2015 BMW I3 Complaints

TWICE THE POWER STEERING FAILED TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY. EACH TIME THE FEEDBACK TO POWER ASSIST "FLOATED" IN AN UNDETERMINED STATE. THE ABILITY TO FORCE A TURN (MAKE HARD TURNS) SEEMED TO ACTIVE THE POWER ASSIST AND WORKED AS EXPECTED. STRAIGHT DRIVING SEEMED TO CAUSED THE POWER ASSIST TO GO ON AN OFF AND WANDER OR VARY THE FORCE. IT WOULD SEEM TO ENGAGE POWER ASSIST WHEN STEERING WENT OFF CENTER. THE EFFECT WAS SIMILAR TO DRIVING IN RUTS. BOTH TIMES THE FAILURE CORRECTED ON POWER OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES. POWER OFF FOR ONLY A MINUTE DIDN'T FIX. REPORTED TO DEALER WITH NO FIND REPORT BACK. I SUPPOSE WITH A PUNY CAR LIKE THIS THEY COULD HAVE JUST REMOVED POWER STEERING.

WHILE DRIVING, STEERING BECAME HEAVY, NOTCHY. IT WOULD NOT CENTER ITSELF; FOR EXAMPLE, AROUND A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD STAY IN THE DIRECTION I TURNED. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS! IT SEEMS THERE IS A BUG IN THE SOFTWARE. BMW CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. SEVERAL FORMS HAVE BEEN CREATED OVER THIS PROBLEM.

I AM REPORTING A RECURRING ISSUE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, ON A CITY STREET, GOING STRAIGHT. WHEN THE ISSUE HAPPENED, THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED TO THE LEFT NOTICEABLY BY ITSELF AND IT TOOK FORCE BY HAND TO CORRECT IT SO THE CAR COULD GO STRAIGHT. THIS CREATED A SAFETY RISK CONCERN TO THE DRIVER. I FEEL THE AFFECTED COMPONENTS LIKELY ARE THE STEERING WHEEL AND ELECTRONICS SYSTEM. BELOW IS A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION: IN MARCH, THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED LEFT SLIGHTLY BY ITSELF AFTER THE CAR WAS STARTED. THIS POSITION OF THE WHEEL WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE THE CAR TURN LEFT GRADUALLY. IT TOOK SOME FORCE BY HAND TO STEER AND KEEP THE WHEEL BACK TO THE REGULAR NEUTRAL POSITION. WHEN THE WHEEL WAS KEPT AT THE REGULAR NEUTRAL POSITION, THE CAR WAS ABLE TO GO STRAIGHT. HOWEVER, THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED TO THE LEFT AGAIN AFTER HANDS WERE REMOVED FROM THE WHEEL. AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, THE STEERING WHEEL BEHAVED NORMALLY AGAIN, MEANING IT STAYED IN THE REGULAR NEUTRAL POSITION WHEN HANDS FREE, AND THE CAR WENT STRAIGHT. THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED TWICE WITHIN THE SAME WEEK. THE NEXT WEEK THE OWNER SENT THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO TAKE A LOOK. THE DEALER KEPT THE CAR FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS, DID A LOT OF RESEARCH INCLUDING STEERING/SUSPENSION AND ALSO EXTENSIVE TESTING, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. IN LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER THE OWNER TOOK THE CAR BACK, THE ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN. THE INTERESTING THING IS: THE OWNER GOT A 2018 I3 94AH REX LOANER CAR AND THE SIMILAR STEERING WHEEL ISSUE SHOWED UP WITH THE LOANER CAR AS WELL! TIMELINE: MARCH 2018: HAPPENED TWICE IN A WEEK 3/22: SERVICE #1 4/25: HAPPENED ONCE 4/28: SERVICE #2 5/8: SIMILAR ISSUE HAPPENED WITH THE LOANER CAR 2018 I3 94AH REX 6/10: HAPPENED ONCE 6/12: HAPPENED ONCE 7/18: SERVICE #3 8/2: HAPPENED ONCE MANY VIDEO CLIPS WERE TAKEN AT TIMES.

