BMW has to recall more than 70,000 electric vehicles in the U.S. due to a software issue with the electric motor. It could lead to a sudden loss of propulsion while driving, increasing the risk of an accident. The i4, i5, i7, and iX model series are affected.
As is customary in the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the recall for the BMWs, citing a potential malfunction in the high-voltage system of the affected vehicles. Vehicles affected are the model years 2022 to 2024 of the i4 and iX, as well as the model years 2023 and 2024 of the i7. Additionally, the 2024 BMW i5 and the 2025 BMW i4 eDrive35 and eDrive40 are also impacted.
According to the NHTSA notice, there is an issue with the electric drive motor software, which “may shut down the high-voltage system, causing a loss of drive power”. However, the fix is reportedly straightforward: “The electric drive motor software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge,” the recall notice states.
Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by mail, presumably in early August. Owners can also check the NHTSA website to see if their EV is affected.
Erroneous shutdown
“This safety recall involves electric drive motor software, which may erroneously shut down the high-voltage system,” says the NHTSA report. “In specific vehicle production configurations, the software may erroneously detect a double-isolation condition. As a fail-safe measure, this will cause the high-voltage system to shut down approximately 15-20 seconds after a warning message is displayed. Power-assisted steering and braking are not affected.
Although it is not possible to definitively determine, BMW believes that approximately 43 warranty claims relate to the detection of this double-isolation condition, which results in a shutdown of the high-voltage system and a loss of propulsion at speeds greater than approximately 20 mph (32 kph).
There are no signs or messages yet indicating that the same issue may occur with the particular BMW models sold during the same period in Europe or the rest of the world.
