This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
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.
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.
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.
On 6/8/23 I tried to start my car and received the following error: "Drivetrain malfunction: Driving not possible. Call Roadside Assistance" and the car turned off. I tried 3 more times to start the car and received the same message. I could not drive my car, and had it immediately towed to the dealer. This is a brand new 2023 BMW i4 eDrive40 with only 1469 miles on it. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by the dealer, testing confirmed faults for the high voltage battery and a 30F current violation and sporadic software issue. As of 6/23/23, my car is still sitting at the dealer waiting for a fix (estimated for August). There is a recall for some 2023 i4 eDrive40s (campaign # 22V944000) regarding the high voltage battery electronic control unit (ECU) that may cause an interruption of electrical power, and risk of crash increases. I believe my vehicle should be included in this.
A small spill of liquid (unsweetened iced tea) on the gear shift area inches from the cup holder shorted out the entire transmission of the vehicle, rendering it immovable. This happened while pulling into our garage, but if it had happened while the car was moving on the road it could have caused a catastrophic accident.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- La Habra, CA, USA