BMW iX Complaints (2024)

34 consumer complaints on file.

#11773334October 23, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
My BMW experienced repeated drivetrain, chassis, rollaway and other electronic malfunction warnings. After the warnings appeared, the vehicle behaved unpredictably. On multiple occasions, after I released the brake pedal, the vehicle unexpectedly increased speed rather than slowing. On other occasions, while traveling approximately 55 mph, it suddenly slowed to about 20 mph, and pressing the accelerator firmly did not restore speed. These incidents created a serious collision risk, including while transporting my four young children. The vehicle was taken to BMW of Bloomington for inspection and repair. The dealership contacted a BMW engineer and described the warning messages and abnormal acceleration and deceleration. According to the dealership, the engineer directed its technicians to an existing BMW technical service bulletin concerning an electrical connector associated with the accelerator pedal wiring. The dealership replaced that connector and told me the repair was expected to resolve the drivetrain, chassis, rollaway and other warnings. BMW has not yet returned the vehicle. The dealership plans to keep it for several days and drive approximately 100 miles to check whether warnings or drivability problems recur. The repair's effectiveness is not yet confirmed. I do not know whether the replaced component is available for inspection or whether the exact cause of the speed changes has been established. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this connector or related wiring could affect accelerator signals or other vehicle systems, whether BMW has received similar reports, and whether the bulletin identifies a broader safety issue. The unexpected speed changes following multiple warnings posed a serious safety hazard even if the current repair ultimately resolves the symptoms.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765255September 18, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
The Parking Assistant malfunctioned. When Parking Assistant took over the vehicle, it reversed too quickly and slammed into an EV charger, causing damage to the rear of my vehicle and the EV charger. The rear cameras did not detect the fixed EV charger.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755998August 10, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Date and Time: XXX at approximately 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Location: Northbound [XXX]. Vehicle: 2024 BMW iX. Occupants: Driver and driver’s son. Weather/Road Conditions: Very hot and Sunny, in the 97-degree temperature; gusting winds at about 17-miles/hr; the vehicle was traveling at normal highway speed. Incident Description: My son and I were returning home from Wine Valley Golf Club, located at [XXX]. I was driving northbound on [XXX] at approximately 60 mph. A large dump truck approached and passed in the opposite southbound lane at an estimated similar speed. As the vehicles passed, the air displacement and wind gust from the dump truck caused my vehicle to shake noticeably. Instantly at the same time, I heard a loud popping sound from the rear upper portion of my vehicle. Looking behind me, I saw that the rear upper exterior body trim had detached and was lying in the roadway. Immediate Response and Safety Actions: I reduced speed, pulled over when it was safe to do so, and stopped the vehicle. After assessing the situation, I safely turned around and traveled southbound toward the location where the trim had detached. I activated the vehicle’s emergency flashers and stopped on the highway shoulder near the debris. I then retrieved the detached trim from the northbound travel lane. No collision occurred, and neither occupant reported an injury. However, entering the roadway to retrieve the part exposed both my son and me to a serious safety risk from passing traffic. Vehicle Damage and Suspected Cause: The rear upper exterior body trim is detached from the vehicle and requires inspection and repair. The trim separated during normal highway operation without contact from another vehicle or object. Because the part detached immediately after wind pressure from a passing dump truck and there was no collision, I am concerned that the failure may be 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
#11736832May 10, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Recently purchased used iX and successfully used the Parking Assistant Professional about a dozen times to back into my home garage using 5-point maneuver (driveway layout visible from aerial photo from address provided with report; drove in straight passed spot on garage’s left side looking in, other SUV parked in right spot, back into perpendicular spot in garage). After recording a new 3-point path, I tried it for the first time. During that attempt, the SUV suddenly reversed too fast to stop before crashing into another car in the garage. The vehicle initially followed the recorded path, then paused during first reverse because of an apparent obstruction (car approaching leaves on bush along driveway). After manually moving the SUV backwards a few feet along path to clear obstruction, I attempted to resume the maneuver. The screen showed the words “Resume path” (think there were up to 4 words, but this was only option on right side of parking interface), although flickering to say “Show path.” The vehicle then began to reverse. It was only ~6 feet, so wasn’t worried about acceleration for about half a second or so. Car continued to accelerate in reverse so fast that when I realized it wasn’t going to stop for the other car I had only got my foot on the brake when it hit the other car. Photos: IMG_3223 is iX showing bumper damage. IMG_3220 & -21 are other car, with bumper scratches and broken taillight. The event happened too quickly to allow braking, and the obstruction sensors didn’t even beep, let alone stop the routine. Damage to both cars appears to be relatively minor, but if a person had been standing near the other vehicle, they would have been seriously injured or killed. This behavior appears similar to NHTSA Complaint Nos. 11589034, 11569633, and 11546743. I bought this car in part because of the automated parking features that I am now too terrified to use.