Cheap BMW i3 Brake Light Switch

Yes, the BMW i3 does have a brake light switch — it is fitted to all variants of the i3, including the standard battery-electric version and the Range Extender (REX) model with its small petrol engine, because all versions use a conventional brake pedal mechanism that requires a switch to signal braking to the car's systems and illuminate the brake lights. The switch is a genuine serviceable part and is available from breakers. So if you need one, you are looking for the right part for this car.

The BMW i3 was produced in one generation running from 2013 to 2022, with a notable facelift arriving around 2017 that brought visual updates and revised battery options, but the fundamental brake pedal assembly and its associated switch design remained broadly similar across the production run. That said, whether a switch from a pre-facelift car will interchange directly with a post-facelift car is something you should confirm with the breaker against your specific registration, as minor revisions to the pedal box or connector can occur across a production life without being tied to a named update. Give the breaker your reg and ask them to cross-reference the part number before buying.

Both the standard battery-electric i3 and the Range Extender model share the same fundamental brake pedal setup, so the brake light switch is not specific to the REX drivetrain. In practice the switch fitted to both variants is expected to be the same unit, but confirm the part number with the breaker against your registration to be certain, as BMW occasionally revises small electrical components during a production run.

Trim level does not affect brake light switch fitment on the i3 — whether your car is a base model, an upgraded specification, or a special edition such as the i3s (the sportier, wider-bodied variant with uprated motor and suspension), the brake pedal switch is not altered by trim or cosmetic specification. The i3s does have a different suspension and power setup, but the brake light switch itself is unaffected by those changes, so you can focus on the year and body of the car rather than the trim name when sourcing a used switch.

Year of manufacture can matter in practice even within a single-generation car like the i3, because BMW may revise small components such as switches and their connectors during the production life without a formal facelift announcement. The safest approach is to give the breaker your full registration number so they can match the part number to your specific car, rather than assuming any i3 switch will simply plug in and work.

It is unlikely that a switch from a conventional BMW petrol or diesel model such as the 3 Series will be a direct plug-and-play fit for the i3, because the i3 was built on a dedicated platform with a different pedal box design and electrical architecture compared to BMW's mainstream range. Some BMW-sourced components do share part numbers across models, so it is worth asking the breaker to cross-reference the part number against your i3's registration rather than assuming cross-model compatibility. Never fit a part solely on brand similarity without confirming it against your reg.