Home · 2015 BMW I3 · Complaints

What 47 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 BMW I3

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (47)Crash / fire / injury (2)Steering (15)Airbags (7)Body & structure (7)Electrical system (6)Speed control (6)Transmission & drivetrain (4)Engine (3)Fuel system (3)Seat belts (2)Brakes (1)

2 of 47 complaints match · Seat belts · clear filters

Jan 28, 2020Seat belts

SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. SEAT BELT JUST HANGS THERE.

NHTSA ODI 11302581

Jun 22, 2018AirbagsSeat beltsSeats

SEAT BELT TWIST INTO THE RE-TRACTOR BACK OF THE SEAT AND CANNOT BE UNTWISTED BECAUSE THE TWIST REMAINS BEHIND THE SEAT FROM THE FLOOR TO THE TOP OF THE SEAT. TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE DEALER DENIES THAT THIS IS POSSIBLE CLAIMING SOMEONE MUST HAVE MESSED WITH THEM INSTALLING THEM BACKWARDS. I HAVE ANOTHER ISSUE TOO WITH THE SEAT MAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THROWING AN ERROR MESSAGE WHERE THE AIRBAG WILL TURN OFF WITH A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS IT'S DO TO MOISTER AND REFUSES TO FIX IT UNLESS PAY 1500 DOLLARS. THIS COMPONENT IS FAULTY BUT THEY ARE BLAMING ME AND I DID NOT SPILL ANYTHING INTO THE SEAT IT WAS PURCHASED THIS WAY. THIS COMPONENT SHOULD NOT FAIL SO EASILY EVEN IF THE SEAT WAS DAMP. SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY 1500 DOLLARS EVERY TIME SOMEONES BUTT SWEATS INTO MY SEAT? THAT'S RIDICULOUS. THE SENSOR WILL FAIL OVER BUMPS WITH A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT REGARDLESS OF SPEED. ONLY HEAVIER PASSENGERS OVER ABOUT 240 LBS TRIGGER THE ERROR.. IT WILL RESET ITSELF ONCE THE TRIP IS COMPLETED. BUT FOR THE DURATION OF THE TRIP THE PASSENGER WILL NOT BE PROTECTED FROM THE AIRBAGS IN THE EVENT OF COLLISION.

NHTSA ODI 11103413

Working with the data? Download all 47 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2015 BMW I3 verdict →