Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Registered new in Europe in 2018
1,343 new BMW i8 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2018; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (503), Germany (454), Belgium (117).
- Average mass
- 1,616 kg
- Average CO₂
- 51 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 162 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol/electric 99% · Petrol 0.6%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
In the Netherlands
46 first registered in 2018 are on Dutch roads; 30% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €170,292.
Most common APK defects
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm13
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld11
- Band onvoldoende profiel8
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde6
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage4
- Koplamp met afwijkend lichtbeeld onjuist afgesteld2
- Waarschuwingsinrichting controlesysteem bandenspanning geeft1
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbagsysteem geeft defect aan1
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
328 cars built in 2018 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 51 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 378 of these cars first registered in 2018 took their annual MOT test. 90% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2018 the figure was 84%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.6% | 4.0% |
| Visibility | 1.6% | 3.6% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.8% | 0.2% |
| Brakes | 0.5% | 2.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 0.3% | 0.6% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
15 of these cars first registered in 2018 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 62,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
2 2018 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2018 BMW i8.
| 2024544 15 Aug 2024 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the tire and loading information label does not list that there is no spare tire in both official languages. The label reads as "N… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2018 BMW i8.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What BMW told its dealers about the 2018 BMW i8: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10249027 | 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 for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. |
| 10249018 | At low outside temperatures (below 40 degrees F) and slow driving speeds (i.e. when parking, maneuvering)with a large steering angle, the front end can be slightly axially misaligned. This can be felt (jerking)/ heard via an acoustic acknowledgement (clunk) as seen at the 11 second mark of the video. See attached video V36 01 21. |
| 10214256 | The quick disconnect coupling on the cylinder head coolant vent line could break at the cylinder head. This would lead to loss of coolant from the engine. |
| 10174030 | VEHICLE SOUND GENERATOR IS DIFFERENT AND LOUDER AFTER PROGRAMMING: Vehicles sound is different and louder after programming to an Integration level (I-level) between I001-1911-500 and I001-19-11-556. Software in the Vehicle Sound Generator (VSG). |
| 10145338 | THE DISPLAY GOES BLACK, VEHICLE DOESNT START AGAIN AFTER SWITCHING THE ENGINE OFF.: On board computer and navigation system goes black or resets. |
| 10145336 | SERVICE ACTION: CHECKING AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACING CONVERTIBLE TOP LOCKING BASE PLATE: The knurled bolts on the convertible top locking base plates may not have been installed correctly on the cowl panel. |
| 10145334 | CREAKING NOISE FROM FRONT SEAT CUSHION: A creaking noise, as demonstrated in video https://tinyurl.com/V520118 , can be heard from the vicinity of the front seat cushion (Foam padding). |
| 10145328 | PROPER COOLANT BLEEDING PROCEDURE (I12): One or more of the following Check Control (CC) messages are displayed: |
| 10145305 | DWA (ANTI-THEFT ALARM SYSTEM) - FALSE ALARM ACTIVATION: The alarm (DWA) system of the vehicle is being triggered accidentally. |
| 10143569 | BMW ONLINE NON-FUNCTIONAL: CHECK ICC-ID IN ACCOUNT: BMW Online/BMW ConnectedDrive not functional. |
| 10135031 | ERRONEOUS WHEEL SPEED SENSORS PLAUSIBILITY FAULTS DIAGNOSIS |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation