BMW I01 i3 buyer's guide

Models and engines by year

US-market models. Chassis codes: I01. Not sure which one you have? The VIN check decodes year, model and engine.

Model-year changes

US model years unless noted. "LCI" (Life Cycle Impulse) is BMW's name for a mid-cycle facelift.

Known problems and when they show up

Mileages are what the cited shops, specialists and owner forums report. They are typical ranges, not predictions for any one car.

Electric drive

i3 (incl. i3s) (2014–2021), i3 with Range Extender (2014–2021)

12-volt battery, charging and software faults. On BMW EVs, many bulletins cover the 12-volt battery, charging equipment and control-unit software rather than the motor or high-voltage battery.

W20 range extender

i3 with Range Extender (2014–2021)

Range extender behavior at low charge. BMW bulletin SI B61 20 16 covers power loss or high-voltage shutdown on the i3 and i3 REx at very low battery charge (under 8%), fixed with software and a battery adaptation reset.¹

Known I01 issues beyond the engine

Air-conditioning compressor failure ("black death"). If the A/C compressor fails it can send metal debris through the A/C system, which also cools the high-voltage battery; a full repair can exceed $10,000 and often totals the car. How common it is isn't known; any compressor noise should be fixed early.⁴

Battery degradation on early cars. All i3s use a liquid-cooled battery, which helps, but 2014-2016 cars (60 Ah) have the least range to lose. The battery warranty was 8 years/100,000 miles (to 70% capacity), and REx cars in CARB states may have 10 years/150,000 miles.⁴

Fast tire wear. Early owners reported replacing the narrow all-season tires before 20,000 miles.⁴

Warranty extensions and service campaigns 11

Warranty extensions (10)

• SIB 01 05 25 EVAP system warranty extension EVAP system warranty extension on BMW I01/G12/G30 models (2016–2021); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Warranty extension · May 2026
• SIB 01 10 24 Battery warranty extension Battery warranty extension on BMW G30/I01 models (2014–2019); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Warranty extension · Dec 2024
• SIB 01 11 24 Battery warranty extension Battery warranty extension on BMW G12/F30/I01/I12 and other models (2014–2019); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Warranty extension · Dec 2024
• SIB 01 05 24 EVAP system warranty extension EVAP system warranty extension on Electric/W20 engines (2016–2019); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Service bulletin · Apr 2024
• SIB 01 20 21 Fuel injectors warranty extension Fuel injectors warranty extension on Electric/W20 engines (2014–2021); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Service bulletin · Nov 2021
• SIB 12 09 20 Misfire warranty extension Misfire warranty extension on Electric/W20 engines (2014–2020); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Service bulletin · Sep 2020
• SIB 01 13 18 Fuel tank warranty extension Fuel tank warranty extension on BMW F15/I01/I12/I15 models (2014–2017); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Service bulletin · Jun 2018
• SIB 84 06 18 Horn warranty extension Horn warranty extension on BMW G01/G11/G12/G30 and other models (2011–2018); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Service bulletin · Mar 2018
• SIB 11 20 16 Engine warranty extension Engine warranty extension on Electric/W20 engines (2014–2017); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Service bulletin · Oct 2016
• SIB 18 01 16 Catalytic converter warranty extension Catalytic converter warranty extension on Electric/W20 engines (2014–2018); BMW extended the warranty on this part for eligible cars. Service bulletin · Feb 2016

Service campaigns (1)

• SIB 84 03 26 Telematics unit failure Telematics unit failure on BMW I01/I12/I15 models (2020); BMW repairs affected cars free under a service campaign. Service campaign · Jul 2026

Filed by BMW with NHTSA. Extensions usually follow the car to later owners and can reimburse earlier repairs; a BMW dealer can confirm by VIN.

NHTSA safety recalls 8

• Aug 14, 2019
  Recall 19V599: hybrid propulsion system I3, I8, 2019. A circuit board problem within the Electric Motor Electronics (EME) module may shutdown the supply of high-voltage electrical power.
• Apr 17, 2019
  Recall 19V310: hybrid propulsion system I3, 2018. A circuit board problem within the Electric Motor Electronics (EME) module may shutdown the supply of high voltage electrical power.
• Sep 20, 2018
  Recall 18V652: electrical 330E, 530E, 740LE, I3, I8, X5, 2018–2019. Capacitors within the TurboCord Portable Chargers may fail, possibly resulting in a shock hazard or a fire.
• Nov 16, 2017
  Recall 17V720: frontal I3, 2014–2018. Unbelted, small adult, drivers may be at a higher risk of neck injury in the event of a frontal crash.
• Feb 9, 2017
  Recall 17V088: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings I3, 2014–2017. 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.
• Dec 20, 2016
  Recall 16V914: air bags 430I, 440I, 528I, 535D, 535I, 550I, 640I, 650I, I3, I8, M4, M5, M6, X1 SAV, 2016–2017. The affected vehicles have seat- mounted side air bag inflator initiators that may fail to ignite during a crash.
• Oct 7, 2015
  Recall 15V628: inflator module I3, 2014–2015. Due to a manufacturing error, the passenger frontal air bag may not deploy properly in a low speed crash.
• Jul 14, 2014
  Recall 14V422: frontal I3, 2014. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling a certain model year BMW i3 vehicle manufactured March 31, 2014, and certain 2014 MINI Cooper Hardtop vehicles manufactured February 2, 2014 to May 30, 2014.

