2014 BMW I3 Complaints

IN SEVERAL OCCASION, A DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY. A "DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION" LIGHTS UP AND CAR STOPS AND WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR AGAIN. I TURNED OFF THE CAR FOR A MINUTE THEN ON AGAIN, THE LIGHT DISAPPEARED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. THE THIRD TIME I STARTED UP MY CAR AND THE LIGHT APPEARED AGAIN AND THIS TIME THE LIGHT REMAINED AND THE CAR IS IMMOBILIZED. IT IS VERY ODD THAT A DRIVE TRAIN IS MALFUNCTIONED AFTER ONLY 39,000 MILES. I HAVE LEARNED THAT MOST OF THE DRIVE TRAIN ON THE I3 ARE OFTEN MALFUNCTION AND IS EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. I HAVE A 2014 BASE MODEL AND WAS TOLD THAT IT HAS GONE OUT OF WARRANTY BECAUSE THE 5 YEARS CAME BEFORE THE 50,000 MILES.

THE I3 REQUIRES FUNCTIONAL HV BATTERY COOLING TO OPERATE PROPERLY AND SAFELY. THE CAR USES A HEAT PUMP SYSTEM TO CONDITION THE HV BATTERIES. ON MY CAR, THE A/C SYSTEM (BATTERY CONDITIONING) FAILED WITH NO MESSAGE OR WARNING TO THE DRIVER. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP, I WAS GIVEN A QUOTE FOR $24,038.21 TO FIX THE CAR. THE INVOICE ALSO STATES "NOTE: VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE." HOW I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM THIS VEHICLE IS AN EARLY I3 WITH THE FAST-CHARGE SYSTEM INCLUDED. IN JULY, 2018, THE FAST-CHARGE FAILED TO WORK. I TRIED SEVERAL CHARGERS AND THEY ALL FAILED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE THIS WAS IRRITATING, I DID NOT TAKE THE CAR FOR SERVICE BECAUSE FAST-CHARGING IS NOT A REQUIREMENT TO DRIVE THE CAR AND I DON'T USE IT OFTEN. I AM SPECULATING THAT THE A/C SYSTEM BEGAN TO FAIL AT THIS TIME, BUT I WAS GIVEN NO WARNING OR MESSAGE. IN THE FALL OF 2018, THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A MUCH LOUDER MOTOR NOISE DURING PRE-CONDITIONING IN MY GARAGE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR FOR SERVICE IN FEB., 2019, A BMW DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM (THE PROBLEM HAPPENED EVERY DAY DURING PRE-CONDITIONING AND DRIVING). IN APRIL, 2019, I TURNED ON THE A/C AND DISCOVERED THE CABIN A/C DID NOT WORK. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A/C VALVE FAULTS, GRAY METALLIC DEBRIS, INSUFFICIENT REFRIGERANT (877G VS. REQUIRED 970G), AND ZERO (VS. REQUIRED 300G) REFRIGERANT OIL. ACCORDING TO BMW LITERATURE ( BMW TECHNICAL TRAINING, HEATING AND A/C SYSTEMS, P.43), "THESE QUANTITIES ARE CRUCIAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM........" THIS QUOTE REFERS TO THE QUANTITY OF REFRIGERANT IN THE SYSTEM OF THE BEV OR REX. I HAVE ATTACHED THE INVOICE FROM BMW-ROCHESTER HILLS ON JUNE 1 WITH THE DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION AND THE QUOTATION FOR REPAIRING THE SYSTEM. THE TRAINING MANUAL IS A LARGE FILE. I CAN SEND IT AS REQUIRED.

ASSISTED STEERING IS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY AND INCORRECTLY IDENTIFYING STRAIGHT. HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY WHEN DRIVING, CAUSING DRIVER TO HAVE TO ADJUST STEERING DIRECTION. SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS.

THE CAR, WHILE DRIVING ON A 2 LANE ROAD, CEASED IT OPERATION ANNOUNCING IT HAD DRIVE TRAIN FAILURE. LUCKILY I WAS SLOWING FOR A LIGHT, AS THE STEERING AND BRAKES ALSO BECAME UNRESPONSIVE. THE CAR COULD BE MANUALLY TURNED OFF (THE REMAINING FUNCTIONS AND POWER OFF). IT THEN COULD BE TURNED BACK ON AND DRIVEN. IN OTHER WORDS, THE CAR DECIDED TO GO OFF LINE WHILE IN A STATE OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ROAD AND THE DRIVER.

MY BMW I3 OVER THE PAST YEAR WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED HAS HAD A HANDFUL OF TIMES WHERE POWER STEERING BECOMES EXTREMELY TWITCHY OUR CUTS OUT COMPLETELY LIKE IT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT CENTERED IS SO THAT I HAVE NO POWER STEERING AND THIS CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD FOR DRIVERS. THE CAR IS UNSTABLE AND NO LONGER RETURNS TO CENTER WHEN TAKING CORNERS AND FEELS EXTREMELY HEAVY. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THIS IS TO SHUT THE CAR OFF FOR 3-5 MINUTES UNTIL IT RESETS. BECAUSE IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND THERE IS NO ERROR CODE DEALERS ARE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR FIX THE ISSUE.

TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER ASSIST. FROM A STOP, THE ASSIST WILL FUNCTION CORRECTLY UNTIL 30MPH. FROM THEN ON, THERE WILL BE NO POWER ASSIST UNTIL COMING TO A FULL STOP. THE PATTERN REPEATS ITSELF FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. ONCE THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF, IT COULD TAKE DAYS OR MONTHS FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN. BMW STATES THEY "CAN NOT REPRODUCE". THIS SITUATION MAKES THE VEHICLE VERY UNSTABLE AND DANGEROUS.

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND THE STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME HEAVY - NO LONGER SELF-CENTERING. THE CAR WOULD STILL GO WHERE I POINTED IT, BUT THE WHEEL WOULDN'T RETURN TO CENTER LIKE USUAL. IT FELT VERY STIFF. AFTER SHUTTING THE CAR OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES, IT RETURNED TO NORMAL.

THE REX (RANGE EXTENDER) ON MY I3 DOES NOT TURN ON, AT RANDOM, WHEN THE BATTERY LEVEL OF THE VEHICLE GETS TO A POINT THAT IS LOW ENOUGH FOR IT TO TURN ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A SUDDEN AND VIOLENT LOSS OF SPEED WITH NO WARNING. THIS HAS, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE BMW DEALERSHIP HAS CONFIRMED THIS IS AN ISSUE IN MY VEHICLE AND HAS SUCCESSFULLY BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE IT ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. IT HAS BEEN 'FIXED' ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AS WELL. THE VEHICLE STILL EXPERIENCES THIS ISSUE INTERMITTENTLY WITH NO WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP IS NO LONGER ABLE TO REPRODUCE THIS ISSUE WHEN TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOW TAKEN A STANCE THAT THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY LOSING POWER AND SPEED (AS IF THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN APPLIED HEAVILY) IS "OPERATION NORMALLY FOR CONDITIONS" AND "NO ACTIONS TAKEN" AND ADVICE THAT THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE AND KNOWN AND HAVE "ADVISED CUSTOMER OF LIMITATION OF DRIVING ON THE REX WITH TOO MANY CUSTOMER DEMANDS..." THE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED THE REX NOT TURNING ON AND LOSING POWER WHILE IN MOTION AND ON THE HIGHWAY AND SURFACE / LIGHT COMMERCIAL STREETS AT ALL LEVELS OF SPEED. THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL DOES NOT LIKELY HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THIS. IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE GOING 35MPH AND ALSO WHILE GOING 70MPH, AND OTHER SPEEDS IN BETWEEN. IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AND HAPPENED TO MYSELF, MY WIFE, AND AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE TIMES (DURING THE SAME TRIP, ON DIFFERENT DAYS) TO THE DEALER WHILE IT WAS IN THEIR CARE FOR REPAIR.

I WENT TO LEAVE WORK. UPON TURNING THE CAR ON I NOTICED 3 WARNINGS APPEAR WHICH REQUIRED ME TO READ THEM AND ACKNOWLEDGE THEM. THEY WERE ALL RELATED TO THE AUTO BRAKING/PEDESTRIAN WARNING SYSTEM. DRIVING HOME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING STRANGE. I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED SLIGHTLY COUNTERCLOCKWISE VERSUS NORMAL WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT. THE CAR WAS RESPONDING STRANGE WHEN THE DRIVERS SIDE HIT A DIP OR RISE IN THE ROAD. THE REAR END FELT "LOOSER" THAN NORMAL. WHEN I GOT HOME I PARKED IT AND CALLED THE LOCAL BMW DEALER. THEY ARRANGED FOR A TOW. ONCE THE CAR GOT THERE THEY PUT IT UP ON A LIFT, THEY CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT THE LEFT REAR "CONTROL ARM" (CASTER LINK) WAS BROKEN INTO 2 PIECES. THE CAR WAS BMW INSPECTED AND CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED, WITH ONLY 9K MILES AND A CLEAN CARFAX. THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF ANY DAMAGE OR OF ANYTHING EVER TOUCHING THE CASTER LINK. ORIGINAL WHEELS, ORIGINAL TIRES.

WHEN THE VEHICLE ENTERS A 'FAULT' MODE, SUCH AS DRIVE MOTOR MALFUNCTION, THE CARS DISCONTINUES POWER TO THE DRIVE MOTOR, ALLOWS THE VEHICLE TO ROLL TO A STOP, THEN ELECTRONICALLY PUTS THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK. AS LONG AS THE FAULT CODE EXISTS THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE PUSHED OR TOWED OUT OF HARMS WAY. I WAS ABOUT TO TURN ON TO A VERY BUSY 3-LANE [NO SHOULDER] HIGHWAY WHEN IT SHUT DOWN. NOT EVEN THE POLICE COULD ASSIST ME IN PUSHING IT OUT OF THE INTERSECTION. HAS I TURNED AND STARTED DOWN THAT ROAD AND THE VEHICLE THEN GONE INTO FAULT MODE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT WITH A MATTER OF MINUTES.NO OTHER VEHICLE I KNOW OF DOES NOT LET THE OWNER PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND PUSH IT OFF TO THE SIDE OUR OUT OF HARMS WAY. THIS IS AN ALL ELECTRIC CAR SO THE DEALER SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A SIMPLE PROGRAMMING CHANGE. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALER, HE REFERRED ME TO BMW NORTH AMERICA. I TALKED TO THEM AT LENGTH ON THE PHONE AND THEY HAVE NO WAY OF PASSING ON MY CONCERNS TO THE MANUFACTURER (BMW GERMANY).