IllustrationLOST POWER STEERING AS I WAS LEAVING MY HOUSE, MAKING CAR VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THINKING I HAD A FLAT TIRE, I TURNED AROUND AND RETURNED HOME. SHUT DOWN THE CAR, CHECKED THE TIRES (THEY WERE FINE), RESTARTED IT, AND POWER STEERING RETURNED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN A FEW DAYS.
2019 BMW I3
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all I3 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 13 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
13 reportsON THE WAY BACK HOME FROM WORK, STEERING FELT QUITE HEAVY AND IT KEPT PULLING TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE. I INITIALLY THOUGHT I HAD A FLAT TIRE BUT THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS NORMAL. DRIVING BACK HOME ON FREEWAY FELT VERY UNSAFE AS IT WAS QUITE UNSTEADY AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 30MPH
STEERING HAS BEEN NORMAL UNTIL NOW. SUDDENLY ON TWO OCCASIONS AFTER STOPPING AT A LIGHT IT WAS HARD TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. STEERING FELT AS IF TIRE PRESSURE WAS LOW. PRESSURE WAS NOT LOW. THIS IS FIRST TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED. DISCOVERED THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT ON INTERNET SEARCHES. HAVE NOT DRIVEN I3 AGAIN SINCE INCIDENT.
Official recalls
119V599000 · Electrical System; Hybrid Propulsion System
Aug 14, 2019
BMW 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A shut down of high-voltage electrical power would result in a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Hybrid Propulsion System
BMW 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.
Consequence: A shut down of high-voltage electrical power would result in a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW 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.
Electrical System
BMW 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.
Consequence: A shut down of high-voltage electrical power would result in a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
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 matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.