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BMW · Compact Hatchback

2016 BMW i3

Electric Plug-in hybrid

Subcompact Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints3 crash · 1 injured reported 33

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

EV rangebest configuration, EPA 81 mi

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 39 mpg

2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2016 BMW i3 is sold in the U.S. as an electric and plug-in hybrid compact hatchback with 2 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the i3 BEV, is EPA-rated at 81 miles with 124 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 33 complaints, most often about the structure.

BMW i3 (2013) — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — BMW i3 (2013) · Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Range	kWh/100mi	Charge (240V)	Annual fuel*
i3 BEV	Electric	RWD	125 kW AC Induction	137	111	124 MPGe	81 mi	27	4 h	$600
i3 REX	Plug-in hybrid	RWD	0.6L 2-cyl + 125kW	41	37	39 (88 MPGe blended)	72 mi electric	29	4 h	$2,100

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 37216, 37222.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
i3 BEV	10 / 10	Bin 1 / ZEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay Elite
i3 REX	5–9 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II SULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay Elite

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback
Doors	5
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	2
Displacement	0.6 L

Engine Output

Horsepower

170 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Electric

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes one configuration rather than every trim (seen: Range Extender). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Air Bags

32,000 vehicles 95% reported repaired built Sep 1, 2013 – Nov 14, 2017

Problem 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.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 17V720000 reported Nov 16, 2017 BMW of North America, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

19,130 vehicles 97% reported repaired built Mar 5, 2014 – Dec 30, 2016

Problem 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.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 17V088000 reported Feb 9, 2017 BMW of North America, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific i3

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. BMW publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →BMW’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 BMW i3, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

33complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2016: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2023: 11 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 2

Most-cited components

Structure 10

Steering 8

Air Bags 6

Electrical System 5

Power Train 3

Vehicle Speed Control 2

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Roof panel is deteriorating and loosing integrity. Outer laminate coat broke down in general sun conditions, and now underlying roof structure is breaking down as well. The dealer has not inspected the roof yet, but this is an issue widely discussed on community forums, and it’s breaking down on my vehicle now

Structure Aug 16, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11609080

My bmw i3 has a faulty wiring harness or some other defect that is causing my car to turn off the airbag system. This is a chronic issue with bmw i3’s. Either the wiring harness is bad or the airbag becomes too stiff and the car deactivated the entire airbag system. Dangerous!

Air Bags Aug 17, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11539172

Loses power "without warning"; actually, when the REX turns on it automatically mentions that power "could be" lost when the REX turns on. However, that is very understated.

Power Train Mar 23, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11513467

The contact owns a 2016 BMW I3. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. Additionally, the contact stated that after making a turn, the steering wheel failed to properly return to center. No warning lights were illuminated.

Steering at 88,000 miles Feb 28, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11509547

On a freeway driving around 65mph front car came to sudden stop so applied brakes at full strength but car continued at the same speed for few seconds and then brakes took effect but it was too late by then. There seems to be some sort of lag between when brake pedal pressed and actually breaks get applied to slow down vehicle.

Service Brakes at 20,000 miles Jun 16, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11329245

The "stop and go" cruise control has disengaged over 100 times and has slammed on the brakes for no reason 5 times. I have almost been rear ended twice on the highway. This is not safe. I have shown Bmw over 50 photos and 3 videos of this and they find every excuse in the book. I AM scared for my life when using this cruise control.

Vehicle Speed Control at 500 miles Dec 27, 2017 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11056791

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by BMW itself: 4 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 4 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every i3 model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 21k

miles, typically

Half the 14 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 16,000 and 40,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 14 on file: 2 under 10k, 3 10k–20k, 4 20k–30k, 1 30k–40k, 1 40k–50k, 2 50k–60k, 1 80k–90k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 4 filings by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW warranty extension 1390900300For this vehicle, the EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years/150,000 miles, from the original 10 years/120,000 miles…
15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW warranty extension 6127900700The High-Voltage (HV) Battery Assembly Cell Modules Temperature Sensors (Internal NTC repair kit-specific) limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years…
15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW bulletin B010524For this vehicle, the EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials and/or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original…
15 years or 150,000 miles · BMW bulletin B012021For the eligible vehicles, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) is extending the limited warranty for the vehicle's Fuel Injectors to: 15 years/150,000 miles as determined by the vehicle's original…

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every BMW warranty extension (46) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 256

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-05-06

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 253 service bulletins, 3 warranty extensions

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Engine, Steering, Visibility/Wiper.

