NHTSA hasn’t published a crash-test rating for this model year. That’s common for lower-volume or older models. It doesn’t mean the car is unsafe, just that this program hasn’t tested it.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2014 BMW I3, plotted where owners report it happening.

Also reported (mileage varies): Transmission & drivetrain (10) · Airbags (8) · Engine (8) · Steering (7)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint. Treat them as a rough guide.

Transmission & drivetrain

20%

10 complaints

“WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY JERKED AND LOST ALL POWER WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WAS ON THE FREEWAY WITH TR…”

Read the transmission & drivetrain complaints →

Airbags

16%

8 complaints

“Light shows on dash for airbag. I took to the dealership and they said there was a problem and needed to be replaced. The airbag was defective.”

Read the airbags complaints →

Engine

16%

8 complaints

“I've had to replace the engine motor mount bolts twice in 3 years”

Read the engine complaints →

Steering

14%

7 complaints

“The steering becomes sluggish, hard to turn back to center. Seems as though I had a flat front tire. This was not the case. I restarted car then no longer had the prob…”

Read the steering complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

Enter the odometer reading on the car you’re looking at

miles

Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.

Read all 49 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 3 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (4)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Air Bags · 17V720000

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: During a frontal impact, unbelted, small adult, drivers could be at a higher risk of neck injury.

Fix: 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 · 17V088000

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: A fuel vapor leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Fix: 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 · 15V628000

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: 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.

Fix: 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.

Air Bags · 14V422000

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling a certain model year BMW i3 vehicle manufactured March 31, 2014, and certain 2014 MINI Cooper Hardtop vehicles manufactured February 2, 2014 to May 30, 2014. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with an air bag inflator that was not assembled correctly. This could cause the air bag to not deploy properly in the event of an accident.

Risk: If the air bag deploys improperly in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the air bags, the seat occupant may be at an increased risk of injury.

Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this BMW before you buy, drawn from its public record:

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2014 BMW I3. Can you run this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm each one shows "Remedy Completed"?
Owners of this model report transmission & drivetrain problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any transmission & drivetrain symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
Owners of this model report airbags problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any airbags symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Verify the recall work was done

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check ↗

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2014 BMW I3 beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2014? See how every I3 model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2014 BMW I3 against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2014 BMW I3 as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.