2023 BMW I4 Power Train Problems

On [XXX] in Columbia SC, my vehicle reported a drivetrain failure at approximately 1800 and advised me to pullover immediately and contact roadside assistance. I promptly parked in the safest space I could approximately within 50 yards of receiving the alert. The vehicle would no longer move once parked to include neutral. BMW roadside assistance took 48 hours to pick up and transport the vehicle to my dealer in Florence SC. I was informed of a recall on the vehicle by the dealership and advised they would not be able to diagnose and repair until they obtained a part from another dealer that allowed them to put it into neutral. Very few updates were provided by the dealership. On 23 December I was informed the vehicle was repaired and ready. I was informed the problem was with the 12 volt battery. The battery was not replaced as it was deemed to be functioning properly after the computer system was updated. I picked up the vehicle on [XXX] with my daughter to drive it 2 miles to our home. 1.5 mile after leaving the dealership the warning came on again causing my daughter to not be able to move the vehicle out of the road at an intersection. The car could not be put into neutral to move it. BMW roadside assistance informed it would be 48 hours before the vehicle could be towed despite me telling them that it was in the flow of traffic. They advised me to locate a tow truck and I would be reimbursed. I contacted USAA roadside and they were able to have a tow truck to the vehicle 3 hours after the failure. I consider this failure to be very dangerous as the vehicle cannot be placed into neutral to move it out of the flow of traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I am reporting a recurring safety issue with my 2023 BMW i4 (VIN: [XXX] ), currently at 28,426 miles. The vehicle has experienced three separate incidents of unexpected and complete loss of power while driving. The first incident occurred in March 2025. The vehicle suddenly lost all propulsion without warning and came to an immediate hard stop. I was later informed this was related to a wheel-positioning sensor. The second incident occurred in October 2025. I had been told that a recall software update would resolve the problem, but the vehicle experienced another loss of power while in motion, showing the issue was not corrected. The third and most concerning incident occurred in November 2025. Multiple error messages appeared instructing me to stop driving immediately, and the vehicle again lost power while moving. A complete loss of propulsion in traffic—especially while merging or pulling into a roadway—creates a severe safety hazard because I am unable to move the vehicle out of the way of oncoming traffic. This puts both myself and other drivers at risk. BMW has acknowledged awareness of issues related to these systems during previous service visits, but the defect continues to occur despite attempted repairs and software updates. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this matter, as repeated power-loss events pose a significant safety risk that could lead to crashes, injuries, or fatalities. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

We had a drivetrain malfunction losing all power to car as we were driving.The car lost all control and drove less than 20 feet before coming to a complete stop on the middle of the road. We were not notified about any recalls on the car and just saw there was one on your site. BMW has now had our car for 3 weeks and has had their engineers working on it saying they are testing teach individual power cell at this time. They have not provided us any feedback other than this and a timeline of when we will get our car back.

The only way I could explain it was as if my brakes were failing. After joining the bmw i4 group on Facebook and having my kids record while driving. I was able to capture the issue. The vehicle drive train will malfunction causing the vehicle to move while not in motion when at a stop light. The vehicle will accelerate on its on. It has recently power off on me while driving and restart back up. I took it to the dealership they said it was fine. I took it today. They couldn’t offer me and my kid ride home or a loaner due to policy. I even asked to trade my car in. I was told that I was driving it wrong. I know my car keeps data on when these incidents occur. I have photos.

The contact owns a 2023 BMW I4. The contact stated that while driving into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly shut off with the message "Drive Train Malfunction" displayed. The vehicle was restarted but would not shift into gear and could no longer be driven. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,000.

Mileage: 42,000

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.

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.

Mileage: 16,000

On 6/8/23 I tried to start my car and received the following error: "Drivetrain malfunction: Driving not possible. Call Roadside Assistance" and the car turned off. I tried 3 more times to start the car and received the same message. I could not drive my car, and had it immediately towed to the dealer. This is a brand new 2023 BMW i4 eDrive40 with only 1469 miles on it. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by the dealer, testing confirmed faults for the high voltage battery and a 30F current violation and sporadic software issue. As of 6/23/23, my car is still sitting at the dealer waiting for a fix (estimated for August). There is a recall for some 2023 i4 eDrive40s (campaign # 22V944000) regarding the high voltage battery electronic control unit (ECU) that may cause an interruption of electrical power, and risk of crash increases. I believe my vehicle should be included in this.

A small spill of liquid (unsweetened iced tea) on the gear shift area inches from the cup holder shorted out the entire transmission of the vehicle, rendering it immovable. This happened while pulling into our garage, but if it had happened while the car was moving on the road it could have caused a catastrophic accident.