2014 Bmw I3 problems and owner complaints

TWO ISSUES: 1. DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 65 MPH, WITH BATTERY POWER DRAINED, THE REX (RESERVE ENGINE) TURNS ON. SUDDENLY, SPEED DROPS FROM 65 MPH TO 40 MPH WHILE ON A 2-LANE CA FREEWAY, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE REAR-ENDED BY TRAFFIC. ONE MONTH LATER, SAME SITUATION, SAME PROBLEM. 2. MANUFACTURER STATES A COMBINED MILEAGE RANGE OF 80 MILES ON BATTERY, 60 MILES ON REX (RESERVE ENGINE), FOR A COMBINED RANGE OF 140 MILES. I HAVE NEVER HAD MORE THAN 60 MILES ON BATTERY AND 40 MILES ON REX FOR A COMBINED MILEAGE OF 100 MILES, 40% LESS THAN BMW …

Owner-reported narrative. 4,960 miles reported. Look up ODI 10805744 at NHTSA ↗

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 SEVER…

Owner-reported narrative. 47,982 miles reported. Look up ODI 11229974 at NHTSA ↗

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 AR…

Owner-reported narrative. 23,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11151792 at NHTSA ↗

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.

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11181286 at NHTSA ↗

NEAR CRASH (CRASH AVOIDED BY MANUAL EMERGENCY BRAKING INTERVENTION) THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WAS FOLLOWING A BLACK SUV AT 8:30AM SOUTHBOUND ON CA101 (VEHICLE PRESENT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED). THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED SO NOTICE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN. THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL KEPT PACE AND WOULD HAVE COLLIDED INTO THE VEHICLE IF I HAD NOT TAKEN OVER. ONLY ABOUT TWO YARDS FROM THE VEHICLE, THE SYSTEM NOTICED THE SUV HAD SLOWED DOWN, BUT THIS WAS AFTER I ALREADY HIT THE BRAKES. CONDITIONS WERE GOOD. NO ADVERSE CONDIT…

Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10679476 at NHTSA ↗

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 WO…

Owner-reported narrative. 36,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11103478 at NHTSA ↗

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 E…

Owner-reported narrative. 38,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11245101 at NHTSA ↗

THE BMW I3 ELECTRIC VEHICLE THAT COMES WITH A RANGE EXTENDER HAS A CRITICAL HAZARDOUS DESIGN FLAW. IT CANNOT CONSISTENTLY POWER THE VEHICLE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE SPEED WHEN DRIVING ON A MODERATE INCLINE FOR A REASONABLE PERIOD. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MAY BE DRIVING ON A CALIFORNIA FREEWAY AND RUN OUT OF ELECTRIC CHARGE AND THE RANGE EXTENDER WILL KICK IN. EVERYTHING IS FINE UNTIL YOU APPROACH A HILLY AREA. AS THE CAR ASCENDS THE INCLINE IT STARTS TO REDUCE SPEED. SO BEFORE YOU WERE GOING THE SAME SAFE SPEED AS THE SURROUNDING TRAFFIC NOW YOU ST…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10781193 at NHTSA ↗

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.

Owner-reported narrative. 24,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 11182758 at NHTSA ↗