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2015 BMW i3 recalls, complaints and safety ratings

There are 3 US recalls for the 2015 BMW i3, and 3 in Canada. Owners filed 47 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering.

3US recalls
0urgent recalls
47owner complaints
–overall crash rating

Is your car affected?

Check by VIN to confirm the exact model and see every recall for it.

Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.

US recalls (3)

Air bags: frontal

2017-11-16 · campaign 17V720000 · 32,000 vehicles

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."

Risk and remedy

Risk: 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.

Fuel system, gasoline: delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

2017-02-09 · campaign 17V088000 · 19,130 vehicles

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.

Risk and remedy

Risk: 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.

Air bags: frontal, passenger side

2015-10-07 · campaign 15V628000 · 6,073 vehicles

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper two-door vehicles, 2015-2016 MINI John Cooper Works and MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper four-door vehicles and 2014-2015 BMW i3 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the passenger frontal air bag may not deploy properly in a low speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk and remedy

Risk: 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.

Canadian recalls (3)

Show 3 Canadian recalls

Label

2024-08-15 · campaign 2024-544

Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "NONE" when it should read as "NONE / AUCUN". Canadian regulations require the information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: This error does not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. The company has corrected the tire and loading information label for all new vehicles.

Fuel system

2017-02-10 · campaign 2017-068 · 688 vehicles

On certain i3 REX models, a section of the fuel tank vent line could chafe against an adjacent ribbed wire protector. Over time, this chaffing could lead to the fuel tank vent line wearing through and leaking. Due to enclosed engine compartment of this vehicle and elevated underhood temperatures, this could increase the risk of a fire causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will install a clip between the fuel tank vent line and the adjacent ribbed wire protector to prevent contact, and the fuel tank vent line will be inspected and replaced as necessary.

Electrical

2015-07-30 · campaign 2015-343

Certain vehicles, which were parked at the port of entry in Halifax during the ice storms in February 2015, may have been exposed to excessive standing water and salt for an extended period due to this isolated environmental incident. Certain MINI models could have corrosion at the starter motor power supply cable connectors, which could lead to the inability to restart the engine following an engine shutdown by the start-stop (MSA) system, increasing the risk of crash causing injury in a traffic situation. On certain BMW models, the lubrication of some internal components within the steering rack may have been exposed to excessive water or salt which could result in higher than normal steering effort or steering binding, increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. In addition, electrical wires and/or connectors in all affected vehicles may have been exposed to water or salt, which could lead to increased electrical system resistance, and increase the risk of fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Owners should contact their selling Retailer regarding this recall. Affected vehicles will be inspected. Some vehicles will be taken out of service immediately and owners will be provided with temporary transportation until a new replacement vehicle is available. All other vehicles are cleared of this safety concern and may continue to be driven until a new replacement vehicle is available. Due to potential concerns about long term vehicle quality, all affected vehicles will ultimately be removed from service.

Owner complaints (47)

Owners filed 47 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 BMW i3 (1 crashes, 1 fires reported). Among 7 model years of this model, it ranks #3 for the most complaints (median 33).

Most-reported problemComplaints
Steering15
Air bags7
Structure7
Vehicle speed control6
Electrical system6
Power train4
Engine3
Fuel/propulsion system2

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2015 BMW i3.

VersionOverallFrontalSideRollover
2015 BMW I3 5 HB RWD––––

Fuel economy

EPA ratings for each 2015 BMW i3 version.

VersionCity MPGHighway MPGCombinedYearly fuel cost
i3 BEV Automatic (A1)137111124$600
i3 REX 0.6 L Automatic (A1)413739$2,100
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Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada). Recalls updated 2026-10-30.