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719905February 23, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The car in front of me did not put brakes on or slow down and hit a car that was slowed to a stop in front of her. I was behind her and hit by brakes and tried to avoid the collision. My brake assist did not work; my car did not alert me and did not try to help me stop. I was told when i bought the car that it did indeed have these safety features which failed me. I was not sited in the accident even though i did end up hitting the car in front of me which was now attached to two cars in front of her. She was at fault and the car she hit had video footage to prove her fault.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11717541February 12, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2024 BMW iX. The contact stated that while his wife pulled into the driveway and came to a stop, there was a sudden acceleration that prompted the vehicle to drive through the garage door. The contact stated in separate occasion she has felt something similar while driving without stepping on the accelerator pedal. In addition, the Collision Avoidance, Automatic Braking System, and the Camera Recording failed to activate during the incident. No warning lights or chimes activated before or after the failure. There was property damage to a garage door. The vehicle pushed the garage door through, causing damage to the front end of the vehicle. No air bags deployed. There were no injuries to the driver nor the front passenger seated, who was the contact. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V409000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) to be similar to this failure, however the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was driven back to the residence. The dealer was notified of the failure however, they stopped responding to the contacts' voicemails and phone calls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704664December 12, 2025
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While operating the vehicle, the steering system suddenly developed a fault with no prior warning. A "Changed Steering Effort" warning appeared on the dashboard, immediately followed by significant resistance in the steering wheel and violent mechanical shuddering/oscillation. This resulted in a sudden, dangerous difficulty in maneuvering the vehicle. Despite the 2024 BMW iX and related models (5/7 Series) having known internal steering gear manufacturing defects (referencing SIB 32 01 24 and Recall 24V-714), the dealership is attempting to deny warranty coverage. They are attributing the failure to a tear in the rack boot, despite no evidence of impact to the surrounding undercarriage. The sudden electronic onset of the failure suggests an internal safety defect consistent with widespread reports on this model year, rather than environmental damage. There is significant online anecdotal evidence of this same issue occurring with 2023 and 2024 iX models, despite the above SIB only covering certain 2021 and 2022 models.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692146October 8, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle has displayed drivetrain and high-voltage-battery fault warnings on three separate occasions — December 2024, July 2025 (after replacement of a high-voltage-battery cell), and September 2025. Despite multiple service visits and nearly 90 days out of service, the same safety-related warnings have recurred. BMW NA and the servicing dealer (Chapman BMW Chandler, AZ) ultimately returned the vehicle to me in October 2025 without further repair, stating only a “courtesy recheck” was performed. I remain concerned that the vehicle’s high-voltage-battery system may have an unresolved defect that could affect safety or reliability. Please investigate whether similar cases exist for 2024 BMW iX vehicles exhibiting repeated drivetrain/HV-battery warnings.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689057September 22, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
While moving at a very slow speed parking the vehicle in my driveway, I was slowly turning to the left. The vehicle accelerated suddenly and quickly. This cost the front end to strike the deck and steps to the deck of my home. It also damaged the lower front end of the vehicle.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670674July 2, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
BMW has issued an update to their software. There is a setting on the car where you press auto H and if you press the break, it will stop as if it’s parked now. This software update has a bug and nkw this feature turns off even though you have it set, so you think you’re parking and you press the brake and lift your foot which should put it into park and the car keeps moving and you hit other cars or people or anything. It is extremely dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661270May 15, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
My 2024 BMW iX xDrive50 intermittently fails to deploy the rearview windows upon startup. Restarting does not help; they open only after driving above ~25 mph. This typically occurred once or twice a month based on my recollection. I purchased the vehicle in late May 2024, so I had it for only five months before the accident. More concerningly, the vehicle sometimes shifts from Drive (D) to Brake (B) mode without input. I noticed this behavior several times before a crash on 10/27/24, and again after the crash. On 10/27/24, while in B mode, I slowed at an intersection with ~30 feet of space ahead. I was practically at a stop and began to inch forward when the car suddenly accelerated and I lost control, rear-ending the car in front. No automatic braking or warning systems activated. BMW North America inspected the vehicle on 12/20/24 and later concluded that no defect was present after a 6-mile test drive. After their review, my dealership also conducted its own inspection but was unable to replicate the issues I reported. However, neither review addressed—or could replicate—the intermittent switching between D and B modes, which remains unresolved and unpredictable. BMW also could not explain or resolve the issue of the rearview windows failing to deploy. I am concerned that both issues may reflect a broader software or user interface flaw. I am also concerned that BMW’s investigation focused primarily on establishing that I pressed the accelerator pedal before the crash, as a way to default blame for the accident to me, rather than investigating whether a fault in the vehicle’s electronic input or feedback systems could have contributed to the incident. Given the safety implications and the limited scope of BMW's investigation, I request a deeper independent review.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652449April 3, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I was driving on Single Pedal Drive on a freeway with the 2024 BMW IX, there was a slow down ahead of me. I removed my foot from the pedal and waited for car to slow down, but car didn't slow down enough. Then I slammed the brakes hard, but the brake didn't engage. In fact, brakes were pushed back against my foot. I was slamming the brakes as hard as I could, but i couldn't feel the brakes letting me me bottom out . This was a very traumatic experience. I have been able to reproduce it once again, but not always. But BMW dealership doesn't want to accept any problem. Thankfully, I had slowed down, otherwise, this is a very dangerous problem. Please investigate this. This has caused a big cost burden for me and also quite a traumatic experience.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
3
Deaths:
0
#11651439March 29, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:LOCK
Summary of Incident – March 28, 2025 On March 28, 2025, at approximately 8:17a.m., I left my residence and proceeded to my vehicle, which was parked inside my garage. I opened the tailgate of the vehicle, placed my laptop in the trunk compartment, and securely closed the tailgate. Upon entering the vehicle, I observed that the dashboard screen displayed no safety warnings or indications that the tailgate was open or ajar. My key fob remained in my possession, located in my pants' pocket, throughout this time. I then drove approximately one mile from my residence. While executing a right turn at a traffic light, the dashboard screen suddenly displayed a message indicating that the tailgate was open. Looking through my left side mirror, I observed that my carry-on sized luggage had fallen out of the vehicle and onto the road. I promptly and safely pulled over, exited the vehicle, and inspected the trunk, where I found the tailgate halfway open without any apparent cause, I pressed the button on the tailgate to close it. I retrieved my luggage from the roadway, noting that it had sustained significant damage as a result of being ejected from the vehicle and impacting the road surface. Fortunately, there were no other vehicles in the vicinity at the time of the incident, and no injuries occurred. Subsequently, I reviewed footage from my garage security camera, which clearly showed that the tailgate was fully closed prior to my departure from the residence. Furthermore, at no point during my initial departure did the vehicle’s dashboard screen provide any warning that the tailgate was open or improperly secured.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640669February 4, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On [XXX], while driving, the brakes on my vehicle unexpectedly seized, causing all four wheels to catch fire. This incident resulted in significant damage, including the burning of the brake lines. The vehicle was promptly towed to Wide World BMW in Spring Valley, NY, for repairs, as it is covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty. Following the incident, I was informed that a team from BMW North America would inspect the vehicle due to the severity of the malfunction. I have since been advised that BMW North America is denying liability, claiming that third-party work may have been performed on the brake system. However, both Wide World BMW and I categorically refute this assertion. All maintenance on my vehicle has been exclusively performed by authorized BMW service centers, and there is no evidence to suggest that any third-party work was done. The damage being attributed to third-party work is, in reality, a direct result of the fire caused by the brake system malfunction. Wide World BMW has reviewed the case and agrees that BMW North America should assume responsibility for addressing this issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639666January 30, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