B010525 Warranty extension
2026-05-06 · Engine
The EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
011024 Warranty extension
2024-12-04 · Electrical System
The High-Voltage (HV) Battery Assembly Cell Modules Temperature Sensors (Internal NTC repair kit-specific) limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service/first delivery date.
B010524 Service bulletin
2024-04-11 · Engine And Engine Cooling
For this vehicle, the EVAP systems purge (vent) valve limited warranty for defects in materials and/or workmanship has been extended to 15 years / 150,000 miles as determined from the original in-service date. This coverage is subject to the same vehicle eligibility requirements, limitations, and exclusion criteria that apply to the BMW New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Vehicles that are registere
B010818 Service bulletin
2024-01-25 · Air Bags
The Supplemental Restraint System’s (SRS) air bag warning lamp is illuminated, and the air bag control unit’s (ACSM4i) fault memory has stored one or both of the following fault codes: 930904 Airbag Driver 1st Stage: "Resistance too large” 93090A Airbag Driver 2nd Stage: “Resistance too large"
B611305 Service bulletin
2024-01-11 · Electrical System
The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle “discharged battery” complaints.
SIB651312 Service bulletin
2022-05-01 · Electrical System
The Headunit High (HU-H), also called NBT, began replacing the Car Information Computer (CIC) on certain MY2013 vehicles with option 609 (as of 7/2012 production). This uses map North America NEXT. The Headunit High 2 (HU-H2), also called NBT-EVO, superseded the NBT HU and was introduced in 3/2014. This uses map North America EVO. The Headunit High 4 (HU-H4, also called MGU21) superseded the MGU s
B012021 Service bulletin
2021-11-01 · Fuel System, Other — Fuel Injection System
For the eligible vehicles, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) is extending the limited warranty for the vehicle's Fuel Injectors to: 15 years/150,000 miles as determined by the vehicle's original in-service date.
B651312 Service bulletin
2021-09-01 · Equipment — Electrical — Navigational System(Global Positioning System)
The Headunit High (HU-H), also called NBT, began replacing the Car Information Computer (CIC) on certain MY2013 vehicles with option 609 (as of 7/2012 production). This uses map North America NEXT. The Headunit High 2 (HU-H2), also called NBT-EVO, superseded the NBT HU and was introduced in 3/2014. This uses map North America EVO. The Headunit High 3 (HU-H3, also called MGU) superseded the NBT-EVO

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

i3 by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2021 A 0 1 153 mi 2020 A 0 0 153 mi 2019 A 1 13 153 mi 2018 C 3 14 114 mi 2017 C 3 53 114 mi 2016 this page B 2 33 81 mi

Common questions about the 2016 i3

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2016 BMW i3 have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2016 BMW i3. The most serious on file is 17V720000, covering Air Bags. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 BMW i3?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2016 BMW i3 yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (85/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 BMW i3?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 BMW i3, the best EPA combined figure is 39 mpg (MPGe on the electrified versions) and the longest EPA range is 81 miles on a charge. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 BMW i3?

Owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 BMW i3, most often about structure, steering, air bags. Of those, 3 involved a crash, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2016 BMW i3?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 BMW i3 runs 5 to 10 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 1, Bin 5, LEV-II SULEV, ZEV — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 BMW i3?

The manufacturer has filed 256 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 BMW i3, most often covering electrical system, equipment, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-05-06. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	2 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	33	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	none	NHTSA NCAP	NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins	256	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	7 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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