Matched from NHTSA's public recall file by model and model year. A recall may cover only some cars from a year, and it may already have been done on yours. Check by VIN →

Test drive and inspection checklist

1. Run the VIN for open recalls. Open safety recalls are free at any BMW dealer. Check on NHTSA's site or our recall page before you buy.⁵
2. Scan for stored fault codes with a BMW-capable tool. A generic OBD reader misses most BMW modules. Specialist guides recommend a BMW-level scan (ISTA or similar) to catch faults that have been cleared from the dash but still stored.^6,7
3. Start it from cold. Ask the seller not to warm the car up first. Chain rattle, VANOS rattle, lifter tick and rough idle show most clearly in the first seconds after a cold start.^6,8,9
4. Ask a BMW dealer about warranty extensions and campaigns. Several BMW warranty extensions follow the car, not the owner, and some reimburse earlier repairs. A dealer can check the VIN. The list for this chassis is below.
5. Get a pre-purchase inspection from a BMW specialist. A few hundred dollars for an independent BMW specialist is the usual advice, especially for M cars and high-mileage turbo engines.^10,6
6. Battery health and range. Ask for an independent range or battery-health test; an out-of-warranty battery can cost more than the car.⁴
7. Battery size by model year. 2014-2016 cars have about 81 miles of EPA range, 2017-2018 about 107-114, and 2019-2021 about 153. DC fast charging was not standard on 2014 cars.⁴
8. Listen to the A/C compressor. Run the A/C on the test drive and listen for compressor noise.⁴

Service-history red flags

• Oil changes only at the long computer interval. Several guides advise changing oil more often than the onboard service indicator (CBS) suggests, especially with lots of city driving.^9,11
• Gaps in the records around known failure mileages. If the engine section below lists a job that usually comes due at the car's mileage, ask for the invoice. A missing record isn't proof it wasn't done, but it is a negotiating point.
• Tuned or "deleted" cars. Tunes, emissions deletes and removed parts complicate warranty claims and inspections and raise wear on turbo cars. Ask, and look for aftermarket intakes, downpipes and charge pipes.

I01 specs

BMW's US figures we have on file run from 170 hp (i3) to 170 hp (i3), with 0-60 mph as quick as 7.0 s.

No manual gearbox appears in the EPA listings for this chassis. Full I01 specs: every US engine, transmission and drive by year →

Coding

The coding apps' own lists show 126 settings that owners can change on the I01 with a phone and an OBD adapter, in areas such as Welcome Lights, Seat heating/cooling, Convenient opening/closing, Display options iDrive system, Headlight cleaning, Mirrors. 126 come from BimmerCode's list.

Full I01 coding list with tool, difficulty and caveats →

Ownership costs

Routine maintenance: oil service prices by engine size, published BMW Value Service prices (brakes, spark plugs) from 16 US dealers, and the I01 maintenance schedule.

By model year

Recalls and warranty extensions are counted when their published model-year range includes that year. Each one may cover only some cars, so check by VIN. Repairs counted are the ones whose engine was offered that year.

Production

Figures are copied as each source publishes them (retrieved October 18, 2026). "Sold" figures are BMW's reported sales, not production counts. Where we add numbers up, they come from one source. We leave out anything that hasn't been published.

Sources

1. BMW SI B61 20 16 on NHTSA
2. Wikipedia: BMW i3 (hatchback)
3. EPA/DOE fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov)
4. InsideEVs: BMW i3 used buyer's guide
5. NHTSA recall lookup by VIN
6. The Stable: E92 M3 buyer's guide
7. Euro Premium Parts: E60 M5 reliability guide
8. carsales: buying a used F30 3 Series (2015–20)
9. carsales: buying a used E90 3 Series
10. Road & Track: E46 M3 buyer's guide
11. Drive-My: E60 5 Series buying guide (six-cylinder petrol)

Retrieved 2026-10-18. Bulletins and recalls come from NHTSA filings; owner prices come from the public posts linked on each job page.

More for the I01

I01 repair costs and recalls I01 common problems I01 maintenance schedule Used BMW VIN check