BMW i3 buyers guide (2013-2022) Avoid buying a broken BMW i3 or i3S (EV and REX)

BMW i3 reliability and Buyers guide for both EV and i3 REX as well as i3S. Avoid buying a cheap broken BMW i3 or i3S with our used review guide. Used BMW i3 in both i3 REX and i3 EV series can vary in price and reliability with common problems. With our guide you'll be best equipped to avoid the ones with expensive faults. The i3 is not out of production and will not have a successor and so used i3 models have gained interest recently. In some markets the i3 ended production in 2021 but parts of Europe continued until 2022. This buyer's guide covers the BMW i3 and sportier BMW i3S from years 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The issues discussed in our buyer's guide to the BMW i3 Series include trim rattles, faulty charge doors, and high voltage battery failure.

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Legal and disclaimer - Any content not originally created by The Miles Driven remains the property of the original owner and is editorialised for media reporting. All content is used within the confines of media reporting/editorial use and is transformative in nature to inform others with new information and content about cars and vehicles. We use no more of the original content than necessary in alignment with U.S copyright law for fair use and U.K fair dealing. We accept no liability for the purchase of vehicles using our guide and suggest thorough due diligence by individual professional inspections before making a buying decision.

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[Seubertronic]

I love my I3s because it still looks ultra modern and it's just BMW quality. You love this car or you hate it. I love it!

[craigchamberlain]

As a data point, we have a BEV i3 which we bought new in January 2017 and it has covered 82, 375 miles and still looks like new. It was serviced by BMW under a 5 year, £325 service plan but since then I have serviced it myself since it only needs a new cabin filter and brake fluid every 2 years. We had an LCD display and wheel speed sensor replaced under warranty and I have replaced all four brake discs and pads plus the front suspension top mounts and gaiters. We also had to have the electric AC compressor replaced by BMW at a cost of £2940 which was a bit painful at the time but for a 7 year old car, overall the cost of ownership has been very low. Recently I had to fix a break in the wiring to one of the rear parking sensors but that was pretty straightforward and cheap to fix.

Our i3 is my wife's daily driver and she absolutely loves it. It was originally my idea to buy the car and it was a bit of a risk and wasn't cheap, but it has worked out very well indeed. The cost to run it is around 2.5p/mile which is equivalent to a diesel car doing 280MPG. Our intention is to keep the car even beyond the 8 year drivetrain/battery warranty and we will just deal with any issues the car throws at us. Cosmetically the plastic outer body panels have worn extremely well, and the rest of the car is mostly aluminium and carbon fibre so should last well. The most recent MOT test was completed in 20mins but we had to wait another 25mins because the computer requires the test to take 45 mins. No fails and no advisories.

Great car, and a future classic.

[simonreeves]

Hi, greetings from Oxford. Generally I don’t buy my cars new, but I made an exception in 2019 and bought a brand new i3 (not S). I still have, and still love it. I’ve now covered over 40k miles in the car, it’s the 42kWh battery only version. My only expense has been a new set of tyres at 37k miles (I went for Continental’s over the factory Bridgestones, big improvement in tyre noise and comfort). I estimate I have saved £7k in petrol and servicing over my previous Mercedes C class estate. I’m saving for retirement, so intend to keep my i3 for many years to come. My only gripe is the ride quality is quite harsh. I like that the engineering is quite radical, with no steel body to rust.

[sfkeepay]

This channel is an excellent resource for everyone looking for a used car. Great work!

[badgastein]

A future classic car. Amazing acceleration and comfy seating. Ideal town car.

[MauaoMan]

Had my i3 for 7 years and still enjoy driving it

[Echoes]

Thank you. I’m considering an i3 REX 2016-17 model within my budget.

[plonkster]

Ah is amp hours. It's essentially the kWh number divided by the pack voltage.

[StockySnail]

Back in 2015 when I owned a 2014 BEV, the range in the winter when temperatures were closer to freezing was 60 miles and summer 80 miles. The original range estimates were ambitious to say the least.

[jacquierchristian]

La meilleure voiture électrique de BMW nous avons une i3s depuis 4 ans 90’000 km . 12kw/h aucun problème 1, 3 tonnes que du bonheur ✌️👏🙌

[CasperChicago]

If Tesla or BMW would build something like this it would be a hit. Everybody does not want or need a Truck or SUV just to get around the city. Most of us in the US live in cities and do not average more than 20 to 40 miles per day; 60 miles at the most. The i3 is an attractive small and efficient small car and it would not cost much to manufacture nor to maintain, ...maybe that is why BMW discontinued it? If the Chinese build something like the i3, it is game over in the US, the EU, India and Canada 👍🏾

[MrAlan]

we still have 3G connectivity here in Canada ulike the USA which took down the 3G network

[scottflagg]

On a test-drive/inspection, can one force the REX engine come on to check it's operation? On the US model. Especially in combination with recommendation to test-drive on an 80% or greater charge, to be able to judge battery health.

[thudR]

Since 3G is not supported anymore you cannot connect to the car via BMW app to control heating?

[noelnicholls]

Just looked at a 2015 Rex. 61, 000 miles for not much money. Shows 16 mile battery range on an 85% charge. So to “rebattery” would be necessary here in Texas. Even cities are too big for only that small a range. The range extender would be working every trip. If I wanted a motor bike (that’s what the range extender uses) I would buy one.
Takes eight battery pods and each one is $4, 000. That’s the small battery option, the big battery is $8, 000 each. So just who is going to buy a used electric vehicle with that in mind?

[peteroffpist]

Still love this car even if I drive a Tesla that still is superior. Go for the BEV models and the larger batteries 90ah or 120 ah.

[peteroffpist]

Our Tesla cars that are from 2014 and 2015 Model S have never been in for a normal service. Driven about 350.000 km each. Only tires, windshield wipers and cabin filters are regular, we have only changed brake pads once. That is it so that regular intervals is BS.

[davidguy]

I looked at and strongly considered this one but when you compare what you get, warranty, range and charging network Tesla wins hands down.