BMW i4 Complaints

79 consumer complaints on file.

#11610800August 26, 2024
POWER TRAIN
While driving on the right lane of [XXX] I received a notification on the screen stating "DRIVE TRAIN: FAULT PULL OVER FOR SAFETY" and just as I attempted to turn the steering wheel to enter the shoulder lane of the highway, the car stopped. I was stuck in the right lane of the highway with cars and huge semi trucks swerving around me at 60+ MPH while I was on the phone trying to get help from roadside assistance BMW and 911. I was unable to start the car or put it in neutral to even try to move it off the road. I climbed out of the passenger side of the car to get far away from the car until the state police arrived. Officer K. Kelly of Elizabeth NJ state police arrived after a few minutes and blocked traffic behind me with his police lights and called a tow truck for me because I was also unable to locate where I was to call one to my location. I had to have the car towed off the highway, then call a town truck again to have it towed to the dealer. I can understand if this was an issue and I was stuck at home in my driveway, but in the middle of the highway and not allowing me a chance to turn off into the shoulder for safety is UNACCEPTABLE. I am contacting BMW North America as well and going to further escalate this matter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11609217August 18, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The door to access the charging port stopped opening leaving me stranded unable to get home or to a dealer for repair. If this happened on a highway I would be terrified
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11596943June 26, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car when when my spouse was pulling in parking spot at local hospital suddenly accelerated. I did brake which didnt work and car flew across 2 parking lanes and landed in 3rd lane. Luckily there was no vehicles or persons crossing in the path of sudden acceleration. She has driven similar gas BMW 335 i for last 12 years. She has been driving this car i4 for last 11 months. Car towed to the dealer in Chattanooga and I have informed them to look into it and also check with BMW USA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11594230June 13, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
While approaching a T-intersection from a side street into a main road, the car was brought to a full stop at the stop sign near the intersection with my foot on the brake pedal. Suddenly, the vehicle launched, on its own, into full acceleration onto the main street. Luckily, there were no traffic or pedestrians on its path. I tried to control the vehicle and placed it into the lane, pressed the brakes to control speed. At this point, the vehicle came back under control. Had been traffic on its path, it would have led to a serious injury. There were no warning lamps or messages shown on the dash board. No police report was filed. The car brought, the very next day, to the dealer who has engaged the BMW national service group. After approximately a month, they responded with what appears to be a form letter not addressing the subject of complaint, saying that no faults were found. The vehicle was driven only for less than 700 miles prior to the incident. The vehicle can be made available to NHTSA for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589917May 21, 2024
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
As I was driving my car into the main avenue out of a parking lot, the car stalled and lost all power, the charge went from 57% to 0% and the power train failure warning came on the dashboard and a high voltage warning as well. The incoming traffic had to stop since I could not move the car, so I had to turn power off and power back and only then the car started to move slowly, the battery charge went up only to 37% and both warnings were displayed on the dashboard (high voltage warning and power train failure) with a message that said that it was OK to drive the car to a dealership to get the car checked.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11586013April 30, 2024
TIRES
I believe the tire size is 245 R40 19. The tires interior seams on both rear tires are coming apart. Car has just passed 21K miles, and is driven very carefully. No pothole damage either.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11583837April 18, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SUSPENSION
Mechanical failure on the car air suspension especially on back left of the car. Car parked overnight and it automatically lowered and driving it out of the drive way there was no error that popped out on low suspension until driving out of drive way. That caused the scratch on left side under carriage. Dealer refused to run diagnostics to determine true cause of issue until we pay for the diagnosis although this car is newly purchased and covered under warranty period. Dealer is trying to put the blame on me although it is a malfunction with the cars air suspension. Read that this problem happens to i4’s often on forums and I don’t feel safe driving the car until this issue is resolved but I’m unable to proceed without proper diagnosis from BMW service.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11578573March 20, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The mount of the accelerator pedal of the car at the bottom broke off while driving, and the pedal fell to the left and got lodged behind the break pedal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11575181March 3, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Vehicle accelerated on its own as i was pulling into garage. Causing damage to the car, to my other parked car and house.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11571923February 14, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
This is the second time the brakes failed on this vehicle. The first incident, occurring as I pulled into my garage, in May 2023, was investigated by BMW North America and the vehicle was deemed to have no defect and to be safe to drive. The second incident occurred on [XXX]. The car was traveling approximately 15-25 mph on a collector road between [XXX] in downtown Los Angeles. The car immediately in front of me applied its brakes and when I applied my brake pedal the vehicle did not respond and my car did not slow down. I did not see any sort of warning lamp on the dashboard. I hit the car immediately in front of me and that car hit the car in front of it. My airbags deployed. The car called emergency services. No one was injured. My vehicle is now being examined by BMW North America. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11567649January 24, 2024
SUSPENSION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving down a residential street with cars parked on both sides. My car stopped very suddenly because the passenger side front tire was pierced and flattened by something on the road. Almost simultaneously the car began to oscillate or jolt from side to side and hit a car parked on my driver’s side very hard and then oscillated back to a parallel position. This is a known problem on the i4 edrive community website. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11566379January 18, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This is an electric vehicle. The affected part is called a heat changeover value - this value controls the coolant that is used by the car to keep the drive battery cool. The valves have a problem with leaks and when they leak, the car should not be driven out of safety concern. The main battery could overheat causing a fire/explosion. My vehicle experienced this issue and was undrivable for approx. 30 days. There are several Facebook and Reddit groups reporting this problem from all over the world. While my vehicle was at the dealer for the repair, this dealer had another vehicle like mine with the same issue along with another BMW electric vehicle, different model, same issue. From what I understand the parts are being replaced but not with a redesigned part. This also seems to be impacting more than just 2023 vehicle model years.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557688November 30, 2023
