2015 BMW I3 Problems and Recalls (47 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2015 BMW I3 is Steering (32% of 47 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 47 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2015 BMW I3?

15 of 47 filings named Steering (32% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Body / frame (7 reports).

There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2014 has 54 reports on file; this year has 47. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2015 BMW I3

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 3 campaigns on file below.
  2. Steering. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight.
  3. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  4. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Steering. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Steering 15 complaints · 31.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 1
  • Fires 1
  • Injuries 0
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2014 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Steering (STEERING) appears in 15 of 47 owner complaints (31.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. Steering (STEERING): 15 complaints, 31.9% of reports Steering (STEERING) 15 · 31.9% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 7 complaints, 14.9% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 7 · 14.9% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 5 complaints, 10.6% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 5 · 10.6% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 5 complaints, 10.6% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 5 · 10.6% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 3 complaints, 6.4% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 3 · 6.4% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 2 complaints, 4.3% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 2 · 4.3% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 2 complaints, 4.3% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 2 · 4.3% Engine (ENGINE): 1 complaints, 2.1% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 1 · 2.1% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 1 complaints, 2.1% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 · 2.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 11 complaints, 23.4% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 11 · 23.4% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Steering (STEERING) 15 31.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 7 14.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 5 10.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 5 10.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 3 6.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 4.3% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 2 4.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 1 2.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 2.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 11 23.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2016; the first recall shown was reported in Oct 2015. 2016-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 2015 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 15V628000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V628000 Recall campaign 17V088000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V088000 Recall campaign 17V720000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V720000 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005
  • Campaign 17V088000 was reported 397 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2016-Q1 Owner reports 4
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q2 Owner reports 1
2018-Q3 Owner reports 2
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 4
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2020-Q1 Owner reports 4
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 4
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 6
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 2
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 15V628000
Recall campaign 1 17V088000
Recall campaign 1 17V720000
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (3)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags and Fuel system.

  1. Recall campaign 15V628000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger.
    Remedy:
    MINI and BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on November 25, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 and BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 17V088000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 17V720000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 47 complaints · page 1 of 2
2026-07-10SUSPENSION
NHTSA ODI 11749626
CrashFireInjuryDeath
In the middle of driving, the coil spring on rear passenger side snapped. What happened to me today was exactly what the search result showed from the internet. And yet, when I put in my VIN # to your and BMW website, I got 0 recall for this VIN. Mine is 2015, what am I missing? Googel: Early BMW i3 models, particularly from the 2014-2016 production runs, have known issues with rear coil springs snapping, often due to corrosion or poor heat treatment. If your rear end sags, you hear a loud clank over bumps, or you notice a piece of metal resting near your rear tires, a broken spring is the likely culprit. Symptoms and inspection details include: The Snapping Point: The spring typically breaks at the very first or second coil from the bottom.
2025-10-22Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11695130
CrashFireInjuryDeath
When driving down the interstate the carbon fiber roof suddenly delaminated of its top layer causing the cars behind me to have to slam on the brakes as chunks of carbon fiber flew off the car. This is a known issue with the BMW carbon fiber roofs that is worse on the i3 because of instead of a weave it is forged carbon.
2025-07-15Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11673642
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Carbon fiber roof is experiencing sun damage beyond what is normal.
2025-07-12Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11673052
CrashFireInjuryDeath
roof damage
2024-02-26Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11574129
CrashFireInjuryDeath
airbag failed. alert light went on. Had to be replaced.
2023-10-19VISIBILITYUnclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11550767
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2015 BMW I3. The contact stated that after turning on the fan, there was plastic particles blowing out of the vents. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the particles were blowing out of the vents while activating the A/C or the heater. The contact stated that the failure became a recurring failure, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the A/C compressor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that after the repair, the check engine warning light illuminated again. The contact had the vehicle towed back to the same dealer who diagnosed and determined that a component of the A/C system that cooled the electric hybrid battery needed to be replaced. The contact was advised by the dealer that the repair needed to be completed due to the risk of the battery overheating and catching on fire. The vehicle had been repaired; however, the contact was afraid of driving the vehicle. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and the contact was advised that this was normal wear and tear of the hybrid battery system. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
2023-08-19Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11539567
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Roof is delaminating and bubbling in some areas and chunks off roof have been flying impacting other cars windshield while obstructing view
2023-08-19Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11539543
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The carbon fiber roof is delaminating. The outer layer is pulling away from the base layer. I understand that this is a structural panel. No lights messages or warnings. The problem is very common with this vehicle. It has not been inspected.
2023-08-19Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11539524
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The carbon fiber roof of my 2015 is de-laminating and the resin coating is bubbling. BMW knows its an issue for all I3's without a sun roof and with Carbon fiber roofs and won't fix it.
2023-08-18Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11539390
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The roof has delaminated and is causing leaks within the main cabin yes available for inspection upon request. The structural integrity of the roof is no longer intact and only getting worse. Yes. The problem has been presented to bmw to no avail. BMW does not provide any means to repair nor will acknowledge the issue. Original the roof material got one area of bubbling and within a month or so it had spread throughout the remainder of the roof.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2015 BMW I3?

Owners named Steering most often — 15 of 47 reports (32%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2015 BMW I3?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2015 BMW I3?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources