2014 Bmw I3

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Average

Quick Summary

The 2014 Bmw I3 has 77 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 1.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (18% of all complaints), specifically: the bmw i3 electric vehicle that comes with a range extender has a critical hazardous design flaw. it cannot consistently power the vehicle to maintain a safe speed when driving on a moderate incline for a reasonable period. in other words, you may be driving on a california freeway and run out .

3 crash reports 3 injuries

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

1.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

TRANSMISSION

14 complaints

18%

• THE BMW I3 ELECTRIC VEHICLE THAT COMES WITH A RANGE EXTENDER HAS A CRITICAL HAZARDOUS DESIGN FLAW. IT CANNOT CONSISTENTLY POWER THE VEHICLE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE SPEED WHEN DRIVING ON A MODERATE INCLINE FOR A REASONABLE PERIOD. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MAY BE DRIVING ON A CALIFORNIA FREEWAY AND RUN OUT
• CHARGED MY CAR OVERNIGHT IN MY CLIMATE CONTROLLED GARAGE AND WENT OUT THE NEXT MORNING TO RUN ERRANDS. TURNED IT ON, PUT IT IN DRIVE, HEARD A POP OR CLUNK FROM THE REAR AND THEN GOT A DRIVE TRAIN NOT AVAILABLE - DO NOT MOVE VEHICLE ERROR. COULDN'T EVEN PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL FOR TOWING - BMW ROADSID
• WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AND AT A STOP LIGHT THE CAR MADE SOME JERKY NOISE AND GOT THE "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION - STOP AND TURN OFF ENGINE. DO NOT CONTINUE DRIVING. CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE" MESSAGE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SERVICE AND THEY NEVER FOUND ANY PROBL

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THE BMW I3 ELECTRIC VEHICLE THAT COMES WITH A RANGE EXTENDER HAS A CRITICAL HAZARDOUS DESIGN FLAW. IT CANNOT CONSISTENTLY POWER THE VEHICLE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE SPEED WHEN DRIVING ON A MODERATE INCLINE FOR A REASONABLE PERIOD. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MAY BE DRIVING ON A CALIFORNIA FREEWAY AND RUN OUT ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

10 complaints

13%

• TWO ISSUES: 1. DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 65 MPH, WITH BATTERY POWER DRAINED, THE REX (RESERVE ENGINE) TURNS ON. SUDDENLY, SPEED DROPS FROM 65 MPH TO 40 MPH WHILE ON A 2-LANE CA FREEWAY, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE REAR-ENDED BY TRAFFIC. ONE MONTH LATER, SAME SITUATION, SAME PROBLEM. 2. MANUFACTURE
• CHARGED MY CAR OVERNIGHT IN MY CLIMATE CONTROLLED GARAGE AND WENT OUT THE NEXT MORNING TO RUN ERRANDS. TURNED IT ON, PUT IT IN DRIVE, HEARD A POP OR CLUNK FROM THE REAR AND THEN GOT A DRIVE TRAIN NOT AVAILABLE - DO NOT MOVE VEHICLE ERROR. COULDN'T EVEN PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL FOR TOWING - BMW ROADSID
• WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AND AT A STOP LIGHT THE CAR MADE SOME JERKY NOISE AND GOT THE "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION - STOP AND TURN OFF ENGINE. DO NOT CONTINUE DRIVING. CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE" MESSAGE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SERVICE AND THEY NEVER FOUND ANY PROBL

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TWO ISSUES: 1. DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 65 MPH, WITH BATTERY POWER DRAINED, THE REX (RESERVE ENGINE) TURNS ON. SUDDENLY, SPEED DROPS FROM 65 MPH TO 40 MPH WHILE ON A 2-LANE CA FREEWAY, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE REAR-ENDED BY TRAFFIC. ONE MONTH LATER, SAME SITUATION, SAME PROBLEM. 2. MANUFACTURE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