POWER TRAIN, STEERING
My 2023 electric BMW i4 was driving normally on the evening of 11/29/2023. I was near the end of a 30 minute commute when a drivetrain error popped on the screen followed by an error that said "increased steering effort." Within seconds of those messages, without any physical signs of an issue, the car completely lost all power and steering and abruptly stopped in the middle of the street. As the car abruptly broke down, it went into park. It was so abrupt that there wasn't even time to pull over or coast to a safer area. I was stopped in the middle of the street. I couldn't restart the car nor could I shift the car into neutral. The car required a tow to the dealership. This is a SERIOUS safety issue. Had I been on a busier street or highway and suddenly lost all power and steering, I could have gravely injured myself and others. The vehicle has since been inspected by the local service center. They said there is a manufacturing defect with the copper brushes in the electric engine. They said the fix is to disassemble the motor to perform a labor-intensive cleaning. However, what is to prevent this issue from happening again? Especially since no parts are being replaced according to BMW. A car breaking down is one thing. A car abruptly stopping and losing all power and steering is an unacceptable failure. I am scared to drive this car ever again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557412November 29, 2023
STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I recently had an accident with the car. I was driving in a gated subdivision under very low speed, when I put the shifter in reverse in order to back up the car, the car failed to go into reverse and gave no warning, I assumed that the car was in reserve mode and tried to accelerate , the car lurched forward instead, hit some rocks and stopped. We requested BMW engineering team to inspect the car. they failed to identify any issue with the shifter or explain why the shifter did not go into reverse and gave no warning when it happened
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545371September 19, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, STEERING
The contact owns a 2023 BMW I4. The contact stated while reversing, the drive train malfunction warning light illuminated. The contact proceeded with his commute however, the steering warning light illuminated, and the vehicle shifted into park independently. There were several messages displayed on the infotainment screen, and the contact was unable to shift the vehicle back into drive. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 16,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11544923September 16, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I encountered the safety issue on a test drive. The VIN which I supplied is typical of this model. The design of the gear selector lever makes it easy to inadvertently and unintentionally shift into Reverse, when Drive or Neutral is desired. A single click of the lever can engage either Reverse or the desired gear, depending on the engagement status of the brake pedal and the speed of the car. There is no Reverse gear lockout button, a standard safety feature on other vehicles. I almost backed into the vehicle behind me, when a red traffic light turned green. When the brake pedal is untouched, a single upward click of the selector lever engages a shift from Braking (B) mode, to Drive (D) mode. I had stopped for the red light in Brake (B) mode, and desired to shift into Drive (D) mode. I clicked the lever upward one time, while holding the brake pedal down. Unbeknownst to me, Reverse was engaged. A similar condition occurs when attempting to shift from Drive (D) mode into Neutral (N) mode. In normal driving, a single upward click of the lever engages Neutral, to allow (for example) coasting up to a red light without engaging regenerative braking. When stopped with the brake pedal depressed, that same single upward click engages Reverse gear. This condition could be remedied by: - Providing a reverse lockout button. - Altering the control algorithm to ensure that gears are sequentially engaged (R-N-D-B) with each click of the lever. The current algorithm skips different gears in the sequence, based on the rolling status of the car and the position of the brake pedal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11540956August 26, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Sudden acceleration when entering an open parking space, causing the car to hit two vehicles and causing extensive damage to my and the other vehicles. Safety of others would have been at risk as the accelerations was unintended and unexpected and if people were present they would have been in danger. The vehicle is currently at dealership for examination of unintended acceleration and accident. No warning of sudden acceleration nor any issue with car prior to accident. Air bags were not activated. Police contacted but since noninjury no report filed.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11535935August 1, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle is an EV (platform G26) and charger flap door was locked and would not open. Problem is similar to problem reported on NHTSA for BMW vehicles for "fuel filler door will not open", SIB 51 27 20. Safety issue is vehicle can not be charged and creates risk for driver and passengers being stranded. Older BMW vehicles had an emergency release but new models eliminated this feature. Vehicle was taken to dealership for repair and item know as cover pot defect was confirmed and replaced. Requested confirmation that replacement part addressed root cause but dealership would not offer any assurances.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11534481July 25, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
I am writing to file a formal complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding a serious safety issue with my recently purchased 2023 BMW i4. The incident involves a brake malfunction that occurred just two weeks after the purchase, posing a severe risk to my safety and potentially the safety of other road users. On 07/11/, while driving my newly acquired BMW i4, I experienced an alarming brake failure, which almost resulted in a collision with another vehicle. Fearing for my life and the lives of others, I immediately took the car to the authorized BMW service center in Fremont for immediate inspection and repair. Regrettably, it has now been over a week since I dropped off my car at the service center, and it remains unrepaired. The service center personnel informed me that they need to order a brake boost from Germany, but I am deeply troubled to learn that there is still no estimated time of arrival for this critical part. Consequently, I am left without a functional vehicle and potentially exposed to further brake-related hazards. This incident raises serious concerns about the safety and reliability of BMW's brake system in the 2023 i4 model. I find it unacceptable that a reputable automotive manufacturer like BMW does not have the necessary spare parts readily available for essential safety components like brakes. Furthermore, I am disappointed by the lack of transparency and communication from BMW throughout this ordeal. The uncertainty surrounding the repair process has caused significant distress and inconvenience, adding to the already harrowing experience. Given the gravity of the brake malfunction and the prolonged delays in repairs, I believe it is imperative for the NHTSA to investigate this matter thoroughly. The potential risks posed by a brake system failure are a matter of utmost concern and warrant immediate attention and action.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11530312July 4, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car is brand new and does not connect to a level 3 charger. BMW service has no idea how to fix.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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