There’s currently a recall for certain BMW i4, iX, and i7 models, for an electrical fault that can cause total power loss while driving. If that happens, there’s an increase risk of a crash.
According to BMW North America: “Due to a software issue, monitoring of the high-voltage battery charging process may be affected. This could lead to an interruption during high-voltage battery charging, a temporary loss of power while driving, or stalling.”
A total of 14,086 cars are affected by this recall and all affected owners will be notified of a remedy by February 10. The remedy will be as simple as a free software update at a certified BMW dealer. In the meantime, owners aren’t instructed to do anything.
If owners were to experience this problem, and the car does lose drive power, restarting the car fixes it. While it could show up again, another restart does the trick. Obviously, that’s not the way you want to “solve” the problem, as that just temporarily delays the inevitable. But while BMW is still rolling out a software fix, knowing that a quick reset can do the trick.
This is the third recall for the BMW i4 since its release just a year ago. One of the other recalls was for a potential electrical shortage which could cause a fire. BMW was telling customers not to park their car in a garage or near a house, that’s how dangerous it was. Now, BMW is saying that the car can just lose drive power on the move, which can cause a crash. However, this recall is the first one for the BMW i7.
[Source: NHTSA]
