2017 BMW I3 Complaints

AFTER DRIVING SHORT DISTANCE ON A CITY STREET, SUDDENLY CAR STARTED PULLING TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT SIDE, THE STEERING BECAME VERY HEAVY ( IT FEELS LIKE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING).

A DAY AFTER THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE. WHILE DRIVING ON I 95 WITH RANGE EXTENDER, NOTICED THE DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION ALERT WITH RAPID DECELERATION NEEDING TO PULL TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER QUICKLY. BMW ASSIST TOOK THE CAR TO THE NEAREST BMW DEALER, WHO SAID IT WAS LACK OF ELECTRIC CHARGE, PLUGGED THE CAR IN CHARGER AND GAVE IT TO ME TO HEAD BACK HOME TOWN. FEW DAYS LATER THE PROBLEM AGAIN RECURRED. NOW THE CAR IS AT THE DEALER IN HOME TOWN.

WHILEEXITING A PARKING PLACE ALONG A CURB - SLIGHT VEER OUT,ON DRY PAVEMENT, NIGHTIME, ON AN AVERAGECITY STREET. STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME BULLISH. WITHIN 100 FEET AND IN THE PROCESSOF THE 1ST UPCOMING90-DEGREE RIGHT-HANDTURN ALL MANNER OF WARNINGS WENT OFF, "PEDESTRIAN WARNING FAULTY,INCREASED STEER EFFORT (DUH!) CHASSIS STABILIZATION. I ALSO FELTIMMEDIATEPAININ MY RIGHT FOREARM AND SO THE ORDER OF WARNINGS MAY BE A BIT OFF. I HAVE BEEN WEARING A BRACE ON MY ARM SINCE THAT EVE FOR PAIN RELIEFFROM HAVING TO TORQUE ON THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT SO HARD TO AVOID CROSSING OVER INTO THE ADJACENTLANE.STEERING IS LIKE DRIVING WITH BOTH FRONT WHEELS NEARLY FLAT. ONBOARD TIRE PRESSURE SHOWS ALL WERE AND ARE OF PROPER INFLATION. AFTER ONE ON-OFF CYCLE OF OVERNIGHT DURATION, ISSUES RESOLVED THEMSELVES THEN REPEATED IN ABOUT 24 HOURS. FOR A FEW DAYS NOW TRYING TO LET IT RESOLVE ITSELF WITH OFF/ON CYCLES THE STEERING HAS HAD THE SAME SLUGGISHNESS AND DOES NOT HAVE ANY POWER ASSIST. WARNINGS ARE STILL PREVALENT.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY'S HOV LANE (FULLY CHARGED, NOT ON THE EXTENDED RANGE), THE CAR GAVE "DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION" AND THE PROPULSION DIED SHORTLY AFTER.

ELECTRIC STEERING BECAME UNRESPONSIVE AFTER DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE. STEERING FELT SLUGGISH AND DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY POWER ASSISTANCE. THE FEELING OF THE STEERING NO LONGER HAVING A POWER ASSIST LED ME TO RESEARCH THE VEHICLE INFO TO DETERMINE IF THE CAR WAS EXPERIENCING A FLAT TIRE(S). THE FEELING WAS THAT BOTH FRONT WHEELS WERE FLAT. ON BOARD TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM INDICATED THAT ALL TIRES WERE OF PROPER INFLATION. THE CAR DID NOT PULL TO EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT. IT DID TAKE MORE STRENGTH TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL THAN NORMALLY EXPERIENCED.

THERE IS RAPID ACCELERATION WHILE TAKING FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION GOING UP HILL. ANTILOCK BRAKES SLOW TO ENGAGE ON STEEP DECLINES AND APPROACHING A STOP SIGN. THERE IS TOO MUCH POWER TO THE REAR WHEEL, THE CAR SKIDS ON PAINTED SURFACES SUCH AS CROSS WALKS AND PAINTED YIELD SIGNS ON ROAD SURFACES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A FULL STOP. THE WHEELS SPIN ON CROSSWALK PAINT. THE CAR HAS A BUILT IN GYROSCOPE AND PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN STARTING FROM A PARKED POSITION AFTER PARKED FOR SEVERAL DAYS ON A HILL. THE PULLING CONTINUES FOR SEVERAL BLOCKS. THE CAR NEEDS A NEW SET OF TIRES AND ONLY HAS 10,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN INSPECTED TWICE BY BMW TECHNICIANS AT PETER PAN BMW IN BURLINGAME. WE WERE TOLD THE SURFACES SIMILAR TO THOSE FOUND IN SAN FRANCISCO WERE REPLICATED IN BURLINGAME AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THE PROBLEMS STILL PERSISTS.

DROVE CAR 8 MILES AS NORMAL. GOT BACK IN CAR AND STEERING WAS ABNORMAL. FELT AS IF HAD A FLAT (WHICH DID NOT). IN STEERING, THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT, AND NEEDED COUNTER STEERING. THE CENTER FEEL OF THE STEERING WAS DIFFERENT, AND EASY TO TURN TO THE LEFT. PARKED THE CAR, WAITED 5 MINUTES, AND THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. FOUND MULTIPLE SIMILAR EXPERIENCES ONLINE WITH THIS MODEL.

SOME TIMES THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES VERY HEAVY ( HARD TO TURN) AND HAS A BIAS TO TURN ONE SIDE OVER THE OTHER. RESTARTING THE CAR AFTER 5 MINUTES MAKES IT OK. IT LOOKS LIKE A SOFTWARE ISSUE. IT HAPPENS SAY AT LEAST ONCE IN 2-3 MONTHS.

WHILE DRIVING ON DRY PAVEMENT, STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME DIFFICULT. I FELT RESISTANCE AND I CLEARLY NEEDED BOTH HANDS TO TURN THE WHEEL.

STEERING INTERMITTENTLY BECOMES HEAVY, MAKING VEHICLE HARDER TO CONTROL. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN CLEARS THE PROBLEM. IT'S HARD TO DESCRIBE THE FEELING OF THE STEERING: YOU ARE ABLE TO TURN BUT IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS TRYING TO PREVENT YOU FROM TURNING THE WHEEL. THE PROBLEM SEEMS SOFTWARE-RELATED RATHER THAN A PHYSICAL FAILURE SINCE NOT ONLY IS IT INTERMITTENT, BUT IT IS INCONSISTENT. AT ONE INTERSECTION THE STEERING MAY BE NORMAL TURNING LEFT BUT HEAVY TURNING RIGHT AND THE SITUATION MAY BE REVERSED A MILE DOWN THE ROAD AT THE NEXT TURNING. I HAVE 28000 MILES/ 2.5YEARS ON THE CAR AND THE PROBLEM HAS ONLY STARTED OCCURRING WITHIN THE PAST MONTH. AT THE MOMENT THE PROBLEM OCCURS TOO RARELY TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER.