2015 BMW I3

THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC) IN THE I3 IS SINGLE CAMERA BASED, AND WILL DEACTIVATE DURING A NUMBER OF CONDITIONS (SUCH AS DRIVING INTO DIRECT SUNLIGHT WHICH BLINDS THE CAMERA.) THIS IS A DESIGN LIMITATION, BUT NOT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS WHEN ACC DEACTIVATES, THE CAR IMMEDIATELY GOES INTO FULL REGEN BRAKING WITHOUT WARNING. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THIS IS A SUDDEN AND SIGNIFICANT DECELERATION THAT POSES A SAFETY HAZARD (BEING REAR ENDED).

STEERING BECOMES LOPSIDED, IT'S LOOSE TO TURN ONE WAY, AND HARD TO TURN THE OTHER WAY, AS IF ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES IS FLAT. THE CAR WILL TEND TO VEER LEFT OR RIGHT, AND I HAVE TO PULL HARD ON THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP IT GOING STRAIGHT. THERE IS NO CONSISTENCY AS TO WHETHER IT VEERS LEFT OR RIGHT, AND THE DIRECTION CHANGES INTERMITTENTLY. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS ALSO INTERMITTENTLY, SOMETIMES EVERY FEW DAYS OR EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON RESOLVES THE PROBLEM, BUT THEN THE SAME PROBLEM EVENTUALLY OCCURS AGAIN SOMETIME LATER. THIS IS MOST LIKELY A SOFTWARE ISSUE. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME BEHAVIOR ON I3'S ONLINE AND ON NHTSA WEBSITE. THIS IS CLEARLY A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND BMW SHOULD ADDRESS IT RIGHT AWAY. *TR

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING, IT FEELS LIKE THERE ARE TWO FLAT FRONT TIRES, BUT THEY ARE OF PROPER INFLATION. STEERING PULLS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WITH NO CENTER FEEL. FEELS LIKE YOU ARE DRIVING AN OLD TRUCK WITH LOOSE STEERING LINKAGE. UNSETTLING AT HIGH SPEEDS OR CURVY ROADS. SENSORS ALERT ON THE DASH: PEDESTRIAN WARNING, STABILITY CONTROL, AND OTHERS. THIS HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE, AND DEALER LOOKED AT THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, AND DID AN ALIGNMENT, WHICH RESOLVED FOR TWO MONTHS.

STEERING BECAME NOTCHY AND FELT LIKE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 25 MPH. IT ALSO FELT LIKE IT WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT WHILE ON CITY STREETS DRIVING STRAIGHT. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT BMW OF LAS VEGAS. I READ ONLINE WHERE MANY OTHER I3 OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR ISSUES. MANY HAVE REPORTED THAT THE ISSUE MAY BE SOFTWARE RELATED AND DIFFICULT TO REPRODUCE AS IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND SHUTTING OFF THE CAR CAN RESET IT GIVING A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY UNTIL THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS.

MY 2015 I3 REX JUST HAD THE STEERING GET REALLY HEAVY AS IF I HAD A FLAT AND IT PULLED TO THE LEFT. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CENTER THE STEERING AS IF THE POWER STEERING HAD FAILED. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE ON VARIOUS INTERNET FORUMS FOR THIS MODEL, BUT IT IS INTERMITTENT AND THEREFORE HARD TO DUPLICATE FOR THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR A WHILE, IT WAS BACK TO NORMAL THE NEXT TIME I DROVE IT.

MY 2015 I3 JUST HAD THE STEERING GET REALLY HEAVY AS IF I HAD A FLAT AND IT PULLED TO THE RIGHT. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CENTER THE STEERING AS IF THE POWER STEERING HAD FAILED. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE ON VARIOUS INTERNET FORUMS FOR THIS MODEL, BUT IT IS INTERMITTENT AND THEREFORE HARD TO DUPLICATE FOR THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR A WHILE, IT WAS BACK TO NORMAL THE NEXT TIME I DROVE IT.

IN LAST 4 WEEKS, ON TWO OCCASIONS STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF A & HARD TO TURN. BOTH TIMES THE STEERING WAS VERY STIFF IMMEDIATELY WHEN CAR STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD. IN FIRST OCCURRENCE, AFTER LEAVING PARKING LOT UNDER 10 MILES/HOUR, I DROVE 25-30 MILES/HOUR IN CITY TRAFFIC (STRAIGHT STREETS), THEN DROVE UP TO 65-70 MILES/HOUR ON INTERSTATE 95 (MOSTLY STRAIGHT AHEAD DRIVING). IN THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, I REVERSED STRAIGHT OUT OF THE DRIMVEWAY AT ABOUT 5-10 MILES/HOUR. I DIDN'T HIT ANY MANHOLE COVERS OR SIGNIFICANT UNEVENESS IN EITHER CASE.

THE CAR SUDDENLY SLOWS TO 5MPH UNDER SOME CONDITIONS. THIS CAN BE EASILY AVOIDED BY RETURNING PROGRAMMING TO INTERNATIONAL. WHILE DRIVING MY CAR HOME IN WINTER IN RAIN I NEED TO HAVE HEAT, WIPER AND DEFROSTER ON. MY HOUSE IS IN HILLS. UNFORTUNATELY ON RETURN TRIP MY BATTERY IN WINTER IS DEPLETED AND THE ONBOARD GAS ENGINE GENERATOR IS UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH HILL CLIMB AND NEEDED HEATING AND WIPER. THE CAR WILL DROP FROM 55MPH TO 5MPH WITHOUT WARNING. THERE IS NO AUTOMATIC FLASHER OR ANY OTHER ITEM TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS OF MY PROBLEM. PLEASE ASK BMW TO RE-FLASH PROGRAMMING TO ALLOW MY TO MAINTAIN GREATER THAN 5% BATTERY LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD HAS.