2017 BMW i3 problems, recalls and owner complaints

The rear backup camera view in the screen is completely overridden in reverse, by a tire pressure warning when a tire is low or there is another TPMS fault. It requires using the rotary dial to clear the message before the function of the backup camera is restored. Also, if the rear hatch is unlatched by mistake (easy to do with the i3 key fob design) the rear camera, which is located in the rear bumper, is completely disabled.

My 2017 i3 has a deteriorating roof. The roof, which is made of carbon fiber, is peeling and pieces are breaking off. This has also led to the interior upholstery of my roof to peel and sag. I am worried moisture will be let into my car, creating a mold issue. I contacted BMW and my extended warranty and they did not want to cover anything. They said this was normal wear and tear and they would not help me. From my understanding this is a much larger issue with all i3 models. I am also having a very hard time finding a body shop that will fix this for me. I have contacted several and they…

The carbon fiber roof panel is starting to delaminate and I am concerned that pieces could fly off and cause an accident.

Summary On September 30, 2025, the passenger in a 2017 BMW i3 REX was involved in a severe frontal collision with a Gas Company Utility Vehicle. The impact struck the driver’s side extending toward the passenger side, causing the vehicle to spin violently and nearly flip. The passenger reports seatbelt failure with excessive slack, leading to partial ejection from the seat, mid-thigh restraint, and collision with the steering wheel. The head lodged under the steering column, resulting in loss of consciousness and a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) with ongoing neurological issues. Only the…

There was an electrical fault in the door handle, specifically for the comfort access function circuit inside the handle itself. There was smoke and extreme heat. Luckily no fire started, before the battery was disconnected. Our understanding is, this is a known problem with the circuit board having corrosion and creating a short, but no recall exists.

The vehicle has just over 35000 miles of light normal use as a second family vehicle. It developed a loud grinding noise from the etransmission that quickly progressed to a vibration. It was taken to BMW Seattle where it was diagnosed as a known issue of the main transmission bearings disintegrating due to the effect of the permanent magnet motors on the metal roller bearings. The bearings were quietly modified by BMW for the 2019 model year due to this in an effort to mitigate the problem and subsequently BMW abandoned the permanent magnet motor technology due to this . This information was…

The car turned off while driving and presented a "drivetrain" error message. The car lost power but I was able to safely steer to the side of the road. Car was taken to BMW dealer and a diagnostic test was performed. Was informed that the EME (Electric Motor Electronics) Module was bad and would need to be replaced. The car is 5 years old and has 31,700 miles and has never been in an accident. The estimate to replace the EME was $7,000

I had just turned on the car a few minutes prior to the incident and I was approaching an intersection to turn left onto a 2-lane highway. As I made the left turn, the steering felt wrong like the car was over then under steering. I was able to straighten out, and I felt like the power steering had failed. A quarter mile down the road, I turned left into a gas station, and I could feel the heaviness of the steering. It felt exactly like if the power steering was deactivated. I came to a stop, turn off fans, rolled the window down, and turned the steering wheel to see if there were any odd…

ROADS WERE CLEAR BUT EDGES SLUSHY. TEMP WAS 27 DEGREES.DROVE 2 MILES AT 40ISH MPH TO STARBUCKS, GOT COFFEE. NORMAL REAR WHEEL DRIVE TRACTION ISSUES WHEN CHANGING LANES, ETC. I WAS DRIVING CAREFULLY AND ABOUT 5 MPH UNDER WHAT EVERYONE ELSE WAS DOING. ABOUT A MILE AWAY FROM THE COFFEE DRIVE THROUGH, I CHANGED LANES (RIGHT TO LEFT) OVER A PILE OF SLUSH...NORMAL MILD TRACTION ISSUES. WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND HAD "RECOVERED" WHEN SUDDENLY MORE YELLOW TRACTION WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON (ONE ON DRIVERS CONTROL PANEL, ONE ON THE INFO PANEL)...READING IT LATER, IT SAID TO DRIVE GENTLY, THE TRACTION…

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN ECO PRO PLUS MOOD. WHILE SPEED IS ABOVE 56MPH THE VEHICLE WILL SOMTIMES AUTOMATICALLY BREAK TO 56 MPH. WHEN IN CRUISE CONTROL THIS SEEMS TO HAPPENED WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS DISENGAGED EVERY TIME. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFTY CONCERN ESPECIALLY WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE BUT THE CAR WILL IGNORE MY INPUT AND CONTINUE TO DEACCELERATE TO THE ECONOMY PRO PLUS 56 SPEED.

A DAY AFTER THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE. WHILE DRIVING ON I 95 WITH RANGE EXTENDER, NOTICED THE DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION ALERT WITH RAPID DECELERATION NEEDING TO PULL TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER QUICKLY. BMW ASSIST TOOK THE CAR TO THE NEAREST BMW DEALER, WHO SAID IT WAS LACK OF ELECTRIC CHARGE, PLUGGED THE CAR IN CHARGER AND GAVE IT TO ME TO HEAD BACK HOME TOWN. FEW DAYS LATER THE PROBLEM AGAIN RECURRED. NOW THE CAR IS AT THE DEALER IN HOME TOWN.

THERE IS RAPID ACCELERATION WHILE TAKING FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION GOING UP HILL. ANTILOCK BRAKES SLOW TO ENGAGE ON STEEP DECLINES AND APPROACHING A STOP SIGN. THERE IS TOO MUCH POWER TO THE REAR WHEEL, THE CAR SKIDS ON PAINTED SURFACES SUCH AS CROSS WALKS AND PAINTED YIELD SIGNS ON ROAD SURFACES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A FULL STOP. THE WHEELS SPIN ON CROSSWALK PAINT. THE CAR HAS A BUILT IN GYROSCOPE AND PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN STARTING FROM A PARKED POSITION AFTER PARKED FOR SEVERAL DAYS ON A HILL. THE PULLING CONTINUES FOR SEVERAL BLOCKS. THE CAR NEEDS A NEW SET OF TIRES…