What BMW i4 owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See BMW i4 safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2025 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2024 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 48 |
| 2023 | 45 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 80 |
| 2022 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 94 |
The vehicle systems named most often in BMW i4 complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
Vehicle was charging at home and spontaneously began smoking. Fire department called and determined it was the battery, began over heating and caught fire. Could have potentially exploded if they didnât get their as soon as they did.
The steering wheel would suddenly become stiff (frozen or locked) during normal driving especially during turning. When it happened, I lost total control of the car causing dangerous situations on the road. A warning message appeared stating: "Changed steering effort, drive moderately and contact service center." At a BMW dealership, the problem was reproduced and confirmed. They replaced 12 Volt battery, and the car was released. The new 12 volt battery didn't help the steeling issue. After a few weeks, the steeling system completely failed. The car has to be towed to BMW dealership for repair. It was identified that the steeling issue was caused by premature failure of the BM…
On July 4th, 2026 we were driving home in a storm. The windshield wipers failed while in the automatic setting, completely shutting off, creating a safety hazard. We pulled to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. Afther the reboot they had resarted, but agian failed within ten minutes. We pulled over again giving the car more time to cool/reset and contacted BMWs internal SOS service. They could not hear due to the rain coming down on the car. Eventually we were able to proceed home with the wipers on a low setting. We took the vehicle to the dealership. They were unable to reproduce the defect, calling it an anomally in one video. The BMW techs are the only one to have inspec…
Charging interrupted-failed. Unable to fully use EV. Dealer confirms issue & has EV for two weeks, BMW USA has been notified, no remedy offered.
Entire car was bricked after a software update (03/2026.54). Even the gear could not be changed to neutral for placing on a tow truck. Nothing wrong with the batteries. After more than 12 hours, finally the engine powered on but the software failure notification sign would still not work, and car had to be towed to authorized service center for a clean software reinstall.
As I was easing my 2024 BMW i4 xDrive40 onto Church Street from a cross street on May 11, 2026, my car suddenly accelerated and crashed into the car in front of me. The acceleration was "un-commanded." The accident occured a bit before 2:20 pm. Driving conditions were ideal. I had the car in Eco Mode, and I was using one-pedal driving (braking when one eases up on the accelerator pedal). When the car becan accelerating. I believe that I had time to depress the brakes, but it was to no avail. There were no reportable injuries and no police report. My car has automatic emergency braking, and on two separate occasions the car braked suddenly when "it" thought that I was approaching a…
The dashboard turn signal indicators are blocked by the steering wheel unless I adjust the steering wheel to a very high position that makes driving unsafe. When the turn signals are on, there is no clicking noise like many cars have. I suggest that BMW update the vehicle software to allow the driver to adjust the location of the turn signal indicators within the digital dash display, or also include turn signal indicators in the heads-up display.
While driving my 2023 BMW i4, the vehicle suddenly displayed multiple drivetrain and chassis malfunction warnings shortly after charging the vehicle at a ChargePoint station. The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power/propulsion while driving, creating a serious safety concern. After stopping, the vehicle began rolling backward unexpectedly and several systems appeared to malfunction. The center display/screens became partially or fully unresponsive/blank and multiple warning messages appeared simultaneously. Due to the loss of propulsion and safety concerns, CHP assistance was required to safely move the vehicle off the roadway. The vehicle was later towed to BMW service for inspectio…
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
Check Control message: "You can continue driving. Drivetrainâ (00029) is displayed. The following fault code is stored in the CCU fault memory: 224188 â Accelerator pedal module, pedal sensor, sensor 1, sensor 2: Signals implausible. There may or may not be a drivability complaint associated with the fault.
A faulty electric auxiliary heater may have been installed in the certain vehicles. This could result in thefailure of the electric auxiliary heater, utilized for the vehicle interior.
A âwhistlingâ noise is heard from the centerconsole/instrument panel when using theheating and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Heard with the blower motor set tospeed 2 or above Noise goes away on high blower speed Noise is loudest with the vents on theback of the center console in the closedposition Noise is heard the most near thecharging tray (where center consolemeets instrument panel)
Mirror Glass Return
The vehicle will no longer move when put into gear. There may also be loud noise coming from the HEAT*(electric drivetrain)/Rear axles.
Charging sessions cannot be started or they are interrupted while using a Level 2 AC high-power chargingstation, or with a Level 3 DC charging station. Charging may start normally but can interrupt after some time. Level 2 (240 V) Flex Charger and Wall boxmay also be affected. The red or white LED is displayed on the high-voltage charging socket; however, no associated fault codesare stored.
While driving on rough surfaces, a âtappingâ noise can be heard from the tailgate area
Charging sessions cannot be started or they are interrupted while using a Level 2 AC high-power charging station, or with a Level 3 DC charging station. Charging may start normally but can interrupt after some time. Level 2 (240 V) Flex Charger and Wall box may also be affected. The red or white LED is displayed on the high-voltage charging socket; however, no associated fault codes are stored.
Gen 5 BEV/PHEV vehicles may set the Combined Charging Unit (CCU) in programming abort due to no communication to the HV charge socket electronics.
The customer states there is a Drivetrain Malfunction message displayed in the instrument cluster. In addition, the following fault memory entries are saved in the CCU (Combined Charging Unit) 0317F2 - High-voltage system, insulation fault detected: when switch contactors are closed. 0317F1 - High-voltage system, insulation resistance below warning threshold: when switch contactors are closed. The fault memory entries (isolation faults) can occur both individually and in combination and must be traced back to the eDrive motor based on the ISTA test procedure. If ISTA test procedure lists possi
There is coolant leaking from under the car Low heater output Possible Check Control message âDrive, you can continue drivingâ (ID49) Possible fault codes stored in these BEV vehicles: 224163 â Electric auxiliary heater for the high-voltage battery unit: Undervoltage or internal communication fault 8049AA - Coolant level sensor, expansion tank: Coolant level low or short circuit to ground or line disconnection 80124F â Electric auxiliary heater: Communication in electric auxiliary heater faulty 224F60 - Coolant level sensor, expansion tank: Coolant level low or short circuit to ground
A manufacturing defect in a bearing of the electronic drive unit could result in bearing damage. This is caused by an unusual acoustic signal in the area of the drive unit. The bearing could fail completely at a later stage, which will be displayed to you by means of a red Check Control message. In this case, the driver is asked to call BMW Roadside Assistance.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens these when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Many end in a recall.
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-spe
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2022–2026, owners most often name: electrical system, unknown or other, power train. 94 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.
