2023 BMW I4

Driving at night on [XXX] car in front of me swerved leaving a big deer in front of me on a car on my left, the BMW did not warn me, adjust speed, cinch restraints, or brake, There was no collision warning or advanced readiness at all! I hit the deer at 75 approx, went airborne and totaled my car. BMW wanted to see the vehicle and take data from it since even the cameras didn’t record, no safety features on this advanced vehicle functioned at 12,086 miles, this was an I4 M50 loaded, totaled the car INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Slowed to a stop with B mode engaged. Suddenly car lurched forward prompting me to slam on the brakes. No one was injured or vehicles damaged but it was unsettling. No warning or other issues prior to failure. No manufacture has looked at it and since it’s likely unable to reproduce often a test drive would likely not see it either.

As I was driving my car into the main avenue out of a parking lot, the car stalled and lost all power, the charge went from 57% to 0% and the power train failure warning came on the dashboard and a high voltage warning as well. The incoming traffic had to stop since I could not move the car, so I had to turn power off and power back and only then the car started to move slowly, the battery charge went up only to 37% and both warnings were displayed on the dashboard (high voltage warning and power train failure) with a message that said that it was OK to drive the car to a dealership to get the car checked.

This is the second time the brakes failed on this vehicle. The first incident, occurring as I pulled into my garage, in May 2023, was investigated by BMW North America and the vehicle was deemed to have no defect and to be safe to drive. The second incident occurred on [XXX]. The car was traveling approximately 15-25 mph on a collector road between [XXX] in downtown Los Angeles. The car immediately in front of me applied its brakes and when I applied my brake pedal the vehicle did not respond and my car did not slow down. I did not see any sort of warning lamp on the dashboard. I hit the car immediately in front of me and that car hit the car in front of it. My airbags deployed. The car called emergency services. No one was injured. My vehicle is now being examined by BMW North America. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving down a residential street with cars parked on both sides. My car stopped very suddenly because the passenger side front tire was pierced and flattened by something on the road. Almost simultaneously the car began to oscillate or jolt from side to side and hit a car parked on my driver’s side very hard and then oscillated back to a parallel position. This is a known problem on the i4 edrive community website. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

This is an electric vehicle. The affected part is called a heat changeover value - this value controls the coolant that is used by the car to keep the drive battery cool. The valves have a problem with leaks and when they leak, the car should not be driven out of safety concern. The main battery could overheat causing a fire/explosion. My vehicle experienced this issue and was undrivable for approx. 30 days. There are several Facebook and Reddit groups reporting this problem from all over the world. While my vehicle was at the dealer for the repair, this dealer had another vehicle like mine with the same issue along with another BMW electric vehicle, different model, same issue. From what I understand the parts are being replaced but not with a redesigned part. This also seems to be impacting more than just 2023 vehicle model years.

My 2023 electric BMW i4 was driving normally on the evening of 11/29/2023. I was near the end of a 30 minute commute when a drivetrain error popped on the screen followed by an error that said "increased steering effort." Within seconds of those messages, without any physical signs of an issue, the car completely lost all power and steering and abruptly stopped in the middle of the street. As the car abruptly broke down, it went into park. It was so abrupt that there wasn't even time to pull over or coast to a safer area. I was stopped in the middle of the street. I couldn't restart the car nor could I shift the car into neutral. The car required a tow to the dealership. This is a SERIOUS safety issue. Had I been on a busier street or highway and suddenly lost all power and steering, I could have gravely injured myself and others. The vehicle has since been inspected by the local service center. They said there is a manufacturing defect with the copper brushes in the electric engine. They said the fix is to disassemble the motor to perform a labor-intensive cleaning. However, what is to prevent this issue from happening again? Especially since no parts are being replaced according to BMW. A car breaking down is one thing. A car abruptly stopping and losing all power and steering is an unacceptable failure. I am scared to drive this car ever again.

The contact owns a 2023 BMW I4. The contact stated while reversing, the drive train malfunction warning light illuminated. The contact proceeded with his commute however, the steering warning light illuminated, and the vehicle shifted into park independently. There were several messages displayed on the infotainment screen, and the contact was unable to shift the vehicle back into drive. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 16,000.

Sudden acceleration when entering an open parking space, causing the car to hit two vehicles and causing extensive damage to my and the other vehicles. Safety of others would have been at risk as the accelerations was unintended and unexpected and if people were present they would have been in danger. The vehicle is currently at dealership for examination of unintended acceleration and accident. No warning of sudden acceleration nor any issue with car prior to accident. Air bags were not activated. Police contacted but since noninjury no report filed.