BMW has issued a recall notice for over 14,000 vehicles in its electric range following a software malfunction that could result in loss of power and an increased risk of a crash. The recall covers the majority of the brand’s electric vehicle lineup including the iX, i4 and i7 sedans produced between 14 October 2021 and 28 October 2022.
The issues seem to stem from a software bug that results in high-voltage battery problems which cause an electronic unit in the vehicle to reset interrupting electrical power to the vehicle.
The high voltage battery electronic control unit software may, during certain vehicle operating conditions, cause an interruption of electrical power. Specifically, a misdiagnosis can sporadically occur within the battery management electronics, which could cause the electronic control unit to reset. If a reset occurs, this could cause an interruption of electrical power.
BMW says it discovered the issue during routine quality control tests. However, the bug hasn’t resulted in any harmful incidents, crashes or injuries yet. The company will roll out a software update next month to address the problem and dealerships will be in contact with affected owners to bring their vehicles in for a fix. Of course, this software update is issued free of charge to vehicle owners.
Unfortunately, this is the second major recall to hit BMW’s EV lineup in under a year. Last year, the company recalled a number of 2022 i4 and iX SUVs due to the risk of battery fires.
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EVs seem to be suffering from recalls across the board with a majority of brands having to address significant issues. Ford recalled close to 50,000 Mustang Mach-E SUVs due to an immobile issue. Toyota also recalled its bZ4X after loose bolts caused the vehicle to become detached while driving. Tesla has also been recalling thousands of vehicles due to faulty lighting systems.
All of the currently recalled BWM EVs are available in South Africa so be on the lookout for your recall notice should your model be affected by this issue.
Source: nhtsa
