2017 BMW I3

On May 30, 2026, I was driving on the NJ Turnpike with high winds and I heard loud sounds like hard rain on the roof of my BMW i3. I saw sheets flying off the roof. When I parked the car, the clear coat covering the roof had delaminated, exposing the carbon fiber. The BMW collision shop told me that the roof panel has to be replaced and it is costly.

I bought the car new in 2017. Last summer, I noticed bubbles on the roof. On May 30, 2026, as I was driving 65 mph on the NJ Turnpike, I heard sounds on the roof like hard rain but it was not raining. I saw large sheets flying off my roof towards other cars, and some flying sheets were large enough to obscure a windshield. When I stopped, I saw more sheets hanging loose from the roof and I peeled off what I could. I think this is dangerous and understand it is common on BMW i3s (which are made of carbon fiber) and other BMW cars.

The carbon fiber roof is bubbling and disintegrating. I have one section behind the passenger door that is the size of my FULL hand that is in a circle shape where the roof is scaling and peeling. Each day that passes, the known spot is getting bigger and bigger. It's embarrassing to see this happening to my car and makes my care look worthless. Definite eye sore. I currently have the (1) i3 EV that is the family car, (2) M3's mine is a convertible and the other is my husbands, of course, (1) M1 my son's and (1) M235 I which is my daughters. We are definitely a BMW family. Shame on BMW if they do not cover this.

The contact owns a 2017 BMW I3. The contact stated that there were discolored bubbles developing on the roof of the vehicle. The roof of the vehicle was delaminating. Upon further inspection, the contact found out that the hot climate and UV rays and the composite structure might be the factors causing the failure. The vehicle was taken to a body shop. The contact was informed that the carbon fiber used on the vehicle might have caused the failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

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.

I'm writing this in anticipation of my carbon-fiber roof failing, though it has not yet. It is showing standard early signs, consisting of blistering of the clear coat, which appears to be directly over the fiberglass composite roof surface proper. I keep it covered, and that probably has much to do with the blistering not advancing noticeably in recent times.