| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2015 BMW i3 repairs by problem area
Engine (40%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (0%)
Brakes and Traction Control (2%)
Suspension and Steering (4%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (44%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (2%)
Other (8%)
Select a problem area
- Engine
- Brakes and Traction Control
- Suspension and Steering
- Electrical and Air Conditioning
- Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim
- Other
Chart based on 48 repairs.
2015 BMW i3 electrical repair cost distribution
$2500+ (0%)
$1000 - $2499 (0%)
$500 - $999 (0%)
$100 - $499 (0%)
< $100 (100%)
Chart based on 15 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2015 BMW i3 4dr Hatch
168-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD
| 3100 mi | Brought in for heating/cooling compressor noise. Motor mount bolts recall, but needed also mounts as the bolts had bent. |
| 34000 mi | Recirculation Light (manual) not illuminating, Passenger side seat heater light flickers when turned on, eventually stops flickering. |
| 6000 mi | AC compressor suffered catastrophic failure. Metal shavings/debris sent throughout system, causing entire system to be replaced (all valves, hoses, etc.) to properly fix. Long delay waiting for parts. |
| 7320 mi | 12 volt battery defective. Replaced when car brought in for oil and filter change. |
2015 BMW i3 4dr Hatch
168-horsepower Electric + Gas 1-speed automatic RWD
| 15000 mi | 12V battery charging system was mis-diagnosed as larger EV battery problem. When actual problem was determined, repair was quick but car was in shop for 10 days plus lost for one day by recovery service! |
| 13135 mi | Rear view camera was flaky and was replaced by the dealer |
| 3500 mi | Reverse camera stopped working - replaced by dealer with new camera as unsure what was the cause. No further problem |
| 4640 mi | Drivers airbag fault, replaced under warranty |
| 38000 mi US $2440 |
Airbag module high resistance fault per TSB: SI B65 18 16, warning light came on. Cleared code several times and it kept coming back. Brought to dealer and they found harness had broken behind Driver's steering wheel airbag. BMW says that harness can't be replaced individually, so they had to replace whole airbag (which BMW calls "airbag module"). Interestingly my extended warranty text explicitly covers "airbag module" even though it also says it doesn't cover Airbags or Safety Restraint Systems. After calling warranty company to point this out they agreed and paid. Driver's seat heater failed (at first seemed weaker, then started turning itself off after 5-10 minutes). Needed replacement. |
| 20000 mi | Fuel door opener. Still not fixed. |
| 13000 mi | A/c system failure. Dealer has attempted to repair 2 times with no success. Currently parts are on order to try again |
| 13000 mi | A/C System failure. Parts on backorder from Germany caused long delay. BMW was very good and offered loaner car during this period of time. |
| 3300 mi | Airbag failure warning light- replaced airbag wiring harness with new design. |
| 6360 mi | The fuel flap failed to open once so I had to pull the manual release cable (common i3 problem). I reported this to the dealer so they could reset the fuel pressure sensor and check the cable. |
| 6600 mi | Wiring in driver heated seats system short circuited, causing malfunction and internal damage to seat cushion. |
| 1000 mi | Backup camera stopped working; screen displayed black video, video with red lines. Backup camera determined faulty and replaced |
| 8000 mi | Rear view camera was loose |
| 18000 mi | The climate control panel would go blank during hot weather |
| 23000 mi | Driver's SRS malfunction. Dealer determined the driver's airbag was faulty Replaced the airbag and issue was resolved. passenger airbag reprogramming recall. |
See TrueDelta's information for all Hatchbacks
See TrueDelta's information for all BMW models.
