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2019 BMW i3

ElectricPlug-in hybrid

Subcompact Cars
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns1

Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA13

Crash ratingNHTSA overall—

EV rangebest configuration, EPA153 mi

Fuel economybest combined, EPA31 mpg

2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2019 BMW i3 is sold in the U.S. as a electric and plug-in hybrid compact car with 4 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the i3, is EPA-rated at 153 miles with 113 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 13 complaints, most often about the electrical system.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Range	kWh/100mi	Charge (240V)	Annual fuel*
i3	Electric	RWD	125 kW AC Induction	124	102	113 MPGe	153 mi	29.8	5 h	$650
i3s	Electric	RWD	135 kW AC Induction	124	102	113 MPGe	153 mi	29.8	5 h	$650
i3 with Range Extender	Plug-in hybrid	RWD	0.6L 2-cyl + 125 kW AC Induction	30	31	31 (86 MPGe blended)	126 mi electric	32	7 h	$2,500
i3s with Range Extender	Plug-in hybrid	RWD	0.6L 2-cyl + 135 kW AC Induction	30	31	31 (86 MPGe blended)	126 mi electric	32	7 h	$2,500

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 41054, 41055, 41211, 41212.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Electrical System

139 vehicles

ProblemBMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019 i3 BEV, i3 REx, and i8 vehicles. A circuit board problem within the Electric Motor Electronics (EME) module may shutdown the supply of high-voltage electrical power.RiskA shut down of high-voltage electrical power would result in a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.FixBMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EME module, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

NHTSA campaign 19V599000reported Aug 14, 2019BMW of North America, LLC

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 matt

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

13complaints filed

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

Filed per year: 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 2

Most-cited components

Electrical System6

Steering4

Power Train3

Fuel/Propulsion System2

Unspecified2

Engine2

What owners describe

“The car has lost power on the highway multiple times and gone into Limp mode with no warnings on the dashboard. The Rex engine has failed to start as well. Very dangerous on the highway going 20 mph trying to make the next exit. The car has been back to the BMW dealer multiple times (over 2.5 months at the dealer ) wit…”Jul 21, 2026 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report

“This is an electric vehicle. I experienced a sudden loss of all power while traveling on the interstate in heavy traffic. I nearly lost control of the vehicle as it would not respond to my inputs. I had to cross two lanes of dense interstate traffic to get to a safe area to pull over and it was terrifying because the c…”May 11, 2026 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report

“In early September, a "driver retention system" error appeared the dash display of my '19 i3. I searched the issue on line and tried but failed to resolve it. A few weeks later, the seat belt alarm stopped going off when the belt was clasped. At this point, I had no choice but bring it in for a fix. The dealer advised …”Oct 22, 2025 · Seat Belts · NHTSA owner report

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.

Other i3 model years

2021 BMW i3

0 recalls · 0 complaints

2020 BMW i3

0 recalls · 0 complaints

2018 BMW i3

3 recalls · 14 complaints

2017 BMW i3

3 recalls · 51 complaints

2016 BMW i3

2 recalls · 33 complaints

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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

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

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