This incident it similar to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V409000. On December 7, 2024, a 2024 BMW iX was traveling on a cul-de-sac street at low speed, preparing to come to a stop. The driver was turning the steering wheel gently when, without warning, the vehicle suddenly accelerated rapidly. The unexpected surge in speed left the driver unable to react in time to stop the vehicle. As a result, the BMW iX rammed into the side of a parked Ford truck. The impact was strong enough to push the Ford truck forward, causing it to collide with another nearby vehicle. No injuries were immediately visible, but the BMW and both other vehicles sustained noticeable damage. The manufacturer has inspected the car but still have not heard back. The incident occurred in a residential area with no hazardous driving conditions. The sudden, uncontrolled acceleration was highly unusual and led directly to the multi-vehicle collision.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11639433January 29, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I am reporting a serious safety failure in my 2024 BMW iX related to the Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) systems. Recently, my vehicle failed to detect a slowing car ahead, and the emergency braking system did not engage, resulting in a rear-end collision. This malfunction has caused financial loss due to repair costs and raises severe safety concerns, especially since my infant child was in the vehicle at the time. A functional AEB system should have prevented this accident. Given recent BMW recalls for braking system issues, I am deeply concerned that this failure is part of a broader defect. I urge NHTSA to investigate potential system defects in the 2024 BMW iX to prevent further accidents and protect lives. Please advise on the next steps for escalating this safety concern.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11624771November 12, 2024
TIRES
Tire size on BMW IX 2024 model 275/40 r22 sudden lost of pressure psi to 0. I saw a one inch rubber separation just below rim on the car. The tire might have hit a curb at extremely low speed going onto parking garage. no marking of side impact that would explain the opening separation just below rim All warning system after failure functioned correctly. The tire is suspect for this vehicle as the possible problem being on a heavy EV type car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11619657October 14, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving my vehicle, the vehicle completely shut down and stopped. The seatbelt pulled me back tightly. A notification displayed on my dash Continue driving possible: High-Voltage system. Cont, driving possible: Drivetrain. You can continue driving. Have the problem checked by your service center. I did have to push the start control button to get the car started. The car behind was able to stop in time to avoid a rear end accident. This incident put myself and others at risk. Because the stretch of road i was driving thru was at a low speed, an accident was avoided. Thank God I wasn’t on a freeway. I was able to take the vehicle to a BMW service center. They did keep the vehicle for about a week. Waiting on a part. From our discussion with a service tech and invoice they replaced a Relay and said electric fan failed. There was no warnings prior to the incident. Received notification on my dashboard when the incident happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11616415September 25, 2024
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Drove the car and parked it. Went into the store and got back into the car. Turned the car on and it had an emergency light saying a drive train malfunction had occurred and that the car could not drive and had to be towed to the dealer for repair. Turned on and off the car. It still had the malfunction. Had the car towed to the BMW dealer. They tested it and came up with 7 codes of malfunction: charging unit, supply voltage, acceleration, drive function, ethernet and transmitter unit, battery below storability, electric a/c compressor. They reset the car and the codes went off. BMW North America then told the Santa Monica BMW dealer to test drive the car to see if they could replicate the error. They could not. Without inquiring why the car had stopped functioning, and without repairing anything, they returned the car. They said that this could happen again while I was driving and at any time but BMW did not want to figure out what was wrong until the next catastrophic failure occurred. There are numerous stories of drivetrain malfunctions on reddit. This is an electric car, it is terrifying that the whole thing could turn off at any time. In addition, the dealer says that they don't even know what the codes mean and that they have to ask BMW north America to tell them what to do once they send in the codes! Shouldn't a dealer be able to see what the failures are and have some authority to troubleshoot? It seems like BMW is withholding information from the public and the dealer by working in this manner with electric cars. In addition, why would anyone feel safe driving an electric car under these circumstances?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605555July 31, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving in heavy traffic and the car turned off. The dash went black the parking brake set the seats and the mirrors adjusted the steering wheel moved up as if I was getting out of the car . I tried to continue driving when realized the car was not on. I pressed start button car came on in drive ready mode Display rest to factory setting erased all my personal settings display on drivers side charged to a default setting seat and mirrors adjusted steering wheel trained in up position. I began driving display rest set to my personal saved settings called BMW they wanted to tow to the dealer I was 2 miles from dealer drive car there pulled into bay and entire display went black . I had a problem with the car on 6/30/24 where the display crashed dealer kept car for a couple of days retuned car to me and ca would not turn on. Towed to dealer and filed a case with BMW of NA . At that time they offered no explanation except that car wasn’t currently experiencing any issues . I questioned whether or not the car could malfunction while driving with no clear answer . I requested a new vehicle but was denied since I had possession of the car when I was told by dealer that I could pick it up. This vehicle is a lease with a 1295.00 payment it has 11000 miles on it
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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