own. I shut the car off, restarted and steering was normal. Drove back to the dealership for them to complete the repair. Dealership reported that this has occurred once for them but they cannot get it to repeat so they are going to keep the car for a few days. I am concerned that they will consider this an out of warranty repair because they were clear that they would offer a "one time fix" for the known issue.

NHTSA ODI #11438729

Official recalls

2

17V720000 · Air Bags:frontal

Nov 16, 2017

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2018 BMW i3 electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Unbelted, small adult, drivers may be at a higher risk of neck injury in the event of a frontal crash. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: During a frontal impact, unbelted, small adult, drivers could be at a higher risk of neck injury.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the Driver air bag control unit software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 8, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at the dedicated i3 recall number 1-855-269-3361.

17V088000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Feb 9, 2017

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2017 i3 REx hybrid electric vehicles. The fuel tank vent line may rub against the ribbed wire protection sleeve of the battery positive (B+) cable, creating a hole in the vent line and causing a fuel vapor leak.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel vapor leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel vent line, replacing it as necessary, and install a clip to prevent it from chafing, free of charge. The recall beganApril 3, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

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 March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.