2014 BMW i3 Rex problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 BMW i3 Rex. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 11 | 50% |
| Engine | 7 | 32% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 27% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 23% |
| Steering | 3 | 14% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 14% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 9% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 5% |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 11 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 21 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 5,984 miles (middle 50% between 2,100 and 33,100 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2014 BMW I3 Hybrid. The contact stated that after charging the vehicle overnight the next morning the vehicle climate control was activated and moments later smoke was present inside the vehicle coming from the front passenger side air vent. After exiting the vehicle flames were seen coming from the…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 24, 2023
“The car, while driving on a 2 lane road, ceased it operation announcing it had drive train failure. Luckily I was slowing for a light, as the steering and brakes also became unresponsive. The car could be manually turned off (the remaining functions and power off). It then could be turned back on and driven. In other…”
Power Train · filed Apr 3, 2019
“Assisted steering is working intermittently and incorrectly identifying straight. Happens occasionally when driving, causing driver to have to adjust steering direction. Safety issue that could lead to accidents.”
Steering · filed Apr 3, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
11 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2014 BMW i3 Rex. The 10 most recent:
The electrical system of BMW vehicles has been subject to an ongoing development process over the last few years. This has led to increased demands being placed on the battery. This document covers important information…
B611305 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 11, 2024
The vehicle may exhibit any of the following at very low State of Charge (SOC) ? less than 8%: - Power loss or high voltage system shutdown while running range extender (REx). - Inconsistent performance of the REx. -…
B612016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 5, 2017
Bmw model i01( i3 and i3rex): bulletin information replacing faulty convenience charging electronics (kle) could cause increased vehicle charging times. *lj
SI B613114 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2014
Bmw: monitor of isolation resistance to ensure separation of hv+ or hv- and vehicle ground and not let it drop below predetermined threshold, causing drivetrain malfunction check control message (ccm) to appear and not…
SIB-61-36-14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2014
Bmw: vehicle programmed; actual range vehicle capable of achieving to full charge not changed due to instrument cluster showing range lower than prior update of software. *pe
SIB-61-35-14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2014
Bmw: level 2 charge will cause vehicle to increase charging time due to convenience charging electronics (kle), with faulty fitted capacitor. *pe
SIB-61-31-14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2014
Bmw i01(i3 and i3 rex) : information regarding cause of high-voltage battery stop charging, in some cases the battery will not charge above 34% even out of transport mode. *lj
SI B61 29 14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2014
Bmw i01(i3 and i3 rex: information regarding customer concerns of intermittent charging failures or no charging at all. *lj
SI B61 28 14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2014
Bmw: high voltage battery fails to charge above certain state when performing vehicle pdi and causes led ring around charge port to blink red. *pe
SIB-61-29-14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2014
Bmw: with drivetrain malfunction message displayed and service engine soon, engine can go into reduced power mode, due to engine position management (epm) unfavorable parameters in dme software. *pe
SIB-12-26-14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2014
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2014 BMW i3 Rex in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2014 BMW i3 Rex?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 5,984 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.