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2017 BMW i3 recalls, complaints and safety ratings

There are 3 US recalls for the 2017 BMW i3, and 3 in Canada. Owners filed 53 complaints with NHTSA, most often about unknown or other.

3US recalls
0urgent recalls
53owner 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

2016-12-20 · campaign 16V914000 · 3,506 vehicles

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.

Risk and remedy

Risk: 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.

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.

Airbag

2016-12-15 · campaign 2016-632 · 485 vehicles

Certain vehicles may have been equipped with airbag inflators that do not meet specifications. This could cause affected airbags to fail to deploy properly in the event of a crash, which could increase the risk of injury to the occupants. Correction: Dealers will replace affected airbag modules. Note: Depending on the vehicle in question, the front passenger, knee, side or curtain airbag modules may be affected.

Owner complaints (53)

Owners filed 53 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 BMW i3 (2 crashes, 1 fires, 4 injuries reported). Among 7 model years of this model, it ranks #2 for the most complaints (median 33).

Most-reported problemComplaints
Unknown or other12
Structure12
Steering11
Electrical system8
Power train6
Fuel/propulsion system3
Air bags3
Electronic stability control (esc)2

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2017 BMW i3.

VersionOverallFrontalSideRollover
2017 BMW I3 5 HB RWD––––

Fuel economy

EPA ratings for each 2017 BMW i3 version.

VersionCity MPGHighway MPGCombinedYearly fuel cost
i3 BEV (60 Amp-hour battery) Automatic (A1)137111124$600
i3 BEV (94 Amp-hour battery) Automatic (A1)129106118$650
i3 REX (94 Amp-hour battery) 0.6 L Automatic (A1)363335$2,350
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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.