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RecallScanner Severity Profile

BMW I3

Watch6 recall campaigns, verify by VIN.
0
RecallScore
Critical
2
Fire risk
3
Crash risk
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
0
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All Recalls

6 campaigns, model years 2017 to 2019
6 recalls 2 critical🔥 3 fire risk💥 4 crash risk
Model year
Airbag
Dec 20, 2016
3605 days ago

Your seat-mounted side airbag may fail to deploy in a crash, leaving you unprotected.

Affected: AIR BAGS · 2017
FIRE RISKCRASH RISK
NHTSA
Summary

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2017 BMW 640i, 640i xDrive, 650i, 650i xDrive, M6, 535i, 535i xDrive, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, i3, i8, Rolls-Royce Dawn, Mini Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, Mini 4-Door Cooper, Cooper S, Mini 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and 2016 BMW 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, M5 and 535d vehicles. The affected vehicles have seat- mounted side air bag inflator initiators that may fail to ignite during a crash.

Consequence

If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Airbag
Nov 16, 2017
3274 days ago

Your airbag may not protect small drivers properly in a frontal crash.

Affected: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · 2018
CRASH RISK
NHTSA
Summary

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

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.

Electrical
Sep 20, 2018
2966 days ago

Your TurboCord Portable Charger can overheat, catch fire, or shock you while charging your car.

Affected: EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL · 2018
FIRE RISK
NHTSA
Summary

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 330e iPerformance, i3 Rex, i3 Sport Rex, X5 xDrive40e, i3 BEV, i3 Sport BEV and 2019 i8 and i8 Roadster vehicles and 2018-2019 530e iPerformance, 530e xDrive iPerformance and 740Le xDrive iPerformance vehicles. Capacitors within the TurboCord Portable Chargers may fail, possibly resulting in a shock hazard or a fire.

Consequence

An electrical shock or a fire can increase the risk of injury or death.

Remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the charging cable, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Fuel System
Feb 9, 2017
3554 days ago

Your fuel tank vent line can rub through and leak fuel vapor, causing a fire.

Affected: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS · 2017
FIRE RISK
NHTSA
Summary

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

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.

Other
Aug 14, 2019
2638 days ago

Your electric motor electronics module can fail and cut power to the engine while driving.

Affected: HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM · 2019
CRASH RISK
NHTSA
Summary

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019 i3 BEV, i3 REx, and i8 vehicles. A circuit board problem within the Electric Motor Electronics (EME) module may shutdown the supply of high-voltage electrical power.

Consequence

A shut down of high-voltage electrical power would result in a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EME module, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Other
Apr 17, 2019
2757 days ago

Your electric motor can shut down and leave you without power on the road.

Affected: HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM · 2018
CRASH RISK
NHTSA
Summary

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 i3 BEV and i3 REx hybrid electric vehicles. A circuit board problem within the Electric Motor Electronics (EME) module may shutdown the supply of high voltage electrical power.

Consequence

A shut down of high-voltage electrical power would result in a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EME module, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

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Full analysis: how to read the BMW I3 recall history
Year range, common components, complaint patterns, and how to use this page.

Understanding the BMW I3 recall history

The BMW I3 currently has 6 recall campaigns indexed from the NHTSA public database. Each recall represents a formal campaign to fix a defect at no cost to the current owner. Owner complaints are self-reported incidents that haven't (yet) resulted in a recall but can indicate emerging patterns worth watching.

The most frequent recall categories for the I3 in our dataset are air bag (2), electrical (1), and fuel system (1). These clusters matter when you're shopping for a used I3: recalls in these systems tend to be the ones most likely to have been skipped by previous owners, because they aren't always visible during a routine test drive or pre-purchase inspection.

The tracked recalls span model years 2017–2019, with campaigns reported to NHTSA between 2016 and 2019. Not every model year carries every recall. Each campaign is scoped to a specific year range and often a specific build window, which is why a VIN lookup is the only way to know whether a particular I3 is actually affected by any of these campaigns.

How to use this page

The safest path for an owner is to run your VIN through the checker above. A VIN query hits NHTSA's live API and tells you whether your specific I3 has an open, unresolved recall. If you're researching a used I3before buying, use the recall list below to understand the model's full history, then check the seller's VIN to see whether prior owners actually completed the free repairs. Many don't, and unresolved recalls can linger for years.

Figures are generated live from the RecallScanner dataset, which is sourced from NHTSA's public recall and complaint APIs and refreshed daily. RecallScanner is independent and not affiliated with BMW or any U.S. government agency.

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