We're used to seeing manufacturers issue recalls on their vehicles. Manufacturers such as BMW tend to recall thousands of vehicles for serious issues like fire risk, or issues so small that they only effect a single vehicle. BMW's latest recall effects every single i3 that has been sold in the US. According to InsideEVs, this accounts for around 30,000 vehicles. Not only will BMW recall all previously sold i3 models, but it will also issue a stop-sale on models that are sitting at dealerships. That means that it will be impossible to buy an i3 right now.

The issue seems like it has a low likelihood of happening, but BMW is taking it very seriously. According to the NHTSA, the problem is restricted to "5th percentile females" who are not wearing their seatbelt in a head-on collision. A 5th percentile female is around 5'0" and weighs 110 pounds or less. If this doesn't describe you, you shouldn't have to worry. In NHTSA testing, 5th percentile females suffered neck injuries that were higher than the acceptable limit when involved in a head-on collision. It doesn't sound like this issue should take long to resolve, but this does effect everyone who wants to buy an i3.

If you already own an i3, don't worry, your car is still safe to drive. Even if you do qualify as a 5th percentile female, just wear your seatbelt and you will be perfectly safe. Since wearing a seatbelt is mandatory in every state except New Hampshire, we don't think that this issue should have any real-world impact.