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What 33 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 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 (33)Crash / fire / injury (3)Body & structure (10)Steering (8)Airbags (6)Electrical system (5)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Engine (2)Fuel system (2)Speed control (2)Brakes (1)

2 of 33 complaints match · Engine · clear filters

Apr 22, 2025Fuel systemAirbagsEngine

The contact owns a 2016 BMW I3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and the air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel filler had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11656031

Sep 3, 2019Electrical systemEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 BMW I3. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, BOTH WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED, AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND PULLED INTO A FUEL STATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BMW NORTHWEST (4011 20TH ST E, TACOMA, WA 98424, (253) 922-8700); HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED A LOANER VEHICLE. AFTER ANOTHER TWO WEEKS, A REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER FROM THE MANUFACTURER DIAGNOSED THE FAILURES AND STATED THAT A SOFTWARE REPAIR WAS NEEDED, BUT IT WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR POSSIBLY ANOTHER TWO MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND WAS CURRENTLY STILL AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. *TR*JB

NHTSA ODI 11252950

Working with the data? Download all 33 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 2016 BMW I3 verdict →