While driving through a parking lot at slow speeds on 6/24/2023 around 6:30 pm in Phoenix AZ, I noticed the steering felt very heavy and the car pulled hard to the left. While driving slowly down a driveway, I checked the air pressure data and found all 4 tires at recommended levels. I drove 15 miles to my home below the speed l…
Read full complaint
While driving through a parking lot at slow speeds on 6/24/2023 around 6:30 pm in Phoenix AZ, I noticed the steering felt very heavy and the car pulled hard to the left. While driving slowly down a driveway, I checked the air pressure data and found all 4 tires at recommended levels. I drove 15 miles to my home below the speed limit while wrestling with the steering wheel, thinking that the power to the steering system had somehow failed. Some quick online research upon my return revealed that this problem is not unusual, but can be resolved by turning the car off and then back on again. Following this procedure solved the issue, but leaves me with uncertainty as to when it may happen again.
NHTSA ODI #11528759
Mileage unknown · Mar 15, 2023
Steering
The steering becomes sluggish, hard to turn back to center. Seems as though I had a flat front tire. This was not the case. I restarted car then no longer had the problem. This has happened twice. Once to my wife and then myself.
NHTSA ODI #11512015
10 miles · Jul 11, 2020
Steering
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.
NHTSA ODI #11338790
42,000 miles · Sep 19, 2019
Steering
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 AN…
Read full complaint
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.
NHTSA ODI #11256755
20,000 miles · Aug 22, 2019
Steering
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.
NHTSA ODI #11245653
24,800 miles · Feb 27, 2019
Steering
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 "CA…
Read full complaint
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.
NHTSA ODI #11182758
50,000 miles · Feb 20, 2019
Steering
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.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2018 BMW i3 electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Unbelted, small adult, drivers may be at a higher risk of neck injury in the event of a frontal crash. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: During a frontal impact, unbelted, small adult, drivers could be at a higher risk of neck injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the Driver air bag control unit software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 8, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at the dedicated i3 recall number 1-855-269-3361.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2014-2017 i3 REx hybrid electric vehicles. The fuel tank vent line may rub against the ribbed wire protection sleeve of the battery positive (B+) cable, creating a hole in the vent line and causing a fuel vapor leak.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fuel vapor leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel vent line, replacing it as necessary, and install a clip to prevent it from chafing, free of charge. The recall beganApril 3, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper two-door vehicles, 2015-2016 MINI John Cooper Works and MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper four-door vehicles and 2014-2015 BMW i3 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the passenger frontal air bag may not deploy properly in a low speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger.
Remedy: MINI and BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on November 25, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 and BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling a certain model year BMW i3 vehicle manufactured March 31, 2014, and certain 2014 MINI Cooper Hardtop vehicles manufactured February 2, 2014 to May 30, 2014. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with an air bag inflator that was not assembled correctly. This could cause the air bag to not deploy properly in the event of an accident.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the air bag deploys improperly in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the air bags, the seat occupant may be at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1
DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
2014 BMW I3 Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
Illustration