TWICE THE POWER STEERING FAILED TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY. EACH TIME THE FEEDBACK TO POWER ASSIST "FLOATED" IN AN UNDETERMINED STATE. THE ABILITY TO FORCE A TURN (MAKE HARD TURNS) SEEMED TO ACTIVE THE POWER ASSIST AND WORKED AS EXPECTED. STRAIGHT DRIVING SEEMED TO CAUSED THE…

12/07/2018 · NHTSA ODI #11156773.0

2015 i3 · fuel system

2015 BMW I3. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RANGE EXTENDER SAFETY RECALL. *LD CONSUMER SENT ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS HAD MULTIPLE RECALLS AND 2 LIGHTWEIGHT TIRES THAT HAVE RUPTURED EASILY. UPDATED 11/15/2017*JS THE CONSUMER STATED…

11/15/2017 · NHTSA ODI #11033750.0

2015 i3 · body

When driving down the interstate the carbon fiber roof suddenly delaminated of its top layer causing the cars behind me to have to slam on the brakes as chunks of carbon fiber flew off the car. This is a known issue with the BMW carbon fiber roofs that is worse on the i3 because…

10/22/2025 · NHTSA ODI #11695130.0

2015 i3 · electrical

The contact owns a 2015 BMW I3. The contact stated that after turning on the fan, there was plastic particles blowing out of the vents. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the particles were blowing out of the vents…

10/19/2023 · NHTSA ODI #11550767.0

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Active recalls showing 1 of 1

severe NHTSA 15V628000 07/10/2015

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

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.

Common questions

Is the 2015 BMW i3 reliable?

Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 8.0 out of 10 based on 46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2015 BMW i3 is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.

What's the most common problem on the 2015 BMW i3?

Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is steering, with 15 complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop.

What's the most expensive thing that goes wrong?

The steering is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.

How do I check if my BMW i3 has open recalls?

Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.

Is an extended warranty worth it on a 2015 BMW i3?

Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 46 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $700, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans aren't always better value.

Related vehicles

Recall and complaint data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public records database, last synced 13 hours ago. Editorial commentary written by ProblemsByVin contributors and reviewed by ASE-certified mechanics. We are not affiliated with bmw. Some links on this page are affiliate links and we may earn a commission if you complete a quote or purchase.