SEAT BELT TWIST INTO THE RE-TRACTOR BACK OF THE SEAT AND CANNOT BE UNTWISTED BECAUSE THE TWIST REMAINS BEHIND THE SEAT FROM THE FLOOR TO THE TOP OF THE SEAT. TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE DEALER DENIES THAT THIS IS POSSIBLE CLAIMING SOMEONE MUST HAVE MESSED WITH THEM INSTALLING THEM BACKWARDS. I HAVE ANOTHER ISSUE TOO WITH THE SEAT MAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THROWING AN ERROR MESSAGE WHERE THE AIRBAG WILL TURN OFF WITH A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS IT'S DO TO MOISTER AND REFUSES TO FIX IT UNLESS PAY 1500 DOLLARS. THIS COMPONENT IS FAULTY BUT THEY ARE BLAMING ME AND I DID NOT SPILL ANYTHING INTO THE SEAT IT WAS PURCHASED THIS WAY. THIS COMPONENT SHOULD NOT FAIL SO EASILY EVEN IF THE SEAT WAS DAMP. SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY 1500 DOLLARS EVERY TIME SOMEONES BUTT SWEATS INTO MY SEAT? THAT'S RIDICULOUS. THE SENSOR WILL FAIL OVER BUMPS WITH A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT REGARDLESS OF SPEED. ONLY HEAVIER PASSENGERS OVER ABOUT 240 LBS TRIGGER THE ERROR.. IT WILL RESET ITSELF ONCE THE TRIP IS COMPLETED. BUT FOR THE DURATION OF THE TRIP THE PASSENGER WILL NOT BE PROTECTED FROM THE AIRBAGS IN THE EVENT OF COLLISION.

2015 BMW I3. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RANGE EXTENDER SAFETY RECALL. *LD CONSUMER SENT ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS HAD MULTIPLE RECALLS AND 2 LIGHTWEIGHT TIRES THAT HAVE RUPTURED EASILY. UPDATED 11/15/2017*JS THE CONSUMER STATED THE BATTERY IN THE VEHICLE WOULD RAPIDLY LOSE IT'S CHARGE. THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. *JS

OUR CAR WOULD NOT MAKE IT UP THE HILL DURING A RAINSTORM ON THE HIGHWAY IN CAMARILLO, CA. IT WENT FROM 65 DOWN TO 45. IT HAPPENED TO US TWICE ON THIS TRIP. WE WERE USING THE RANGE EXTENDER. WE HAVE VIDEOS THE VEHICLE LOSING POWER.

I TURNED ON THE CAR, OPENED THE GATE AND PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. I PRESSED THE GAS PEDDLE LIGHTLY AND THE CAR FLEW OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, HIT THE GATE, FLEW OUT INTO THE STREET AND HIT A PARKED CAR. DURING THIS TIME, THE CAR BRAKES NEVER WORKED. IT WAS AS IF THE GAS PEDDLE WAS STUCK AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK TO STOP THE CAR.

THE ACC (ACTIVE CRUISE CONTROL) SURPRISINGLY STOPS WORKING WHEN FACING A BRIGHT SUN. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN, BUT IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AT HIGH SPEEDS IF SOMEONE IS BEHIND ME. WHEN THE SUN HITS THE CAMERA, THE ACC SHUTS DOWN (WITH A WARNING ON THE SCREEN) AND THE REGEN BRAKING SYSTEM KICKS IN CAUSING THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN MUCH MORE THAN COASTING. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS GO ON, BUT IF A CAR IS FOLLOWING AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS DO NOT SUGGEST THAT OUR CAR SHOULD BE BRAKING, THE CAR COULD REAR END US. THE I3 ONLY HAS A CAMERA TO RUN THE ACC. IN OTHER CARS, THERE ARE BOTH CAMERAS AND RADAR. OUR 2011 MKX HAS AN INTELLIGENT CC AND IT NEVER CUTS OUT BECAUSE, I HAVE BEEN TOLD, IT USES RADAR. I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL POSTS ON THE INTERNET WITH OTHER DRIVERS HAVING SIMILAR SUCH PROBLEMS - HERE IS ONE. HTTP://WWW.MYBMWI3.COM/FORUM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?F=15&T=3059 OF COURSE, I CAN AVOID THIS PROBLEM BY NOT USING THE ACC, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE OPTIONS I WANTED AND PAID FOR ON THE I3. WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT THANKFULLY, BUT PERHAPS OTHERS HAVE. OTHER THAN THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, THE I3 IS A SUPERB CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 BMW I3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, ON AN EXTENDED RANGE, THE SPEED DECREASED TO BELOW 60 MPH AND COMPLETELY LOST ACCELERATION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,500.

THE CHARGING CABLE WON'T UNLOCK FROM THE CAR BECAUSE OF A BAD ACTUATOR AND SOFTWARE BUG, AND THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR FOR THE RANGE EXTENDER FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. BOTH ARE KNOWN PROBLEMS. BMW HAS REDESIGNED THE PARTS, BUT DOES NOT MAKE THE REPAIR BEFORE SELLING THE CARS. IT IS BROKEN FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A MONTH FOR DEFECTS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED. THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND ALL ISSUES SHOULD BE CORRECTED.