2020 BMW i3 Range Extender S

Showing the 2020 i3 Range Extender S: EPA's i3s with Range Extender (0.6 L, RWD). Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy

31 mpgcombined; city 30, highway 31; the Range Extender S; plug-in hybrid versions on gasoline, 100 MPGe on electricity

Five years of fuel

$13,250EPA's own estimate for plug-in hybrids: its national gasoline and electricity prices and the share of miles it expects on electricity; not priced for any state; the Range Extender S; fuel only, 15,000 miles a year

NHTSA overall safety rating

Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year

Recall campaigns

0none on file

Owner complaints

0filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2020 i3. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

• Range Extender 0.6 L, RWD
• Range Extender S 0.6 L, RWD
• S seen with 0.6 L

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 0 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 i3. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

1. 201476
2. 201547
3. 201633
4. 201753
5. 201814
6. 201913
7. 20200
8. 20210

Every i3 year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2020 i3. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 40 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2020 i3, the latest on Jul 10, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (16), equipment (10), engine and engine cooling (5), steering (5), visibility (4).

NHTSA defect investigations

Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2020 i3.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: subcompact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

Swipe the table sideways for more columns.

Sources and dates

• U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
• NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
• U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data