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Your vehicleHome›BMW›i3› 2018
BMW · Compact Hatchback

2018 BMW i3

Electric Plug-in hybrid
Subcompact Cars
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
C
Safety Signal
72 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical 3
Complaintsnone reporting a crash, fire or injury 14
Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —
EV rangebest configuration, EPA 114 mi
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 35 mpg
202120202019201820172016

The 2018 BMW i3 is sold in the U.S. as an electric and plug-in hybrid compact hatchback with 4 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the i3 (94Ah), is EPA-rated at 114 miles with 118 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 14 complaints, most often about the steering.

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
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombRangekWh/100miCharge (240V)Annual fuel*
i3 (94Ah)ElectricRWD125 kW AC Induction129106118 MPGe114 mi28.65 h$650
i3s (94Ah)ElectricRWD125 kW AC Induction12699112 MPGe107 mi30.05 h$650
i3 (94Ah) with Range ExtenderPlug-in hybridRWD0.6L 2-cyl + 125 kW AC Induction363335 (87 MPGe blended)97 mi electric315 h$2,350
i3s (94Ah) with Range ExtenderPlug-in hybridRWD0.6L 2-cyl + 125 kW AC Induction363335 (87 MPGe blended)97 mi electric315 h$2,350

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39854, 39855, 39834, 39835.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
i3 (94Ah), i3s (94Ah)10 / 10California ZEV / Federal Tier 3 Bin 0All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standardsSmartWay Elite
i3 (94Ah) with Range Extender, i3s (94Ah) with Range Extender7 / 10Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standardsSmartWay 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 styleHatchback/Liftback/Notchback
Doors5
GVWR classClass 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders2
Displacement0.6 L

Engine Output

Horsepower170 hp

Fuel Economy

FuelElectric

Seating

Seat rows2
Seating capacity5 seats

Transmission

TransmissionAutomatic
Transmission speeds1

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Electronic stability control

Optional: Adaptive cruise control, Parking assist

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 the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Range Extender, Range Extender S, S). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Also on file Beside the 2018 i3
Other years The 2020 i3 Recalls BMW recalls
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Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 BMW i3 is in the years where high-voltage electronics and module repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.

What to check before you buy →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Electrical System

159 vehicles 92% reported repaired built Jan 13, 2018 – Feb 20, 2018
Problem BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 i3 BEV and i3 REx hybrid electric vehicles. A circuit board problem within the Electric Motor Electronics (EME) module may shutdown the supply of high voltage electrical power. Risk A shut down of high-voltage electrical power would result in a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EME module, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 19V310000 reported Apr 17, 2019 BMW of North America, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
!critical

Equipment

3,501 vehicles 98% reported repaired built Feb 27, 2018 – Aug 22, 2018
Problem BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 330e iPerformance, i3 Rex, i3 Sport Rex, X5 xDrive40e, i3 BEV, i3 Sport BEV and 2019 i8 and i8 Roadster vehicles and 2018-2019 530e iPerformance, 530e xDrive iPerformance and 740Le xDrive iPerformance vehicles. Capacitors within the TurboCord Portable Chargers may fail, possibly resulting in a shock hazard or a fire. Risk An electrical shock or a fire can increase the risk of injury or death. Fix BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the charging cable, and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 22, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 18V652000 reported Sep 20, 2018 BMW of North America, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲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 PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 17V720000 reported Nov 16, 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 2018 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 2018 BMW i3, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2018 BMW i3

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this i3 →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
14complaints filed

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

79 per 10,000 built · BMW reported 1,762 i3 built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2019: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Steering 3
Vehicle Speed Control 3
Fuel/Propulsion System 3
Structure 3
Tires 1
Power Train 1

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.

After reviewing BMW’s warranty documentation, I believe that the part replaced — specifically the evaporative emissions (EVAP) valve or purge valve AND vapor canister (active charcoal canister) — should be covered under the California Extended Emissions Warranty (TZEV) for my 2018 BMW i3 with Range Extender.
Fuel/Propulsion System Jun 18, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11745052
My car has a problem with the carbon fiber roof panel. In the sun, the clear epoxy of the roof is de laminating from the carbon fiber beneath it. This is a safety issue because as it delaminates the clear epoxy is no longer properly attached to the roof and may fly off and into other vehicles when traveling at highway speeds.
Structure Apr 16, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11583327
On two occasions the power steering failed while i was driving, once several months ago and again last Wednesday. Fortunately i was driving on surface streets close to home. i parked the car for twenty minutes and upon starting it the problem seemed to be gone.
Steering Jul 1, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11529897
"Driver restraint system malfunction" light came on today. BMW i3's have had recalls in their past models due to design flaws in their airbag systems and assembly. While my car's year hasn't had a recall, searching the web shows that this issue is extremely common on BMW cars.
Air Bags Feb 2, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11505089
On May 2, 2022, the car began to power down involuntarily every time I applied the brakes. This happened 2-3 times, and I was able to restart. The final time was in the middle of an intersection, the car would not restart, could not be placed in neutral to be moved out of the intersection, and I had to have a police tow.
Electrical System May 11, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11464231
The contact owns a 2018 BMW i3. The contact stated that while driving in the rain at approximately 45 - 50 MPH, the vehicle had unintended acceleration and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle came to a full stop after getting stuck in the mud on the side of the road. The failure nearly caused a collision.
Vehicle Speed Control at 42,600 miles Feb 8, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11451014

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.

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

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 143
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-05-06
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 140 service bulletins, 3 warranty extensions

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

  • 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
  • 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.
  • B840922 Service bulletin
    2022-09-01 · Equipment — Electrical
  • Due to a production error, the telematics control units were delivered without an IMS configuration.
  • 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
  • B170121 Service bulletin
    2022-02-01 · Engine And Engine Cooling
  • The quick disconnect coupling on the cylinder head coolant vent line could break at the cylinder head. This would lead to loss of coolant from the engine.
  • B012021 Service bulletin
    2021-11-01 · Engine And Engine Cooling
  • 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.

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 mi2020 A 0 0 153 mi2019 A 1 13 153 mi2018 this page C 3 14 114 mi2017 C 3 53 114 mi2016 B 2 33 81 mi

Common questions about the 2018 i3

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 BMW i3 have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 BMW i3, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 18V652000, covering Equipment. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 BMW i3?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2018 BMW i3 yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it C (72/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 BMW i3?

Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 BMW i3, the best EPA combined figure is 35 mpg (MPGe on the electrified versions) and the longest EPA range is 114 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 2018 BMW i3?

Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 BMW i3, most often about steering, vehicle speed control, fuel/propulsion system. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 BMW i3?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 BMW i3 runs 7 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 — California LEV-III SULEV30, California ZEV, Federal Tier 3 Bin 0, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 BMW i3?

The manufacturer has filed 143 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 BMW i3, most often covering equipment, electrical system, 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.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations4 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates4 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls3NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints14NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratingsnoneNHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins143NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations1NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationOpen and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No 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 NHTSA11 fieldsNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWhat the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Trims, pricing & equipmentnoneManufacturer press kitWe 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.

Where to go next

pages beside this one
Other years The 2020 i3 The i3 model year with the cleanest record on file — grade A, 0 recalls.Recalls Every BMW recall on file All campaigns filed against BMW vehicles, newest first, with the manufacturer's own number.Recall Watch Watch this i3 by VIN Give it the VIN and you hear the night a campaign is filed — from $29 a month for a lot, free for ten.

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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