2014 BMW I3 Complaints

THE WARNING MESSAGE (SHOWN IN THE PHOTO PROVIDED) APPEARED LAST NIGHT AROUND 8:00 PM.

THE LEFT BRACKET FOR THE ELECTRIC ENGINE IS CRACKED AND THE DEALER WANTS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE FOR A REPLACEMENT ONE WHICH HAPPENS TO BE COMPLETELY REDESIGNED FROM A CHEAP PLASTIC PART WHICH EQUIPS MY CAR TO A MORE STUDY AND IMPROVED ONE FOR THE LATEST MODELS OF THE SAME MAKE. AS I DID SOME RESEARCH THE SAME ISSUE WAS SUBJECTED TO A FORMAL SAFETY RECALL IN EUROPE. HERE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED SO THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME A HEFTY FEE FOR WHAT IS BASICALLY A REPAIR TO A MANUFACTURER'S RECOGNIZED DESIGN FLAW. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AS MANY OWNERS OF THIS CAR WILL NOT REPAIR THIS ISSUE WHICH CAN BE FAILED TO BE IDENTIFIED OR WILL BALK AT THE PRICE TAG OF THE CHANGE. IF THE BRACKET FAILS THE WHOLE ENGINE AND DRIVESHAFT WILL DROP AND INTERFERE WITH REAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF CONTROL. THE REPLACEMENT BRACKET IS ALUMINIUM VS THE ORIGINAL ONE IN PLASTIC SO THEY ARE TRYING TO QUICKLY SWEEP THIS DESIGN FLAW UNDER THE RUG. THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC CRASHES OF THIS TYPE OF CAR IN THE PAST DUE TO IT BUT CROSSING MY FINGERS IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. THE PICTURES I INCLUDE SHOW WHERE THE REPLACEMENT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. #3 IS WHERE THE CRACK IS AND I ALSO HAVE A VIDEO I CAN SUBMIT IF NEEDED.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY JERKED AND LOST ALL POWER WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WAS ON THE FREEWAY WITH TRAFFIC. THE MESSAGE ON THE SCREEN IN MY CAR STATED DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION STOP AND TURN OFF ENGINE DO NOT CONTINUE TO DRIVE CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE.

SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS STEERING FEELS HARD TO TURN. SEEMS LIKE STEERING WANT TO REMAIN CENTERED OR OVERLY TURNS SUDDENLY AT LOW SPEED. VERY RANDOM. I LOOKED ONLINE AND MANY PEOPLE REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE. I BELIEVE IT NEEDS A SOFTWARE UPDATE. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR CODES STORED IN VEHICLE.

I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME WITHOUT WARNING TO ME OR OTHER OWNERS OF SIMILAR VEHICLES PUTTING MY SAFETY AND OTHER'S SAFETY AT GREAT RISK. ON MAY 20, 2020, I WAS STOPPED ON A RED LIGHT AT NECKEL RD TO CROSS HIGHWAY 86 IN IMPERIAL CA. WHEN IT TURNED GREEN, I RELEASED THE BREAK PEDAL AND NORMALLY ACCELERATED. SUDDENLY MY VEHICLE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY 86 AND PUT ITSELF IN THE PARK POSITION SHOWING "DRIVE TRAIN FAULT" ALARM. IT STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR'S TRAFFIC AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT IT TO NEUTRAL POSITION TO MOVE IT OUT OF THE WAY. WITH VEHICLES TRAFFIC MOVING AROUND ME, I TURN MY CAR OFF AND ON THREE TIMES, WITH ABOUT TEN SECONDS IN BETWEEN OFF AN ON, BEFORE THE ALARM WOULD RESET. ONCE THE ALARM CLEARED, I ABORTED MY SHORT TRIP AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT BACK HOME SAFELY BUT I AM CONCERN THIS MAY HAPPEN AGAIN AT ANY TIME AT HIGHER SPEEDS PUTTING MY SAFETY AND OTHERS' SAFETY AT RISK. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF OTHER HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR ISSUES / COMPLAINS WITH THIS VEHICLES AND WHAT IS BMW DOING ABOUT IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. *TR

WHEN THE DRIVETRAIN FAILURE LIGHT COMES ON, THE MOTOR FAILS, THEN LOCKS UP IN PARK. YOU CONNOT THEN PUT IT IN NEUTRAL TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD. EVEN THE TOWTRUCK NEEDS DOLLIES TO GET REAR WHEELS OFF THE GROUND. THIS HAPPENED TWICE WHILE STATIONARY, AND SEVERAL TIMES ON THE ROAD. IF I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO ROLL TO SHOULDER, IT COULD HAVE CREATED AN ACCIDENT. THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO GET TO ZNEUTRAL.

I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND WHEN I ACCELERATED THE REAR OF THE CAR FELT LIKE IT GOT REAR ENDED. I WALKED AROUND THE CAR, NOTHING WAS WRONG. IT DROVE FINE UP TO 40 MPH, THEN ON THE HIGHWAY, IT MADE A RRRR SOUND. THE NEXT DAY I FOUND OUT THAT THE ENGINE MOUNT BOLT SNAPPED.

WHILE PULLING ONTO THE ROAD MY CAR STARTED PULLING STRONGLY TOWARDS THE LEFT AND WAS VERY HARD TO STEER. IT HAD VERY HEAVY DIFFICULT STEERING. IT FELT ABSOLUTELY DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING I'VE FELT IN THE TWO YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND 'GOOGLED' I3 DIFFICULT STEERING AND CAME ACROSS MULTIPLE FORUM POSTS AND DISCUSSION OF THIS ISSUE. IT APPEARS THE I3 POWER STEERING CAN RANDOMLY STOP WORKING AND THEN RETURNS WITH AN IGNITION CYCLE. I LOCKED THE CAR, WENT IN A STORE FOR 5 MINUTES, AND NORMAL STEERING RESUMED WHEN I DROVE AWAY. ONE BECOMES USED TO THE WAY THEIR CAR DRIVES WHEN THEY DRIVE IT EVERY DAY. WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STEERING CHANGES DRASTICALLY IT SEEMS IT CAN BE AN ALARMING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 BMW I3. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED IN JUNE OF 2019. IN EARLY AUGUST, A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS ACTIVATED. WHILE BRAKING, THE CONTACT RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND HEARD A THUMPING SOUND AND THE DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE WARNING INDICATOR INSTRUCTED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BMW SEATTLE (1002 AIRPORT WAY S, SEATTLE, WA 98134, (206) 829-5004) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE MOUNT BRACKET FRACTURED. THE ENGINE FELL AND PINCHED THE HIGH VOLTAGE CABLE, WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION WARNING MESSAGE TO APPEAR. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, IT WOULD COST OVER $5,000 TO REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,015.

INTERMITTENTLY, THE POWER STEERING DOES NOT COME ON WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON. STEERING IS HEAVY AND SLOW. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON GENERALLY CORRECTS THIS FAULT. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR. I DOCUMENTED BELOW APPROXIMATELY THE DATE OF THE FIRST EVENT.