8 complaints

10%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW I3. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND REMAINED STUCK CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A BRICK WALL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST AND NECK INJURIES, WHICH REQUIRED M
• TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 BMW I3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACTS VEHICLE WHICH THEN CAUSED THE CONTACTS VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE VEHICLE THAT WAS IN FRONT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAIN
• PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR WOULD FAIL TO DETECT A PASSENGER AFTER DRIVE LASTING 20 MINUTES OR MORE. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THIS STATE BECAUSE NO FAULT CODES ARE REGISTERED IN THE SEAT SENSOR OR ANYWHERE ELSE. BMW CLAIMS THAT THIS CAUSED BY "CELL PHONE INTERFERENCE" AND IT "CAN NEVER BE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW I3. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND REMAINED STUCK CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A BRICK WALL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST AND NECK INJURIES, WHICH REQUIRED M”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

7 complaints

• I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND THE STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME HEAVY - NO LONGER SELF-CENTERING. THE CAR WOULD STILL GO WHERE I POINTED IT, BUT THE WHEEL WOULDN'T RETURN TO CENTER LIKE USUAL. IT FELT VERY STIFF. AFTER SHUTTING THE CAR OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES, IT RETURNED TO NORMAL.
• TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER ASSIST. FROM A STOP, THE ASSIST WILL FUNCTION CORRECTLY UNTIL 30MPH. FROM THEN ON, THERE WILL BE NO POWER ASSIST UNTIL COMING TO A FULL STOP. THE PATTERN REPEATS ITSELF FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. ONCE THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF, IT COULD TAKE DAYS OR MONTHS FOR THIS TO HAP
• INTERMITTENTLY, THE POWER STEERING DOES NOT COME ON WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON. STEERING IS HEAVY AND SLOW. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON GENERALLY CORRECTS THIS FAULT. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR. I DOCUMENTED BELOW APPROXIMATELY THE DATE OF THE FIRST EVENT.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND THE STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME HEAVY - NO LONGER SELF-CENTERING. THE CAR WOULD STILL GO WHERE I POINTED IT, BUT THE WHEEL WOULDN'T RETURN TO CENTER LIKE USUAL. IT FELT VERY STIFF. AFTER SHUTTING THE CAR OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES, IT RETURNED TO NORMAL.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

6 complaints

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW I3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE
• NEAR CRASH (CRASH AVOIDED BY MANUAL EMERGENCY BRAKING INTERVENTION) THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WAS FOLLOWING A BLACK SUV AT 8:30AM SOUTHBOUND ON CA101 (VEHICLE PRESENT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED). THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED SO NOTICE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN. THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONT
• I TURNED RIGHT INTO A PARKING SPOT IN FRONT OF A COMMERCIAL BUIDLING. I REMEMBER SLOWING DOWN AS I APPROACHED THE PARKING SPACE. AS THE CAR SLOWED, IT SUDDENLY JERKED AND THEN ACCELERATED CAUSING IT TO GO OVER THE CONCRETE PARKING HEADER AND COLLIDE INTO BUILDING EXTERIOR AND METAL GATE. THE CAR WA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW I3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 77 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
TRANSMISSION: THE BMW I3 ELECTRIC VEHICLE THAT COMES WITH A RANGE EXTENDER HAS A CRITICAL HAZARDOUS DESIGN FLAW. IT CANNOT CONSISTENTLY POWER THE VEHICLE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE SPEED WHEN DRIVING ON A MODERATE INCLINE FOR A REASONABLE PERIOD. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MAY BE DRIVING ON A CALIFORNIA FREEWAY AND RUN OUT
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: TWO ISSUES: 1. DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 65 MPH, WITH BATTERY POWER DRAINED, THE REX (RESERVE ENGINE) TURNS ON. SUDDENLY, SPEED DROPS FROM 65 MPH TO 40 MPH WHILE ON A 2-LANE CA FREEWAY, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE REAR-ENDED BY TRAFFIC. ONE MONTH LATER, SAME SITUATION, SAME PROBLEM. 2. MANUFACTURE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
AIR BAGS: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW I3. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND REMAINED STUCK CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A BRICK WALL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST AND NECK INJURIES, WHICH REQUIRED M
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND THE STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME HEAVY - NO LONGER SELF-CENTERING. THE CAR WOULD STILL GO WHERE I POINTED IT, BUT THE WHEEL WOULDN'T RETURN TO CENTER LIKE USUAL. IT FELT VERY STIFF. AFTER SHUTTING THE CAR OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES, IT RETURNED TO NORMAL.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)