Used BMW i3 Radio

The BMW i3 ran from 2013 through to around 2022, with a notable facelift in 2017 that brought updates to the infotainment system, so a radio from a pre-2017 car may not be a straightforward swap into a post-2017 car and vice versa. Within the same pre- or post-facelift generation, radios are more likely to be compatible, but coding and software versions can still complicate things. Confirm the exact unit and generation with the breaker against your registration before buying.

A 2015 i3 is a pre-facelift model, while a 2018 i3 sits after the 2017 facelift, and BMW updated the infotainment hardware and software at that point, so these two units may not be directly interchangeable. Swapping across that 2017 boundary is possible in some cases but is not guaranteed, and coding to your car's VIN is often required regardless. Check with the breaker whether the specific head unit from the 2015 car has been confirmed to work in a post-facelift i3.

Trim and powertrain variants — including the Range Extender — do not affect radio fitment on the i3; the head unit location, size, and wiring are consistent across the range. You may find cosmetic differences such as a different fascia colour or finish around the unit depending on the interior spec of the donor car, but the radio itself is not trim-specific. As always, confirm the unit generation matches your car with the breaker.

Yes, this is worth checking — BMW i3 radios are typically VIN-coded to the original vehicle, meaning a used unit will usually need to be recoded or updated to work fully in your car. The breaker can tell you which unit they have, but recoding is generally a job for a BMW specialist or main dealer after fitment. Make sure you factor in that potential extra cost when getting quotes.

The radio head unit itself is the same part regardless of interior colour, so a unit pulled from a car with a different interior will fit mechanically in the same position. However, the surrounding trim panel or fascia that frames the radio may differ in colour or finish between interior specifications, so you may need your existing surround rather than the donor car's. Confirm with the breaker exactly what is included in the part they are quoting you.

The i3 is a relatively specialist electric vehicle so used units do appear at breakers but may be less common than mainstream models — using a marketplace like Findapart to get quotes from multiple dismantlers is the most efficient approach. When contacting breakers, give them your full registration, the current radio part number if you can find it (usually on a sticker on the unit itself), and whether your car is pre- or post-2017 facelift. This will help them match the correct unit and advise on coding requirements.