MODELYEARINDEX

Which BMW I3 years to avoid

No BMW I3 model year in 2014–2018 falls into the flagged band. The weakest are 2015 and 2014, and even those sit close to this model’s own median.

Ownership label · BMW I3 Full report
C
Grade 2014–2018
2015 vs model median 1.4×
Model median3× median
Steering 8
Airbags & Restraints 5
Speed Control 4
Weakest

2014 · 2015

Best

2016 · 2018

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2014
1.00× 24 C
2015
1.36× 32 C
2016
0.55× 11 B
2017
1.03× 32 C
2018
0.41× 10 B

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2014 C 24 reports · median 6,500 mi

  1. Tires & Wheels 4

    Getting out of a parking lot at very low speed of 2-3 miles per hour touched a curb and the tire went flat immediately that had to be replaced. 5 days later, a piece of plastic punctured another tire. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 4

    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… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Speed Control 3

    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. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

3 crash · 3 injuries

2015 C 32 reports · median 16,779 mi

  1. Steering 8

    I AM reporting a recurring issue with the steering wheel. The vehicle was in motion, on a city street, going straight. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Airbags & Restraints 5

    2015 bmw i3. Consumer writes in regards to range extender safety recall. Consumer sent additional correspondence. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Speed Control 4

    The ACC (active cruise control) surprisingly stops working when facing a bright sun. This happens often, but it took me a while to understand what was happening. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

3 crash

The best year for the I3

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2018 is the best-scoring I3 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 82.3 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2018 0.41× 10 B
2016 0.55× 11 B
2017 1.03× 32 C

Recalls

7 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
17V720000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2014–2018 32,000
17V088000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS 2014–2017 19,130
15V628000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2014, 2015 6,073
16V914000 AIR BAGS 2017 3,506
18V652000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL 2018 3,501
19V310000 HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM 2018 159
14V422000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2014 27

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2015 were reported at a median of 16,779 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which BMW I3 years should you avoid?
No BMW I3 model year in 2014–2018 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2015 and 2014.
What is the best year for the BMW I3?
2018 is the best-scoring BMW I3 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 82.3 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the BMW I3 have?
7 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored BMW I3 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2015 I3
Complaints in window
32
Severity-weighted
53
Model median (weighted)
39
vs model median
1.36×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
3
Open investigations
0
Score 58.5 C